# Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery Highbury --- ## Pages - [Home](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/): Our Highbury day nursery provides outstanding childcare facilities for babies, toddlers and preschool children. Find out more about our day nursery today. --- --- ## Posts - [November News](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/november-news/): What a month we had! Amongst the best moments, here are some highlights. Our big trip to the museum was... - [Trip to London Sea Life](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/trip-to-london-sea-life/): On the 18th and 25th of September the toddlers took a big trip to London Sea Life. For some toddlers... - [Jeans for Genes](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/jeans-for-genes-3/): As every year, we are proud to be able to support those families in need by raising some money for... - [Baby Olympics](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/baby-olympics/): We are thrilled to share with you the delightful activities our little ones took part in during our ‘Baby Olympics’... - [Graduation 2024](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/graduation-2024/): The most expected event of the year has arrived to celebrate all the milestones that our big preschoolers have achieved... - [World Book Day](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/world-book-day-2/): In the morning we all arrived in our favourite book character costumes, and throughout the day we enjoyed reading... - [St Patrick's Day](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/st-patricks-day/): Last Monday the Nursery unitedly celebrated an important festivity, St Patrick’s Day! The whole setting turned... - [Red Nose Day](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/red-nose-day/): At Monkey Puzzle Highbury we value the wellness of all the children, which makes the Red Nose Day a big... - [Mother's Day Tea Party](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/mothers-day-tea-party/): On Friday 8th of March we hosted our annual Tea Party to celebrate all the amazing mums in our nursery... - [Valentine's Day](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/valentines-day-2/): Love is in the air every single day at Monkey Puzzle Highbury, and Valentine’s is just the best... - [Lunar New Year](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/lunar-new-year-2/): Once again, Monkey Puzzle Highbury has celebrated the LUNAR NEW YEAR in our rooms... - [National Storytelling week](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/national-storytelling-week-2/): Last week Monkey Puzzle Highbury joined in celebrating National Storytelling week, the rooms were filled... - [Winter Recital](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/winter-recital/): Monkey Puzzle Highbury held a Winter Recital with our children and parents singing their favourite Christmas songs and playing instruments together - [Christmas at Monkey Puzzle Highbury](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/christmas-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/): Monkey Puzzle Highbury has been celebrating Christmas, welcoming Santa in to visit our children and give out presents - [Zoolab Visit](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/zoolab-visit-3/): This October we welcomed back “Zoolab” to continue offering our children more cultural capital experiences. - [Early Years Wellbeing Week 2023](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/early-years-wellbeing-week-2023/): At MPH we are always looking for different ways to continue supporting our team’s wellbeing, both mental and physical. - [Grandparents Week](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/grandparents-week-2/): Last week, our Monkey Puzzle doors opened to welcome our grandparents to join us to spend some time with their... - [Jeans for Genes Day 2023](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/jeans-for-genes-day-2023/): Monkey Puzzle Highbury celebrated Jeans for Genes Day, raising money for an amazing charity and having lots of fun at the same time - [Kent Family Nurseries Awards 2023](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/kent-family-nurseries-awards-2023/): In honour of 10 years of Kent nurseries, we held a fantastic nursery award ceremony to celebrate our fantastic teams and all of their hard work. - [Pizza Outing](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/pizza-outing/): We put a big emphasis on Cultural Capital, exposing our children to different... - [Insect Week](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/insect-week/): This week our children have enjoyed learning about insects, bugs and creep crawlies with lots of time outside and visits to our local park too. - [Father's Day at Highbury](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/fathers-day-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/): Monkey Puzzle Highbury have been celebrating Father's Day, inviting our dads in for delicious BBQ and lots of fun and games together! - [Mental Health Awareness](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/mental-health-awareness-week-2023/): This week our team have been taking part in Mental Health Awareness Week - [Superhero Day](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/superhero-day/): On Friday 28th of April we celebrated Superhero Day with the children at Monkey Puzzle Highbury, dressing up and having lots of fun - [Zoolab Visit](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/zoolab-visit-2/): During April we’ve had one of the most anticipated events that takes place as we have a visit from Zoolab! - [Mother's Day](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/mothers-day-2/): Here at MPH, we are famous for seizing every opportunity we get to invite our families - [Theatre Trip](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/theatre-trip-2/): On the first week of March our toddlers went on their first ‘big outing’ of the year. - [National Story Telling Week](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/national-story-telling-week/): Monkey Puzzle Highbury joined in celebrating “National storytelling week"... - [Lunar New Year](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/lunar-new-year-2023/): Monkey Puzzle Highbury have been celebrating the Lunar New Year - [Christmas](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/christmas/): ‘Tis the season to be jolly! ! Christmas spirit has filled the rooms... - [Pyjama Day](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/pyjama-day/): On Friday 18th of November, we once again took part in Pyjama Day... - [Halloween At MPH](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/halloween-at-mph/): During the last week of October, our children have engaged in many activities... - [Theatre Trip](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/theatre-trip/): The 19th of October 2022 was a magical day for the Kent family nurseries in Islington. - [Fire Station Visit](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/fire-station-visit/): Have you ever heard about Cultural Capital? It is the “essential knowledge that children need - [Jeans For Genes](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/jeans-for-genes-2/): On September 35rd, Monkey Puzzle Highbury raised money for Jeans for Genes day, an annual charity fund raising event - [Notting Hill Carnival](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/notting-hill-carnival/): We celebrated Notting Hill Carnival by hosting our very own celebration! - [National Gallery Trip](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/trip-to-national-gallery/): Our preschool room had the opportunity to visit the National Gallery. - [July Newsletter](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/july-newsletter/): We have come to the end of what felt like the warmest month of the year... - [Grandparents Week](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/grandparents-week/): This past week, we have opened our doors and invited our grandparents to join us - [Father’s day party](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/fathers-day-party/): On Monday the 20th of June we hosted our classic Father’s Day BBQ - [June Newsletter](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/june-newsletter/): What an incredible June we just had with the sun coming out to visit us! - [Spring Party](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/spring-party/): Monkey Puzzle Highbury has been celebrating the arrival of Spring! We've had an afternoon party with all of our parents and had lots of fun. - [Ducklings at Monkey Puzzle Highbury](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/ducklings-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/): Monkey Puzzle Highbury has welcomed some ducklings to our nursery, teaching our children about their life cycle, from hatching eggs to learning to waddle - [Mental Health Awareness Week](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/mental-health-awareness-week/): At Monkey Puzzle Highbury, we take care of our staff as much as we do of our families and children. - [Easter](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/easter/): This week, Monkey Puzzle Highbury has been celebrating the Easter Holidays with lots of fun activities like an Easter Egg Hunt on Highbury fields, - [Zoolab Visit](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/zoolab-visit/): In April we have a visit from Zoolab, teaching our children about different animals from around the world, like frogs, rats, snakes and scorpions. - [Earth Day](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/earth-day-2/): April 22nd was Earth Day and Monkey Puzzle Highbury learnt about the world around us and the dangers of pollution - [International Women's Day](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/international-womens-day/): Purple has filled our rooms for women’s day! - [Mothers Day](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/mothers-day/): We couldn’t miss the opportunity to celebrate our terrific mums with a lovely tea party at MPH. - [St Patrick's Day 2022](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/st-patricks-day-2022/): We've been celebrating St Patrick's Day at Monkey Puzzle Highbury, learning Irish dancing, wearing green and making shamrocks - [World Book Day](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/world-book-day/): This week we have been celebrating World Book Day, sharing some of our favourite stories with each other and learning about making our own books - [National Storytelling Week](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/national-storytelling-week/): We have been celebrating National Storytelling Week, sharing our favourite books and stories and doing lots of fun activities too - [Lunar New Year](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/lunar-new-year/): We have been celebrating the Lunar New Year at Monkey Puzzle Highbury, making lanterns and learning about Asian cultures and... - [Valentine's Day](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/valentines-day/): Love is in the air at Monkey Puzzle Highbury as we celebrate Valentine's day, learning about our friendships and relationships... - [Father Christmas visits Monkey Puzzle Highbury](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/father-christmas-visits-monkey-puzzle-highbury/): This week our children at Monkey Puzzle Highbury have had a visit from Father Christmas, singing songs and getting some... - [Preschool deliver homemade Christmas cards](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/preschool-deliver-homemade-christmas-cards/): Our Preschool children have been out delivering Christmas cards and singing carols for all the lovely people at our local... - [Pre School Committee](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/pre-school-committee/): The pre-schoolers have introduced a monthly preschool committee. We are supporting their independence and confidence through the meetings. - [Halloween at