The first 5 years are the most important for our brains and developments, starting from inside the womb. The brain almost doubles in volume in the first year and grows faster than any other time in our lives.  By the time children start school, their brain has already had vast amounts of growth, laying down the blueprint to the future.

We already know the early years are crucial but this highlights just how important it is. We have a big role to play in this, and at Inspirations we are proud to be a place that helps little ones flourish.

The emotional health and physical wellbeing, social skills, cognitive and linguistic capacities that develop in these critical days form the foundations for our children’s success in school and in later life. These best develop when a baby has at least one stable and committed relationship with an adult.

But healthy development relies on us doing the following things-

1. Connecting
2. Talking
3. Playing
4. A healthy home
5. Community

Copy cat games build imagination and empathy, naming games build vocabulary and attention, and games like peek a boo build memory and trust.

In our baby and toddler rooms our early years educators take the time to be with the children for both group activities and one to one. Activities such as fruit tasting, singing and signing, painting, reading, or making pine cone soup in the mud kitchen. Together our educators, managers, cooks, and dogs are the community that are here for these meaningful interactions, support and love.

Pre-school is separated into Yurt/Outdoor Classroom, Forest School and Art studio, where smaller groups help accommodate deeper learning and connections to their peers, grown ups and environment.

Whilst little moments of play and interaction may seem like the trivial light-hearted moments in life, they are in actual fact providing your child with the most important life skills.

By doing these things often, we are giving them the confidence to make friends, try new things and explore the world. Children are hardwired to seek out meaningful connections, it’s our job to give them.

Inspirations is so much more than child-care, its a community; a hub of meaningful interactions to develop life skills, and a love of connecting to people, art and the outside world.

So remember, the next time you sit down with your little one to sing and do the actions of their favourite song, you might just be changing their world.

-Nathalie

This blog was inspired by the following Ted talk https://www.instagram.com/reel/C9rK3irKtYM/?igsh=MXFiYjJ3NTZibmUyZw==