Christmas Time at Magnolia Tree

We’ve had a fantastic Christmas here at Magnolia Tree Day Nursery! Over the past few weeks, the children have been busy exploring, creating and learning through a wide variety of fun and engaging Christmas activities here at the nursery. 

We believe that play is at the heart of early learning, and this period has been full

of wonderful opportunities for the children to develop new skills, build confidence and, most importantly, have lots of fun.

Sensory Play and Exploration

Sensory play has been a big part of our daily routine. The children have enjoyed exploring a range of sensory trays filled with different textures, colours and materials. From scooping and pouring Christmas coloured rice and pasta to exploring Christmas playdough making reindeer and snowmen. They also loved mixing Reindeer food, rescuing melted snowmen oobleck and exploring snowy scenes. They even searched for ginger bread men amongst the coloured paper!

These activities help to support fine motor skills, concentration and curiosity. Sensory play also encourages children to talk about what they can see, feel and hear, supporting early language development.

Water Play Fun

Water play continues to be a firm favourite! Whether indoors or outdoors, the children have been busy pouring, splashing, floating and experimenting with different containers.

Water play helps children learn important concepts such as cause and effect, volume and sharing, while also providing a calming and enjoyable experience. There were lots of smiles and giggles as the children worked together and explored at their own pace.

Christmas Creativity

With the festive season upon us, the children have loved getting creative with Christmas-themed crafts. We’ve been busy painting, colouring, gluing, cutting and decorating as the children created their own festive artwork including wreaths, baubles, giant presents, a giant Christmas tree and snowflakes. They even made a giant chain of fairy lights together!

These activities help develop creativity, hand-eye coordination and independence, while also giving children a sense of pride in what they create. We hope you’ve enjoyed seeing some of their wonderful creations coming home!

Discovering the Wider World Around Them 

As well as learning about how we celebrate Christmas here in Brighton, the children have also been introduced to how other cultures and countries celebrate the holidays at this time of year. This helps them to build up their understanding of the wider world they live in.

Learning Through Play

Alongside these activities, the children have also taken part in Christmas themed role play, construction activities, story time and music sessions. These experiences support social skills, imagination and early problem-solving, all while keeping learning fun and engaging.

It has been a joy to see the children so enthusiastic, curious and confident as they take part in each activity. 

We hope you all have a fantastic Christmas break and we look forward to seeing you all again the New Year.