Highbury](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/halloween/): This week we have been having a spooky Halloween celebration, with Halloween themed lessons, making potions sensory play and activities! - [Preschool Trip to the Dentist](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/preschool-trip-to-the-dentist/): This week, our Preschool children have taken a trip to the dentist, learning about teeth and all about what a dentist job is like - [Toddlers Trip for Pumpkins](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/toddlers-trip-for-pumpkins/): This week our Toddlers have been out getting ready for Halloween. They're been out picking their own pumpkins and learning about money when they paid for them - [Picnic with our Families!](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/picnic-with-our-families/): This week, we have been enjoying some time with our families. We invited them in for a picnic, enjoying some... - [A Fire Engine visited Monkey Puzzle Highbury](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/a-fire-engine-visited-monkey-puzzle-highbury/): This week, Monkey Puzzle Highbury had a visit from the fire brigade, bringing their fire engine and teaching us all about the tools they use - [Jeans for Genes](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/jeans-for-genes/): On the 17th September, we took part in Jeans for Genes day, all wearing jeans and raising money for an amazing charity cause. - [Preschool’s trip for Babyccino](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/preschools-trip-for-babyccino/): This week our preschool children made a trip to Babyccino, a local cafe, where we all ordered our own drinks and paid all by ourselves too - [Healthy Eating at Monkey Puzzle](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/healthy-eating-at-monkey-puzzle/): This week we have had a "healthy eating week," looking at healthy food choices, learning about vegetables and making healthy... - [4th of July at Monkey Puzzle](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/4th-of-july-at-monkey-puzzle/): At Monkey Puzzle Highbury, we've been celebrating the 4th July, turning our whole nursery red, white and blue to celebrate Independence Day - [Olden Garden Outings at Monkey Puzzle Highbury](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/olden-garden-outings-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/): Our children at Monkey Puzzle Highbury have had the opportunity to go out and explore nature with a visit to Olden Garden Community - [Earth Day at Monkey Puzzle Highbury](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/earth-day/): Monkey Puzzle Highbury has been celebrating Earth Day, learning about loving our planet and how we can help to look after it - [Duckling Visit at Monkey Puzzle](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/duckling-visit-at-monkey-puzzle/): This week. we have had a visit from some ducklings! Our children have been learning about their lifecycle and watching them grow - [Red Nose Day at Monkey Puzzle Highbury](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/red-nose-day-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/): This week at Monkey Puzzle Highbury, we have been taking part in Red Nose Day. We all wore red all day and raisied £681 for the charity! - [St Patrick’s Day at Monkey Puzzle Highbury](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/st-patricks-day-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/): For St Patrick's Day, Monkey Puzzle Highbury turned green! We celebrated with balloons and shamrocks and even learnt some Irish dancing - [Holi at Monkey Puzzle Highbury](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/holi-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/): On the 29th March, Monkey Puzzle Highbury celebrated Holi Festival. We had fun, turning our lovely white shirts as bright and colourful as we could. - [Mother’s Day at Monkey Puzzle Highbury](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/mothers-day-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/): We celebrated Mother’s Day! We started with a surprise at the door for our mummies: Thenthe children were busy all day preparing gifts and cards - [Sports Day at Monkey Puzzle Highbury](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/sports-day-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/): This week at Monkey Puzzle Highbury, we have had our sports day! We did little versions of lots of Olympic sports like races, football and skiing. - [Chinese New Year at Monkey Puzzle Highbury](https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/chinese-new-year-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/): This week we have been celebrating Chinese New Year at Monkey Puzzle Highbury, making Chinese Lanterns and making some Chinese food. --- # # Detailed Content ## Pages > Our Highbury day nursery provides outstanding childcare facilities for babies, toddlers and preschool children. Find out more about our day nursery today. - Published: 2022-03-08 - Modified: 2025-07-07 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/ Important Notice As of the 7th July 2025, Monkey Puzzle Highbury has ceased operations. You can contact the nursery through the contact details below. To find your nearest Monkey Puzzle Day Nursery, please visit monkeypuzzledaynurseries. com Website: https://bemedaynurseries. co. uk/ We are open 8:00am to 6:00pm Monday to Friday for 51 weeks per year. We are closed for 1 week at Christmas so that everyone in the nursery can have some quality time with their families. --- --- --- ## Posts - Published: 2024-11-29 - Modified: 2024-12-02 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/november-news/ - Categories: News What a month we had! Amongst the best moments, here are some highlights. Our big trip to the museum was magical! What a month we had! Amongst the best moments, here are some highlights. Our big trip to the museum was magical! We learned so many things about science, the universe, the moon and the world around us! We also celebrated Children in Need, having fun with lots of different creative activities to raise awareness amongst our children. What a great opportunity to talk about the children who are less fortunate than us, and to play lots of activities with our friend Pudsey! We also celebrated World Kindness Day, filling our pot of kindness with messages for our loved ones, sharing the “kind hands” core value from our nursery values! --- - Published: 2024-10-16 - Modified: 2024-10-16 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/trip-to-london-sea-life/ - Categories: News On the 18th and 25th of September the toddlers took a big trip to London Sea Life. For some toddlers it was a chance... On the 18th and 25th of September the toddlers took a big trip to London Sea Life. For some toddlers it was a chance to experience a lot of different cultural capital moments all in one day. From entering and travelling on a train, to walking through central London to the aquarium. The toddlers had a lovely cultural capital moment, seeing different sights in central London, such as Big Ben, London Eye and the River Thames. Our explorers enjoyed looking at all the different species of sea creatures, from turtles, sea horses and sharks. They also popped into the rainforest where they saw spiders, ants and multi coloured frogs. They even saw some famous fish ‘Nemo and Dory’ how exciting! Before setting off back to the nursery there was a big tank filled with water and ray and shark eggs -or as they call them, Mermaid purses. The toddlers were able to touch them very very gently and we learnt something new about the shark and ray. --- - Published: 2024-10-02 - Modified: 2024-10-02 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/jeans-for-genes-3/ - Categories: News As every year, we are proud to be able to support those families in need by raising some money for the jeans for Genes campaign... As every year, we are proud to be able to support those families in need by raising some money for the jeans for Genes campaign on Friday 20th September. Every penny helps fund studies to treat a variety of genetic disorders. The children certainly enjoyed becoming fashion designers and creating their own masterpieces, finding new ways of creating something special from old clothes. We love the up-cycling movement. Baby room where very busy with a floor activity, they used different materials to redesign a pair of jeans. They really enjoyed adding their sparkle to make the pair of jeans amazing. The babies also enjoyed washing some jeans in the tuff tray. Toddler room were very occupied with multiple activities involving jeans, first they used a variety of materials to design their own pair of jeans made out of card and then put their own spin on a larger scale of jeans. Working as a team to create the best jeans ever seen. Preschool room have taken an active role to upcycle, they took a trip the previous week to the charity shop to find a pair of jeans. With this pair of jeans they used scissors to make squares and turn them into keyrings. They decorated the keyrings with sparkly gems. What a lovely idea! --- - Published: 2024-08-19 - Modified: 2024-08-19 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/baby-olympics/ - Categories: News We are thrilled to share with you the delightful activities our little ones took part in during our ‘Baby Olympics’ last month! We are thrilled to share with you the delightful activities our little ones took part in during our ‘Baby Olympics’ last month! It was a day full of joy, laughter, and lots of movement as the children explored a variety of fun and engaging physical activities designed just for them. ‘Active childhoods’ is one of our ethos and we always take any opportunity we have to embrace it. The Baby Olympics was an exciting outing where all our children got to show off their physical abilities through a series of playful challenges in the park. They also joined our sister nursery Melody Lane, making it a true Monkey Puzzle takeover! Here’s a quick overview of the activities: Race: Our youngest athletes joined in a big running competition. It was wonderful to see their determination as they made their way to the finish line. It was just amazing to see them all running together with big smiles. Tug of war rope: our children enjoyed working together in groups as teams using all their muscles to pull in one direction. This was a really fun activity, and all the children enjoyed taking part in it. Bin bags toss: A simple but exciting game where the children practiced their hand-eye coordination by tossing soft bags on the grass and seeing how fair it go. They on only practiced the gross motor skills but also practice their math measuring how far it landed. The smiles and cheers were endless as each child took their... --- - Published: 2024-08-19 - Modified: 2024-08-19 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/graduation-2024/ - Categories: News The most expected event of the year has arrived to celebrate all the milestones that our big preschoolers have achieved... The most expected event of the year has arrived to celebrate all the milestones that our big preschoolers have achieved with us over the past 3 years. We had an incredible sunny day that allowed us to have so much fun outside! We started the event with our Graduation Ceremony, inviting those families that will be leaving us in this school year. After a unique performance, all our graduates were awarded by a ‘Most likely to become’ certificate, looking ahead to their future and predicting their future careers. We also used the opportunity to appreciate the hard work from our Preschool team, who shape their little minds with all those new experiences and stimulating environments they offer every day. It was also a great moment to appreciate the trust of those longer standing families who have been part of our Monkey Puzzle journey over the last 5 to 6 years, not only bringing their most precious treasure into the setting, but also offering their suggestions and cooperation to help us continue growing as a nursery. We finalised our especial day with an Outdoor Party to say a proper goodbye to this group of children and create some last memories to keep safe in our hearts. --- - Published: 2024-03-27 - Modified: 2024-03-27 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/world-book-day-2/ - Categories: News In the morning we all arrived in our favourite book character costumes, and throughout the day we enjoyed reading... On the 7th of March, we celebrated World Book Day here at Monkey Puzzle Highbury. In the morning we all arrived in our favourite book character costumes, and throughout the day we enjoyed reading our favourite stories from all around the world. This year our popular books were ‘The three little pigs’, ‘We are going on a bear hunt’ and ‘The colour monster’ The children were engaged with different invitations to play and puppet shows in which they used their imaginations and creativity for each different activity. --- - Published: 2024-03-27 - Modified: 2024-03-27 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/st-patricks-day/ - Categories: News Last Monday the Nursery unitedly celebrated an important festivity, St Patrick’s Day! The whole setting turned... Last Monday the Nursery unitedly celebrated an important festivity, St Patrick’s Day! The whole setting turned into the colour green and activities were set up to commemorate this event! The rooms used a wide range of resources to stimulate the children creativity and to enlarge their knowledge about this cultural event. At MPH we consider really important to promote the British values and more specifically the Mutual Respect, celebrating other’s cultures events. In these pictures, the babies enjoying a messy play with the traditional Irish symbols of St Patrick’s Day. Among the several activities done in the Toddler room, the children especially enjoyed cutting their own shamrock... And fishing for treasure in the water tray! The Preschooler went on an adventure to look for the golden coins! Monkey Puzzle Highbury considers important celebrating this kind of events as mile stones into the children’s lives. --- - Published: 2024-03-27 - Modified: 2024-03-27 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/red-nose-day/ - Categories: News At Monkey Puzzle Highbury we value the wellness of all the children, which makes the Red Nose Day a big event to celebrate. This month the nursery had the opportunity to fundraise for another great cause. At Monkey Puzzle Highbury we value the wellness of all the children, which makes the Red Nose Day a big event to celebrate. This year the organization will be supporting those affected by the living crisis. The rooms were filled with related activities and the children were given amazing opportunities to reflect on the meaning of the event. They extended their learning painting red noses, handling the brushes and selecting the right size according to their goal. The older ones discussed what can they do to help others. Here are the pictures of the babies engaging in red nose painting activity! Here are some pictures for Toddlers, painting their red noses. The Preschool used red paint to fill the this big nose. Working together to achieve the goal!   The learning was extended with talking about the Children in need and what can we do to help others! Thanks to the contributions of our families and staff, we have raised £130 for the cause. Thanks for making a difference! --- - Published: 2024-03-26 - Modified: 2024-03-26 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/mothers-day-tea-party/ - Categories: News On Friday 8th of March we hosted our annual Tea Party to celebrate all the amazing mums in our nursery community. On Friday 8th of March we hosted our annual Tea Party to celebrate all the amazing mums in our nursery community. Every room had different activities set up, where mums were able to join in with their little ones. From play dough modelling to bracelet making, or even just spending some time in the rooms, our children had a wonderful time sharing a little bit of their nursery life with their mummies. The stars of the day were welcomed with a choice of warm or iced tea, and then were invited to join on their children’s rooms. As an extra treat, we also had a visit from one of our own mums, who is a life coach specialising in finding a healthy balance between work and home life as a working mum. It was really nice to see our community of mums sharing experiences, as well as useful tips and strategies. As usual, it was lovely to welcome and pamper our amazing mums, and we can’t wait for the next parent partnership opportunity to come along! ! Mums were welcomed with some nice drinks. Once in the room, there were some nice biscuits and finger sandwiches The baby mums enjoyed spending some time in the rooms, also getting to meet other mums. Our toddlers enjoyed making some arts and crafts for their mums. Our preschoolers made some lovely cards with their mums, and they also met some of their old practitioners’ own babies! --- - Published: 2024-02-20 - Modified: 2024-02-20 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/valentines-day-2/ - Categories: News Love is in the air every single day at Monkey Puzzle Highbury, and Valentine’s is just the best... “ Lucky are those ones that have a friendship that starts in childhood and follows them through their life” Love is in the air every single day at Monkey Puzzle Highbury, and Valentine’s is just the best opportunity to make sure we appreciate our loves ones. From the first friendship to the unique bonds with adults we seeing flourishing across the rooms. Today, 14th of February our nursery has filled with tones of pink and red, hearts and smiles in our messy plays, cooking activities and snacks, and various art and crafts to decorate the rooms. We have spoken about our favourite things to do with our love ones and how we can express that important feeling to each other. Have a look at all the activities and fun we has had! --- - Published: 2024-02-16 - Modified: 2024-02-16 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/lunar-new-year-2/ - Categories: News Once again, Monkey Puzzle Highbury has celebrated the LUNAR NEW YEAR in our rooms... Once again, Monkey Puzzle Highbury has celebrated the LUNAR NEW YEAR in our rooms, offering opportunitites for our children to explore different cultures and traditions from different countries. This 2024 is the year of the Dragon and our rooms have joined a wide range of activities to commemorate the special event. From reading stories about the event, to crafts and paintings to decorate their rooms, even practising using chopsticks or tracing graphems in chinese, korean or japanese. Have a look at all the fun we had this past week! --- - Published: 2024-02-13 - Modified: 2024-02-13 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/national-storytelling-week-2/ - Categories: News Last week Monkey Puzzle Highbury joined in celebrating National Storytelling week, the rooms were filled... Last week Monkey Puzzle Highbury joined in celebrating National Storytelling week; the rooms were filled with our favourite books and stories, using a wide variety of resources to stimulate our children’s imagination. This week provided a wonderful opportunity for us to highlight the importance of reading and storytelling to this young age. Here are some pictures of the babies interested in books.     Here are some pictures of the toddlers and the Preschoolers interested in books.     We were delighted to have different parents and carers joining us to share their favourite books and stories. Thank you so much to all the parents and carers who joined us reading these books to the children.     The Preschool room used the story puzzles to create their own ones by using their imagination.  The Toddler room were invested on the three little pigs, using different materials to make the houses. --- > Monkey Puzzle Highbury held a Winter Recital with our children and parents singing their favourite Christmas songs and playing instruments together - Published: 2023-12-21 - Modified: 2024-01-08 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/winter-recital/ - Categories: News Monkey Puzzle Highbury held a Winter Recital with our children and parents singing and playing instruments together. Our doors opened on Wednesday the 20th of December to join in a Winter Recital with our music teacher Emily. Our babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers sang along different carols and played some instruments along with the rhythm, showing all their learning about tempo (piano and forte) and musical pattern. They even involved some Makaton into their singing. Hurray! ! --- > Monkey Puzzle Highbury has been celebrating Christmas, welcoming Santa in to visit our children and give out presents - Published: 2023-12-20 - Modified: 2024-01-08 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/christmas-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/ - Categories: News Santa paid a visit to Monkey Puzzle Highbury in December to wish a Happy Christmas to our children. December was a magical month at Monkey Puzzle Highbury; you could truly feel the festive spirit surrounding you as soon as you stepped into our nursery! From decorating the rooms, making their own decorations and accessories, and of course, preparing lovely surprise presents to take home to give to their families. On the 8th of December, Father Christmas came to wish our children a merry Christmas, and he even left some present to continue encouraging our children’s love for reading! ! The children sang some of the carols they practiced with Emily as a thank you for the visit and presents. After the visit, the parents were invited to do some arts and craft with the children as they joined some yummy nibbles. --- - Published: 2023-10-31 - Modified: 2023-10-31 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/zoolab-visit-3/ - Categories: News This October we welcomed back “Zoolab” to continue offering our children more cultural capital experiences. This October we welcomed back “Zoolab” to continue offering our children more cultural capital experiences. This was an incredible opportunity for our children to learn about different small creatures from all around the world and how to take care of them. Charlotte, our Zoolab ranger, presented the story “Zoo in the Room” to introduce the different animals that came to visit us. We learned lots of fun facts and important information about African snails, African Rats, Tarantulas, Corn snakes, White frogs and many other insects and small animals. Did you know that cockroaches have two brains, one in their head and another one on their tummy, so they can live without their head for months? “Is it room in the broom for an insect like me? " BELLA the Tarantula and ROCKY the cockroach BELLA the Tarantula has the same number of legs than eyes to never lose sight on her legs. African cockroaches can eat everything, from decaying plants to animal carcasses, and then recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem PETE the FROG and SLO MO the SNAIL White frogs absorb water through their skins so they must be kept damp. African snails are always hungry! They love flowers and seaweed. PUDDING the snake and DORA the rat Corn snakes come from USA and live in corn fields. Rats have a great memory and can remember a route in a maze. --- - Published: 2023-10-31 - Modified: 2023-10-31 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/early-years-wellbeing-week-2023/ - Categories: News At MPH we are always looking for different ways to continue supporting our team’s wellbeing, both mental and physical. At MPH we are always looking for different ways to continue supporting our team’s wellbeing, both mental and physical. With this in mind, it only made sense that we would join Early Years Wellbeing Week, as we’ve been doing for the past few years. This is an initiative that looks to create awareness about the importance of supporting early years’ workers mental wellbeing, acknowledging the demands of the job they do every day. As usual, we planned a whole week of activities with a holistic approach in mind. Every day there were different activities aiming to support our staff’s overall wellbeing. We started by coming together to share different ideas on how to recharge our ‘emotional batteries’. We also shared a ‘wellbeing bingo’ with different activities to encourage our team to look after themselves; this one, we actually shared with our parent community as well, encouraging them to role model healthy activities to their little ones. On a different day, we also shared the power of positive affirmations, the idea was to take what they needed, and share what they thought would help someone else. As we know mental and physical wellness are closely linked, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to challenge our team on a simple action that can do wonders for our health: a water drinking challenge! ! We also welcomed our team with a healthy breakfast, with an offer of whole fruits, yoghurt and smoothies, as well as vitamin shots to boost up our immune systems. And... --- - Published: 2023-10-23 - Modified: 2023-10-23 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/grandparents-week-2/ - Categories: News Last week, our Monkey Puzzle doors opened to welcome our grandparents to join us to spend some time with their grandchildren. Grandparents day gave us the perfect... Last week, our Monkey Puzzle doors opened to welcome our grandparents to join us to spend some time with their grandchildren. Grandparents day gave us the perfect opportunity to invite them to join in our nursery day for a little bit, and we were really lucky to have many of them joining us! On this occasion, the grandparents chose to bring their grandchildren’s favourite books from home, which got all the children’s attention. We have never seen our toddlers as concentrated as they were, listening to the amazing stories. After reading the books, some of them even joined in the daily activities such as going to the garden or making yummy pretend food in the home corner, getting to spend extra time with their grandchildren. I was heartwarming to see the big smiles on the children’s faces as soon as they saw their grandparents coming through the door, and it was a great opportunity to continue building our partnership with the families. As our nursery community is quite international, our adorable Discoverers worked really hard throughout the week making beautiful cards for their amazing grandparents who couldn’t join. It was a great idea to show their love for them! A big shoutout to all the grandparents who joined us, you are all welcome to visit again whenever you are around! ! --- > Monkey Puzzle Highbury celebrated Jeans for Genes Day, raising money for an amazing charity and having lots of fun at the same time - Published: 2023-09-27 - Modified: 2023-10-09 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/jeans-for-genes-day-2023/ - Categories: News On the 22nd of September we raised money for Jeans for Genes which is the annual fundraising event for the genetic disorder community. On the 22nd of September we raised money for Jeans for Genes which is the annual fundraising event for the genetic disorder community. All the children and staff had a great time some fun joining in some baking, doing some art and crafts as well as wearing jeans and white tops, to celebrate and provide awareness for the cause. This year we have had a little competition between the rooms in which each room decorated a pair of jeans. They used to opportunity to express their creativity with paint, stickers, feathers and some extra shining materials sticked on the jeans. At the end of the day the parents voted for the “most creative” jeans by sticking a smile on them. All the children put on their cooking hats to bake different cookies and biscuits. Our preschoolers, toddlers and babies were involved on mixing all the ingredients and measuring quantities and following a recipe. We use every opportunity to keep learning! Thank you for each of the donations, together we fundraised £161. 60. Our Inventors used their fine motor skills to make bracelets. Our Discoverers decorated a pair of trousers using paint and feathers to raise money for the cause. Explorers and Inventors put their chef hats on to make yummy cookies. They enjoyed the measuring and mixing all of the ingredients together. Our Inventors went to the charity shop to get some jeans for the rooms to decorate. Our Discoverers made some cookies. Each child explored the dough and used... --- > In honour of 10 years of Kent nurseries, we held a fantastic nursery award ceremony to celebrate our fantastic teams and all of their hard work. - Published: 2023-09-12 - Modified: 2023-09-12 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/kent-family-nurseries-awards-2023/ - Categories: News In honour of 10 years of Kent nurseries, we held an award ceremony to celebrate our teams and their hard work. In celebration of 10 years of Kent Family Nurseries, on our recent inset day we wanted to do something special to recognise and commemorate the hard work and dedication that our staff show every day. Each nursery put forward nominees for various awards and the winners were carefully selected by our senior management team. We also had two special awards for our ‘Inspirational Manager’ and ‘Best Team Player’ which were voted for by the team. The Creativity Award – Olivia Barry, Monkey Puzzle Angel For the person who demonstrates excellent creativity in their ideas and activities. Motivational Room Leader Award – Maria Martin, Monkey Puzzle Ridgmont Road For the Room Leader who always inspires the team with their positive attitude. The Batman & Robin Award – Kayleigh Barrett and Lexi Henderson, Monkey Puzzle Melody Lane For the best Room Leader and Deputy Room Leader partnership. Culinary King/Queen Award – Plange Kwatei, Monkey Puzzle Highbury For the best Chef or Kitchen Assistant who goes above and beyond in the kitchen The Butterfly Award – Alessandra Perreca, Monkey Puzzle Ridgmont Road For the person who has embraced challenge, spread their wings and thrived! The Inspirational Manager Award (voted by the team) – Elyne Missinne, Monkey Puzzle Melody Lane For the manager who always goes above and beyond for their nursery and the wider team. Who has a strong focus on their own individual development goals and is always a positive role model with consistently high expectations for themselves and the team! The... --- - Published: 2023-07-17 - Modified: 2023-07-21 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/pizza-outing/ - Categories: News We put a big emphasis on Cultural Capital, exposing our children to different... At MPH we put a big emphasis on Cultural Capital, exposing our children to different experiences to ensure they have the best possible start in life. Part of that includes getting involved in our local community, and with that in mind we organised a series of visits to our local pizzeria, ‘Il Guscio’. In small groups, we took our Preschoolers, Toddlers, and even some of our older babies to enjoy some yummy pizza while also soaking in the Italian atmosphere which even included some classic Italian tunes. With the sun shining bright, for a little while it felt like we were in sunny Naples, enjoying a slice of Margarita -or two. Our children took an active role on this outing, from having a look at the menus, to choosing their favourite style -Margarita? Prosciutto on top? Marinara perhaps? - to even asking for the bill and paying! These outings were a great opportunity to talk about different cultures and preferences, and our little Italian speakers even got to share a few key words with their peers (like how to say ‘cheese’ or ‘tomato’ in Italian). On top of everything else, it was lovely to see our children share a special dinner, sharing their own experiences (‘I always get this one, it’s my favourite’) and overall enjoy such a delicious meal. Read the full article Pizza_Bulletin --- > This week our children have enjoyed learning about insects, bugs and creep crawlies with lots of time outside and visits to our local park too. - Published: 2023-07-07 - Modified: 2023-07-12 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/insect-week/ - Categories: News This week our children have enjoyed learning about insects, bugs and creep crawlies. One more time, our teams at MPH created plenty of opportunities for our children to develop their understanding of the world around us. On this occasion, we celebrated an “insect week” learning about the different species that inhabit our garden and local parks. It was an incredible week to extend their curiosity and learn about their habitats, fun facts, differences between species and explore their life cycles. Our team facilitated many activities to take care of those little creatures, bringing alive our ethos “Loving the planet”. Have a look at all the fun we had in the rooms! --- > Monkey Puzzle Highbury have been celebrating Father's Day, inviting our dads in for delicious BBQ and lots of fun and games together! - Published: 2023-06-21 - Modified: 2023-06-21 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/fathers-day-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/ - Categories: News This week we celebrated all of our dads with a BBQ and fun and games! What a great afternoon we had here in Highbury celebrating our dads. We worked very hard the past weeks in preparing lots of surprises for them, to let them know, one more time, that we love them so much. Like busy bees, we cut, glued and pasted cards, decorated them with big effort and patience. Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers prepared their rooms with nice decorations, Plange & Paulina looked after the menu, from sausages to burgers, and the best part was to spend time with our dads in the room playing lots of games together. And this is how it went... . --- - Published: 2023-06-01 - Modified: 2023-06-05 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/mental-health-awareness-week-2023/ - Categories: News This week our team have been taking part in Mental Health Awareness Week The week between 15 to 21 of May we took part on Mental Health Awareness Week, an initiative from the Mental Health Foundation to bring awareness about mental health issues, starting conversations so people will be able to share their experiences, coping strategies, or simply open up about their struggles. The theme this year was Anxiety, a common response from our bodies when faced with stressful situations, but one that can become a bigger issue if it gets out of control. Every day we presented our team with different challenges, ideas, resources and treats, all aiming to support their own mental health wellbeing, as well as to kickstart these important conversations about mental health illness and struggles. Throughout the whole week you could really see our ‘Five hands’ values come to life more than ever before! We shared a calendar in the beginning of the week, so the team would know what they are looking forward to. We invited our team to take a moment to reflect and be thankful for all the good things in their lives, encouraging them to share these gratitude notes if they wished. On another day, we welcomed them with a yummy healthy breakfast made of a variety of fresh fruit and some natural yogurt. It really brought a colourful start to everyone’s day! As endorphins are key to feel happy and energised, we encouraged our staff to go on walks to soak on some fresh air and even some sunlight. On Thursday, we took... --- > On Friday 28th of April we celebrated Superhero Day with the children at Monkey Puzzle Highbury, dressing up and having lots of fun - Published: 2023-05-17 - Modified: 2023-06-05 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/superhero-day/ - Categories: News On Friday 28th of April we celebrated Superhero Day with the children at Monkey Puzzle Highbury On Friday 28th of April we celebrated Superhero Day. When first asked, most children were quick to mention the likes of Superman, Batman or Spider Man. However, to really honour the day, we shifted the conversation into the heroes within our community, people like doctors, nurses, teachers, lollipop men and women, firefighters, and even mummies and daddies, all of them working to make the world a better and safer place. When talking about these everyday superheroes, some words that came up were ‘safe’, ‘rescue’, ‘help’ and ‘power’, all worthy of the mightiest heroes and heroines. In the baby room we focused on the people who helps keep us healthy, our doctors and nurses. The little Discoverers got a chance to dress up as these heroic beings, role playing how to put bandages or give medications to make their teachers and peers feel better. The babies also talked about the different transports used by healthcare professionals, such as ambulances or even the helicopter! We also had the opportunity to colour different doctors and nurses with their uniforms, and the older babies even got to draw their own version of these heroes. In the Preschool Room, we talked about the different everyday heroes in the community, the ways they help us, and why they play such an important role. To do this, in addition to our circle times, we also used books that talk about ‘people who help us’. The Inventors did some mark making to represent the different professions, using various... --- > During April we’ve had one of the most anticipated events that takes place as we have a visit from Zoolab! - Published: 2023-04-27 - Modified: 2023-06-05 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/zoolab-visit-2/ - Categories: News During April we’ve had one of the most anticipated events that takes place as we have a visit from Zoolab! During April we’ve had one of the most anticipated events that takes place each semester in our nursery: the visit from Zoolab. They are a company that brings small animals and large insects into education settings, so that children can have a close encounter with these creatures, learning more about their habits, preferences, and habitats. The bravest children also have a chance to touch or pet the visitors and feel the different textures and temperatures. Fun fact: on most occasions, children will fearlessly go straight to petting the animals and insects, whereas the adults are the ones who will give it a second thought before taking a chance. Our ranger, George, was super friendly and knowledgeable, and he turned the visit into a learning opportunity for everyone involved, as he shared some interesting or fun facts that kept children and adults alike entertained. On this visit, the guests of honour were: Blondie the Tarantula Roger the Snake Frodo the Frog Mick the Millipede Last, but not least, Mick the Millipede (or shongololo as our South African friends would call it). --- - Published: 2023-03-29 - Modified: 2023-04-05 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/mothers-day-2/ - Categories: News Here at MPH, we are famous for seizing every opportunity we get to invite our families Mother's Day Tea Party Here at MPH, we are famous for seizing every opportunity we get to invite our families to join us; even more so when the reason is celebrating our children’s amazing mums! On Monday 20th of March, we did just that: the mums across all 3 rooms were invited to a Mother’s Day tea party. Our guests of honour were welcomed with some pastries and finger sandwiches, and of course, a nice warm cup of tea. Then, each room had different activities set up, all with Mums at the centre of them: from a photo booth decorated by the babies, to ‘mummy and me’ puzzles, photo frame decorating, sculpting play dough and bracelet making, there was something for everyone. It was heart-warming to see the children’s faces as they proudly gave their handmade presents to their mummies, and it was an afternoon where you could definitely feel the love in the air! Click here to read the full article: Mothers Day --- - Published: 2023-03-29 - Modified: 2023-04-05 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/theatre-trip-2/ - Categories: News On the first week of March our toddlers went on their first ‘big outing’ of the year. Theatre trip On the first week of March our toddlers went on their first ‘big outing’ of the year. Along with the toddler rooms from our Angel and Melody Lane nurseries, we went to the Little Angel Studio to see “The flying bath”. The play follows the adventures of some bath toys which come to life during bath time, bringing -or splashing- water wherever is most needed. As well, the story is told through song and rhyme, which our toddlers absolutely love! The whole morning was adventure-filled! From taking the bus to get to the theatre, to having al fresco snack while talking about what they imagined they play would be about, we really made a whole morning out of it! ! Once the lights were out and the play started, it was an hour full of laughter, surprise and excitement. It was heart-warming to see the awe in our children’s faces as they immersed themselves in the play and joined in the bath time adventures the flying bath took them into. This outing was a milestone on its own. Firstly, we were able to provide an amazing opportunity to enhance our toddlers’ cultural capital; how often do you get to have a whole theatre reserved just for you and your friends? ? But as well, this outing gave us the opportunity to strengthen the bond with the children and staff from our sister nurseries, creating new memories together to truly bring the sense of Monkey Puzzle Family to life!... --- - Published: 2023-02-16 - Modified: 2023-02-16 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/national-story-telling-week/ - Categories: News Monkey Puzzle Highbury joined in celebrating “National storytelling week"... Monkey Puzzle Highbury joined in celebrating “National storytelling week”; the rooms were filled with our favourites books and stories, using a wide variety of resources to stimulate our children’s imagination. There is no better way to engage our children, big and small, than with the magic of literature. As the EYFS highlights, ”It is crucial for children to develop a life-long love of reading”. From puppet shows and small world play, to reading with our parents and representing our favourite stories in the garden, there are plenty ways in which our team encouraged the love for reading in the different rooms. Here are some of the pictures of the fun and literacy-filled activities we had during National Storytelling week, from 30th January to 3rd February. --- - Published: 2023-02-03 - Modified: 2023-02-07 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/lunar-new-year-2023/ - Categories: News Monkey Puzzle Highbury have been celebrating the Lunar New Year Lunar New Year, which began on January 22, is a very traditional event celebrated widely throughout East Asia and marks the beginning of spring and the start of the new lunar cycle. Our children had this great opportunity to explore new cultures and appreciate our diversity by celebrating it in the rooms. 2023 is the year of the Rabbit and our rooms have joined in a wide range of activities to celebrate the special event. From stories related to the topic, crafts and decorations for their rooms, to incredible cooking activities tasting the most delicious food like dumplings. We also welcomed some parents who explained us more in detail the traditions related the Lunar New Year. Have a look at all the fun we had at Monkey Puzzle Highbury! --- - Published: 2022-12-19 - Modified: 2022-12-20 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/christmas/ - Categories: News ‘Tis the season to be jolly!! Christmas spirit has filled the rooms... ‘Tis the season to be jolly! ! Christmas spirit has filled the rooms in Monkey Puzzle Highbury: as soon as December started, we decorated every single room to the melody of Christmas carols. We always take the opportunity to join our families and celebrate different festivities, and Christmas is always a special one for us. Our doors opened last Wednesday to join in a Christmas concert with our music teacher Emily. Our babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers sang along different carols and played some instruments along with the rhythm, showing all their learning about tempo (piano and forte) and musical pattern. They even involved some Makaton into their singing. Hurray! !   We continued the celebrations during the week with our Christmas jumper day on Thursday. Filling the room once more with a festive atmosphere wearing our adorable jumpers and having our Christmas lunch in the rooms. We enjoyed not only a special meal, but we also worked on our Christmas presents and Santa’s letters. How nice is this time of the year! !   We ended the week with a Christmas party on Friday and the special visit of our unique Santa. HOHOHO It was an incredible opportunity to celebrate together one more time, joining different activities and games and making sure we share the holiday spirit with our families. Our babies had a lot of fun decorating cookies and making sparkly stars, while our toddlers joined in more active activities showing their balance and cuttings skills. Finally, the pre-schoolers... --- - Published: 2022-11-22 - Modified: 2023-01-04 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/pyjama-day/ - Categories: News On Friday 18th of November, we once again took part in Pyjama Day... On Friday 18th of November, we once again took part in Pyjama Day, supporting Children in Need. Being a nursery, this definitely is a charity close to our hearts, so it felt extra special to be able make our little contribution in changing the life of the children who need it the most. Thanks to the support of our families, this year we raised £100! ! It really feels great to contribute our little grain of sand and give back, and feels even better to be able to do it alongside our amazing nursery community! Pyjama day is simply the cosiest celebration of the year, and this time was no exception. Children and adults came to nursery showing off their cosy and comfy pyjamas (some even complete with slippers and nightgowns), and the whole day felt like a slumber party! We had some extra cosy corners in the book area to share some story times, and of course, our teddies and other soft toys were big protagonists on the day. The other main character of the day was, of course, Pudsey Bear! Not only did we have different Pudseys in the room to colour and draw, but we also had our very own Pudsey competition. Each room decorated their own giant bear using different resources, allowing children to really let out their most artistic sides. Through drawing, painting, sticking, and stamping, our Babies, Toddlers and Preschoolers made each bear their own; you could really see each room’s style and preferences... --- - Published: 2022-11-14 - Modified: 2022-12-20 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/halloween-at-mph/ - Categories: News During the last week of October, our children have engaged in many activities... As you might know, here at Monkey Puzzle Highbury we don’t miss any opportunity to celebrate and enjoy different cultures and festivities across the world. During the last week of October, our children have engaged in many activities to create a spooky environment for our Halloween. From trips to the local shop to find pumpkins or natural resources in the park, to sensory activities with colourful pasta or rice, our babies, toddlers and preschoolers joined in different activities such as stories, baking, dances, crafts and small world play to know more about this tradition. We ended our celebrations with an amazing Halloween party where everyone walked into their costumes, even our chef joined the teams to create delicious cupcakes and a special “pumpkin soup”. Happy Halloween! !   Our toddler room explored different essences and temperatures creating potions. Abracadabra! They also baked a pumpkin pie traditional from the USA, and encouraged the children to show their creativity with many craft and arts activities. We ended the day with a spooky Halloween party, moving our bones to the rhythm of the skeleton dance and decorating some cupcakes with our chef Elena.     Our little babies went to the local shop to find the best pumpkin to carve scary faces and explore the lights at night. They also did more sensory activities and crafts, being exposed to new smells, textures and sounds. They turned the room into a haunted house and also decorated Halloween cupcakes and enjoyed the delicious pumpkin-themed tea.... --- - Published: 2022-10-27 - Modified: 2022-10-27 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/theatre-trip/ - Categories: News The 19th of October 2022 was a magical day for the Kent family nurseries in Islington. The 19th of October 2022 was a magical day for the Kent family nurseries in Islington. The preschool children of Highbury, Melody Lane and Angel organised a fabulous trip to the Little Angel Theatre. As one big family, with 20 adults and 38 children, we all went to see a show titled “Miniature Travelling Circus”. We were all delighted by beautiful puppets, nostalgic magic tricks and acts so tiny that made us wonder how we could possibly see them. We met performing mice, acrobatics fleas, a very charming cat and, last but not least, a very brave but smelly dog. It was an incredible experience for both children and adults; some parents came along and quoting them “it was a very well-organized outing, we loved seeing our children so excited to go to the theatre with their friends”. The fun started from early morning as the preschoolers had the opportunity to take the bus together, they paid using oyster cards and played “I spy with my little eye”. They then walked from the bus stop, safely looking for cars and bikes, and once at the theatre, they engaged in the performance, clapping and cheering at the very skilled puppets. This trip was one that we will all remember. Theatre_trip_19761 --- - Published: 2022-10-26 - Modified: 2022-10-27 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/fire-station-visit/ - Categories: News Have you ever heard about Cultural Capital? It is the “essential knowledge that children need Have you ever heard about Cultural Capital? It is the “essential knowledge that children need, to prepare them for their future success”. At Monkey Puzzle Highbury we are committed to provide chances for the children to experience the awe and wonder of the world. So this week we organized a trip to our local Fire station to give children different opportunities to get to know our neighborhood, and follow the children’s big interest in “people who can help us”. We took the bus all together and some mums came along. It was so much fun, we paid using our oyster cards and looked outside the windows to spot more cars, people and animals. Read the full article below: Firestation_bulletin_32936 --- > On September 35rd, Monkey Puzzle Highbury raised money for Jeans for Genes day, an annual charity fund raising event - Published: 2022-10-03 - Modified: 2022-10-05 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/jeans-for-genes-2/ - Categories: News On September 35rd, Monkey Puzzle Highbury raised money for Jeans for Genes day On the 23rd of September we raised money for Jeans for Genes which is the annual fundraising event for the genetic disorder community. All our children and staff wore their “jeans” and joined in many activities like colouring, arts and crafts and baking, to commemorate the occasion and raise awareness. Every room contributed to fundraise money for the cause with a baking sale and an incredible ‘Jeans competition’. Thanks to our parents’ generosity , we have collected £ 77. Here are some of the pictures that summarize the great day we had. Read more about Jeans for genes --- - Published: 2022-09-28 - Modified: 2022-09-28 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/notting-hill-carnival/ - Categories: News We celebrated Notting Hill Carnival by hosting our very own celebration! On the 26th of August, we decided to anticipate the arrival of the annual Caribbean celebration that is the Notting Hill Carnival, by hosting our very own celebration. This was an amazing opportunity to expand our children’s cultural capital, by exploring different aspects of the Caribbean culture, while also bringing a happy vibe into the nursery. On the day, both children and staff dressed in bright and colourful outfits, and we played some Caribbean music featuring some characteristic sounds, such as the steel drums and maracas. From babies to preschoolers, everyone had a chance to show off their dance moves to the tropical beats. For our babies, this celebration also prompted a carnival-themed sensory exploration, with different resources like bright-coloured feathers, pompoms and cards, using their senses to explore the different characteristics of each material, while also spreading some colour around the room. We also had a tropical fruit tasting, where our children got to explore different tastes, smells, and textures; and as it wouldn’t be a true tropical food tasting without it, we also had the children help us in making some fried plantain, which they enjoyed during snack time. To complete the day, children from all three rooms had a little Carnival parade around the Loxfords area, spreading the joyful, festive vibes with our neighbours -music and dancing included! Read all about Notting Hill Carnival at Monkey Puzzle Highbury --- - Published: 2022-08-04 - Modified: 2022-10-05 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/trip-to-national-gallery/ - Categories: News Our preschool room had the opportunity to visit the National Gallery. What an amazing way to start August! Our preschool room had the opportunity to join in a fantastic story telling about Jacopo Tintoretto’s painting at the National Gallery. We were thrilled to bring back some of our big trips offering new exciting cultural experiences to the children. . In this occasion, we had the extra help of one of our mums Jessica, who works for the Gallery. It was magical to finally see in the museum all the different paintings that we “studied” in the nursery like “the sunflowers” of Van Gogh or “The water lilies “of Monet. Click below to read the full story: Trip_National_Gallery_95599 --- - Published: 2022-08-04 - Modified: 2022-08-04 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/july-newsletter/ - Categories: News We have come to the end of what felt like the warmest month of the year... We have come to the end of what felt like the warmest month of the year, and we have definitely made the most out of every single ray of sunshine that came our way! We kicked off July by celebrating Grandparents’ week, an opportunity to invite these important people in our children’s lives to share a bit of our nursery days. We’d like to thank our enthusiastic grandparents who joined for story times, singing, show and tells, yoga and music sessions. It’s been heart-warming to see how much both children and the grandparents enjoyed sharing these moments, and how proud the little ones were, as they showed off their rooms to their grandpas and grandmas. Click below to read the full story: July_Newsletter_2022_68517 --- - Published: 2022-07-18 - Modified: 2022-07-28 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/grandparents-week/ - Categories: News This past week, we have opened our doors and invited our grandparents to join us This past week, we have opened our doors to invite some of our grandparents to spend some time with their grandchildren in the setting. It has been an incredible opportunity to continue working in partnership with our families and create closer bonds together. Some of them have joined us for yoga, reading stories with the children, playing with different resources or even coming along to our forest school sessions. Hurray! ! Children and adults have had a blast learning more about each other and bringing this cultural experience to life. We can’t wait to have you back! Click below to read the full story: Grandparents_week_bulletin_30690 --- - Published: 2022-07-08 - Modified: 2022-07-08 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/fathers-day-party/ - Categories: News On Monday the 20th of June we hosted our classic Father’s Day BBQ On Monday the 20th of June we hosted our classic Father’s Day BBQ, for the first time since 2019! It was a lovely opportunity for the children to have some “Daddy and me” time while also sharing a bit of their everyday life at nursery. The dads were treated to some yummy burgers to which they added their favourite toppings, and there were also some fresh lemonades and juices to go with the food. Each room had different activities prepared, ranging from bowling and football tournaments to cosy reading corners and outdoor exploring. Of course, there was also time for the classic dance parties, MPH style. We loved seeing the dads exploring their little ones’ environments, and it was heart-warming to see how proud and eager the children were to show their fathers around their rooms, as well as introducing them to their nursery best friends. A big Thank you to all of the MPH Fathers who joined us in this celebration. Read the full story below: Fathers_day_72405 --- - Published: 2022-07-08 - Modified: 2022-07-28 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/june-newsletter/ - Categories: News What an incredible June we just had with the sun coming out to visit us! Dear families, What an incredible June we just had! Not only the sun came to visit us more often, but we also had amazing opportunities to welcome you in the rooms. Thank you to all our brave parents who have come so far to show their talents with the children in our “Got talent” edition. It is lovely to learn new things with all of you, from making dumplings to reading stories in other languages or learning more about your hometowns. Go, go, parents! Read our full newsletter below: June Newsletter --- > Monkey Puzzle Highbury has been celebrating the arrival of Spring! We've had an afternoon party with all of our parents and had lots of fun. - Published: 2022-06-01 - Modified: 2022-06-07 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/spring-party/ - Categories: News Monkey Puzzle Highbury has been celebrating the arrival of Spring! We had an afternoon party with all of our parents and had lots of fun. Last Friday, we invited our parents to enjoy the new season with a “Spring Party”. What a wonderful day we had! All our children and team members dressed up with flowers and spring colours to welcome our parents for an afternoon party. Spring Party Bulletin 2022 --- > Monkey Puzzle Highbury has welcomed some ducklings to our nursery, teaching our children about their life cycle, from hatching eggs to learning to waddle - Published: 2022-06-01 - Modified: 2022-06-07 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/ducklings-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/ - Categories: News Monkey Puzzle Highbury has welcomed some ducklings to our nursery, teaching our children about their life cycle. As part of our “cultural capital” experiences, we have had the pleasure to take care of a little family of ducklings during the last couple of weeks. Our pre-schoolers welcomed them with open arms creating a lovely environment for them to grow. Duckling Bulletin --- - Published: 2022-05-27 - Modified: 2022-05-27 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/mental-health-awareness-week/ - Categories: News At Monkey Puzzle Highbury, we take care of our staff as much as we do of our families and children. At Monkey Puzzle Highbury, we take care of our staff as much as we do of our families and children. For Mental Health Awareness Week this year, we're raising awareness towards the impact of loneliness on our mental health and the practical steps we can take to address it. Mental_Health_Awareness_Week_2022 --- > This week, Monkey Puzzle Highbury has been celebrating the Easter Holidays with lots of fun activities like an Easter Egg Hunt on Highbury fields, - Published: 2022-05-09 - Modified: 2022-05-10 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/easter/ - Categories: News This week we have been celebrating the Easter holiday with lots of fun Easter activities One more time, our rooms joint together to celebrate Easter with really fun activities during the week. They had an incredible Easter Egg hunt in “Highbury Fields”, ending the trip with a lovely ‘alfresco’ picnic. The fun continued in the rooms with some crafts, cards and sensory activities. Look at all the learning opportunities our team brings to our little ones to keep celebrating cultures around the world. Easter Bulletin --- > In April we have a visit from Zoolab, teaching our children about different animals from around the world, like frogs, rats, snakes and scorpions. - Published: 2022-05-09 - Modified: 2022-05-09 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/zoolab-visit/ - Categories: News Zoolab visited Monkey Puzzle Highbury to teach us all about animals of the world This April we welcomed back “Zoolab” to continue offering our children more cultural capital experiences. This was an incredible opportunity for our children to learn about the different animals around the world and how to take care of them. In this occasion, we learnt about rats, Giants African snails, millipedes, frogs, cockroach, scorpions and snakes. We could gently pat some of the animals, observed their characteristic and learn more about their habitats and diet. Look at all the fantastic learning at Monkey Puzzle Highbury! Zoolab Visit Bulletin --- > April 22nd was Earth Day and Monkey Puzzle Highbury learnt about the world around us and the dangers of pollution - Published: 2022-04-26 - Modified: 2022-05-09 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/earth-day-2/ - Categories: News April 22nd was Earth Day where we learnt about the importance of the world around us Last Friday 22nd of April, our nursery brought alive one of our ethos “Loving the planet” with stimulating activities to celebrate Earth day. From sensory trays and art/crafts with sustainable materials to small world play, introducing the concept of pollution in the ocean. We also organised a few trips during the week to continue emphasizing the importance of outdoor learning. Have a look at all the learning opportunities our children faced in this special event. Earth Day Bulletin --- - Published: 2022-04-21 - Modified: 2022-04-21 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/international-womens-day/ - Categories: News Purple has filled our rooms for women’s day! Purple has filled our rooms for women’s day! Our children have celebrated the achievements of women throughout history using short stories to learn about their experiences and how they continue inspiring the next generation of strong ladies. Look at the wonderful art work they’ve made The future is female!   --- - Published: 2022-04-21 - Modified: 2022-04-21 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/mothers-day/ - Categories: News We couldn’t miss the opportunity to celebrate our terrific mums with a lovely tea party at MPH. We couldn’t miss the opportunity to celebrate our terrific mums with a lovely tea party at MPH. Our mums were invited to some treats and activities to join in with their children in the different areas, making the most of the sunny weather. Our Discoverers used their baby room, toddlers had the best times in our nursery garden and our big pre-schoolers took a trip to the community area. Look at all the fun they had across the different rooms, and all the love shared to our mums in their special day. HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY! Click below to view our happy children and mums. Mothers_day_23468 --- - Published: 2022-03-25 - Modified: 2022-03-25 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/st-patricks-day-2022/ - Categories: News We've been celebrating St Patrick's Day at Monkey Puzzle Highbury, learning Irish dancing, wearing green and making shamrocks This 17th of March the nursery turned green to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The three rooms engaged in some Irish dancing, moving to the beat of classic Celtic songs, all whilst donning their best green outfits. In the baby room, even the play dough turned green, and our babies had a great time modelling using different tools, as well as mixing the ingredients to get the perfect texture. For the artistic bunch, there was a giant shamrock that they got to decorate using green paint. The little Discoverers also engaged in a little treasure hunt, looking for wooden “gold coins”. Our toddlers chose to work together to decorate a rainbow using water colours, and they looked forward to finding the pot of gold at the end of it. They also engaged in a St Patrick’s themed story time, which gathered their full attention. In the preschool room there was also a giant shamrock, and children got to choose different tools to decorate it, such as pencils, crayons or water colours, all in different shades of green. The little Inventors also engaged in a themed story time, featuring a green leprechaun. It was yet another great opportunity to expand our little one’s cultural capital at MPH --- > This week we have been celebrating World Book Day, sharing some of our favourite stories with each other and learning about making our own books - Published: 2022-03-23 - Modified: 2022-03-25 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/world-book-day/ - Categories: News This week we have been celebrating World Book Day, sharing some of our favourite stories with each other and learning about making our own books To celebrate World Book Day, children and staff dressed up as their favourite book characters, which prompted nice conversations about the different stories and what made them so special for each of them. Children also brought their favourite books to nursery, which was an amazing way of sharing their interests with their peers, while also bringing a bit of their home life into the setting. The Toddler Room brought some favourite books to life by making the foods used in stories such as “The very hungry caterpillar” and “Goldilocks and the 3 bears”. In Preschool, the little Inventors made their own books and chose their favourites to read at story time. The Babies painted the characters of Animal Boogie, an absolute favourite in the room, and they also went on their very own Bear Hunt, splashing on the muddy puddles. It's been a wonderful day, with various activities that highlighted the beauty and importance of starting the habit of reading, even at a young age. World Book Day Newsletter --- - Published: 2022-03-10 - Modified: 2022-03-25 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/national-storytelling-week/ - Categories: News We have been celebrating National Storytelling Week, sharing our favourite books and stories and doing lots of fun activities too Last week, our children celebrated “National Storytelling Week” with a wide range of activities throughout the rooms: from puppet shows, to little performances and small world play with their favourite stories. National Storytelling week provides a fantastic opportunity to focus on supporting children in early years to explore their creativity, try out new vocabulary and build confidence in speaking. 1 2 ► --- - Published: 2022-03-10 - Modified: 2022-03-25 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/lunar-new-year/ - Categories: News We have been celebrating the Lunar New Year at Monkey Puzzle Highbury, making lanterns and learning about Asian cultures and celebrations Lunar New Year is one of the most important celebrations of the year among East and Southeast Asian cultures, including Chinese, Vietnamese, and Korean communities, among others. Our children have had another opportunity to explore new cultures and appreciate our diversity by celebrating it in the rooms: from dancing traditional music, to learning how to use chopsticks, or creating decorations and exploring sensory activities. What an amazing day we had at Monkey Puzzle Highbury. --- - Published: 2022-02-18 - Modified: 2022-03-25 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/valentines-day/ - Categories: News Love is in the air at Monkey Puzzle Highbury as we celebrate Valentine's day, learning about our friendships and relationships with our peers We don’t miss any opportunity to celebrate friendship and spread the love here at Monkey Puzzle Highbury. Our children came in dressed up in pink and red to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Every room had a wide range of activities that encouraged children to express their feelings, appreciate each other and build strong friendship with peers and adults. Our babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers had a blast colouring displays, exploring sensory trays, making cards for our loved ones, reading stories, and making healthy snacks. Love really was in the air! --- - Published: 2021-12-23 - Modified: 2022-03-25 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/father-christmas-visits-monkey-puzzle-highbury/ - Categories: News This week our children at Monkey Puzzle Highbury have had a visit from Father Christmas, singing songs and getting some special presents too The children were so lucky as Santa came to visit us from the North Pole! We sang some Christmas songs with him, played our jingle bells and even got to ask some questions! The children asked questions about where the reindeer were, what they like to eat and if Santa is ready for Christmas! ! At the end of his visit, Santa left some special presents for all the children! --- - Published: 2021-12-15 - Modified: 2022-03-25 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/preschool-deliver-homemade-christmas-cards/ - Categories: News Our Preschool children have been out delivering Christmas cards and singing carols for all the lovely people at our local care home Before the pandemic our pre-schoolers and toddlers used to visit our local care home weekly, taking activities we had been busy doing in the room to share with the residents. We used to sing, draw, read and play games with the residents are the care home. We still keep in touch with the residents at the care home and decided to make them some homemade Christmas cards this Christmas. The children made their cards and then dropped them off outside. Whilst posting the cards the pre-schoolers did a mini concert for the residents and sang lots of Christmas carols for the residents to enjoy and join in with. Bringing the festive cheer to everyone! ! --- > The pre-schoolers have introduced a monthly preschool committee. We are supporting their independence and confidence through the meetings. - Published: 2021-11-12 - Modified: 2022-03-25 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/pre-school-committee/ - Categories: News The pre-schoolers have introduced a monthly preschool committee. We are supporting their independence and confidence through the meetings. This term the pre-schoolers have introduced a monthly preschool committee meeting as part of the school readiness program. We hope to support the children’s independence, confidence and responsibility through the meetings. During the meetings the children will discuss things they have enjoyed doing the last month, what they would like to learn about next and what new resources they’d like to get in the room. The children in the meeting will vote for topics and resources to promote the democracy of the preschool room. All children involved signed the meeting minutes at the end of the meeting and took notes throughout. This meeting they had little pretend biscuits, next time they might even make their own biscuits or go to our local café for a babyccino! --- - Published: 2021-11-03 - Modified: 2022-03-25 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/halloween/ - Categories: News This week we have been having a spooky Halloween celebration, with Halloween themed lessons, making potions sensory play and activities! Halloween at Monkey Puzzle Highbury has full of excitement and spooky activities for our Discoveres, Explorers and Inventors! Discoverers Our babies had lots of fun celebrating Halloween. They made their own pumpkin muffins by carving pumpkins & watching our chef Plange turn the pumpkin into puree. They also enjoyed a Halloween themed music lesson, sensory play with pumpkins, spooky pasta and spiders. Explorers Our toddlers had lots of fun this Halloween mixing their spooky position, making pumpkin rice Krispy treats and carving their own pumpkins! The children also made their own skeleton pictures using different craft materials. Inventors The pre-schoolers enjoyed celebrating Halloween, starting with a fun Halloween themed music lesson. They enjoyed mixing positions and exploring different spooky textures in messy play activities. The children also used their fine motor skills in the pumpkins with string and small tools. --- > This week, our Preschool children have taken a trip to the dentist, learning about teeth and all about what a dentist job is like - Published: 2021-10-29 - Modified: 2022-03-14 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/preschool-trip-to-the-dentist/ - Categories: News This week, our Preschool children have taken a trip to the dentist, learning about teeth and all about what a dentist job is like The preschoolers took a trip to the dentist where they learnt about what food make our teeth happy or sad and how to properly brush our teeth. They also explored the special chair and observed an x ray of teeth to find out how many teeth we have in our mouths. What an amazing adventure, and we will go home with a little bag from the Dr. Anita and her assistants! --- > This week our Toddlers have been out getting ready for Halloween. They're been out picking their own pumpkins and learning about money when they paid for them - Published: 2021-10-28 - Modified: 2022-03-14 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/toddlers-trip-for-pumpkins/ - Categories: News This week our Toddlers have been out getting ready for Halloween. They're been out picking their own pumpkins and learning about money when they paid for them The toddlers had a fantastic time on their shopping trip to Seasons and Blossoms to pick up some pumpkins for our Halloween week. The toddlers picked out their favourites and everyone got to pay for the shopping with some coins. At the end shop keeper treated us to some free oranges! It was a lovely moment to explain money and different amounts to the toddlers. Later we carved our own pumpkins for decorations. --- - Published: 2021-10-14 - Modified: 2022-03-14 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/picnic-with-our-families/ - Categories: News This week, we have been enjoying some time with our families. We invited them in for a picnic, enjoying some time outside in our community areas During October we have enjoyed spending some time with our families over a picnic. Each room had an organised afternoon to spend some time with their children and other families at a picnic in the community area. It was a lovely opportunity for our families to get to know each other more and to see their children playing with their nursery friends. It was also lovely to have special guests, the children’s siblings joined us too. We are looking forward to more family events soon! --- > This week, Monkey Puzzle Highbury had a visit from the fire brigade, bringing their fire engine and teaching us all about the tools they use - Published: 2021-09-29 - Modified: 2022-03-14 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/a-fire-engine-visited-monkey-puzzle-highbury/ - Categories: News This week, Monkey Puzzle Highbury had a visit from the fire brigade, bringing their fire engine and teaching us all about the tools they use We had the amazing experience of having a fire engine and some fire fighters visit the nursery. The children had the opportunity to learn about the engine, the different tools the engine carries and even hear the noise it makes in an emergency. The fire fighters explained what to do if there is an emergency and the children also asked lots of useful questions about life as a fire fighter. The visit ended with the children getting to try out the hose for themselves! ! --- > On the 17th September, we took part in Jeans for Genes day, all wearing jeans and raising money for an amazing charity cause. - Published: 2021-09-23 - Modified: 2022-03-14 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/jeans-for-genes/ - Categories: News On the 17th September, we took part in Jeans for Genes day, all wearing jeans and raising money for an amazing charity cause. On 17th September we raised money for Jeans for Genes which is the annual fundraising event for the genetic disorder community. We wore jeans on the day and raised money by baking and creating gifts for our families to donate money for. As a nursery community we raised an incredible £300 for such an amazing cause. --- > This week our preschool children made a trip to Babyccino, a local cafe, where we all ordered our own drinks and paid all by ourselves too - Published: 2021-07-24 - Modified: 2022-03-14 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/preschools-trip-for-babyccino/ - Categories: News This week our preschool children made a trip to Babyccino, a local cafe, where we all ordered our own drinks and paid all by ourselves too The preschoolers went for a trip to our local café for a little coffee morning. The children walked to our local café which is close by the nursery. They ordered their own drinks, counting how many they had ordered and stated their preferences, explaining if anyone needed different milk or had allergies. The children engaged in lovely conversations whilst waiting for their drinks. They enjoyed stirring and sipping on their babyccinos. The children even paid for their own drinks with a card! ! What a lovely morning out. --- - Published: 2021-07-12 - Modified: 2022-03-14 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/healthy-eating-at-monkey-puzzle/ - Categories: News This week we have had a "healthy eating week," looking at healthy food choices, learning about vegetables and making healthy dinners Our Toddler Room had a ‘healthy eating’ week the little Explorers chose the healthiest food option to stick on a healthy tummy, and made some healthy treats using play dough. Our toddlers painted with healthy vegetables. We continued with the healthy eating theme by creating our desired plates of food, it was interesting to see everyone’s different preferences. The toddlers also visited the happy veggie market and did some shopping by choosing a vegetable, throwing the dice and collecting the right amount of that vegetable. The little explorers also had the chance to make some healthy dinners, choosing the healthiest options for their plates; they also washed some fruit and veggies before eating them, and fed porridge to the baby dollies. --- > At Monkey Puzzle Highbury, we've been celebrating the 4th July, turning our whole nursery red, white and blue to celebrate Independence Day - Published: 2021-07-06 - Modified: 2022-03-14 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/4th-of-july-at-monkey-puzzle/ - Categories: News At Monkey Puzzle Highbury, we've been celebrating the 4th July, turning our whole nursery red, white and blue to celebrate Independence Day   For 4th July the Whole nursery turned red, white and blue! We celebrated America’s Independence Day with a wide variety of different activities based on our children’s interests. This meant we enjoyed having our own BBQ using play dough and our kitchen role play resources. We also had lots of fun getting messy and making bright coloured fireworks! At snack times the children enjoyed creating their own healthy red, white and blue delicious snacks, such as, fruit skewers and American flag rice cakes! The children love painting and drawing so they also spent some time making their own American flags by mixing and exploring with different paints and crayons. Happy 4th July! ! ! --- > Our children at Monkey Puzzle Highbury have had the opportunity to go out and explore nature with a visit to Olden Garden Community - Published: 2021-05-14 - Modified: 2022-03-14 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/olden-garden-outings-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/ - Categories: News Our children at Monkey Puzzle Highbury have had the opportunity to go out and explore nature with a visit to Olden Garden Community Our children get the opportunity to explore and connect with the wonder of nature on our outings to Olden Garden Community. There is a big focus on Understanding the World as they learn more about what we can find in nature, discover many different flowers, plants and wildlife. They experience textures, sights, scents and sounds of the outdoors. Outdoor learning benefits children’s social, emotional and physical development and helps them understand more about the world they are living in! --- > This week at Monkey Puzzle Highbury, we have been taking part in Red Nose Day. We all wore red all day and raisied £681 for the charity! - Published: 2021-03-23 - Modified: 2022-03-13 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/red-nose-day-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/ - Categories: News This week at Monkey Puzzle Highbury, we have been taking part in Red Nose Day. We all wore red all day and raisied £681 for the charity! Red Nose Day at Monkey Puzzle Highbury We had another colourful day on the 19th of March: All red today. All the rooms were busy baking for our Red Nose Bake Sale at the end of the day. We raised a total amount of £340. 87 between both nurseries and the Kent family were so kind to double the amount of donations, so we have a total of £681. 74 --- > For St Patrick's Day, Monkey Puzzle Highbury turned green! We celebrated with balloons and shamrocks and even learnt some Irish dancing - Published: 2021-03-19 - Modified: 2022-03-13 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/st-patricks-day-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/ - Categories: News For St Patrick's Day, Monkey Puzzle Highbury turned green! We celebrated with balloons and shamrocks and even learnt some Irish dancing St Patrick’s Day at Monkey Puzzle Highbury On the 17th of March, the whole nursery turned green! Children and adults were wearing green tops and the whole nursery was decorated with shamrocks and balloons. Rachel made a video where she was teaching the children how to do Irish dancing. The children loved learning the moves! --- > On the 29th March, Monkey Puzzle Highbury celebrated Holi Festival. We had fun, turning our lovely white shirts as bright and colourful as we could. - Published: 2021-03-13 - Modified: 2022-03-13 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/holi-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/ - Categories: News On the 29th March, Monkey Puzzle Highbury celebrated Holi Festival. We had fun, turning our lovely white shirts as bright and colourful as we could. On the 29th of March we celebrated Holi festival. Holi Festival is an ancient Hindu festival, Holi heralds the arrival of Spring after Winter and is celebrated as a day of spreading happiness and love. To celebrate this day, we had the most colourful and messy day possible! We gave each child a white t-shirt to start the day and they all went home covered in all the colours of the rainbow! --- > We celebrated Mother’s Day! We started with a surprise at the door for our mummies: Thenthe children were busy all day preparing gifts and cards - Published: 2021-03-13 - Modified: 2022-03-13 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/mothers-day-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/ - Categories: News We celebrated Mother’s Day! We started with a surprise at the door for our mummies: Thenthe children were busy all day preparing gifts and cards On the 12th of March, we celebrated Mother’s Day. We started of the day with a little surprise at the door for our mummies: Some breakfast pastries. Inside, all the children were very busy all day preparing gifts and cards for their mummies.   --- > This week at Monkey Puzzle Highbury, we have had our sports day! We did little versions of lots of Olympic sports like races, football and skiing. - Published: 2021-03-11 - Modified: 2022-03-13 - URL: https://monkeypuzzlehighbury.co.uk/sports-day-at-monkey-puzzle-highbury/ - Categories: News This week at Monkey Puzzle Highbury, we have had our sports day! We did little versions of lots of Olympic sports like races, football and skiing. Sports Day at Monkey Puzzle Highbury On the 11th of March, we organised a Sports Day in the nursery. It was a day filled with sporty activities! --- ---