How we prepare your child for school through play, care and early learning experiences

Early Years Journey

a nurturing

Supporting every stage of your child’s growth - from first steps to school confidence

At Little Crickets Day Care in Crouch End, every stage of your child’s early years is carefully supported through a nurturing, play-based approach. From building trust and security in our Baby Room to encouraging independence in our Toddler Room and preparing children for school in Pre-School, we create an environment where children feel confident, curious and ready to learn.

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Learning Through Play

Children are born with an immediate desire to explore and play, and they don't need any encouragement or rewards from their peers or adults to do so. However, skilled practitioners at Little Crickets Daye Care will take this innate drive and strengthen children's development.

Animal babies play to hone their skills, like puppies and kittens play-hunting to master skills they will need when they are older, and like animals, baby humans also play to develop their understanding of the world around them and learn how to utilise their body's movement in play.

Children find play enjoyable and pleasurable, and it is something they do for its own sake. From a very early age it helps them to learn through investigation and experimentation; helps them to practise existing skills and develop new ones; allows them to act out scenarios; helps them to understand and explain events; helps them to develop social skills; helps them to experience feelings such as frustration and disappointment, and satisfaction and joy; and helps them to make sense of the world around them.

Play supports development across physical, cognitive, language, emotional and social development

Physical Development from Play

Play usually involves children making movements of some kind. Fine motor movements involving the use of the hands are developed through play as children explore objects and use toys and resources, such as sand and water. Locomotive movements and gross motor movements are developed as children move their bodies during play, throwing and also learning to coordinate their movements with equipment such as trikes. Children's stamina and other skills such as balance are developed as they enjoy playing.

Cognitive Development from Play

Play helps children to explore their environment and to learn from it. They learn about the textures and properties of different objects by playing with them. They may, for example, learn that it is difficult to build a sandcastle with very wet sand. They also learn about the size and shape of objects. Through play, children also learn to think about and solve problems.

Emotional Development from Play

Play is pleasurable for children and can give them a great sense of achievement. It is also a way in which they can explore and release emotions. They can, for example, be destructive by knocking down a tower of bricks in a safe way and without upsetting anyone. Children also act out things that they have seen adults do and this can help them to understand these things better.

This is where the child is calling the shots, and deciding what to play with, how to play with it, and who – if anyone – to play with. The child is making lots of decisions and aiding their own development, especially in the following areas:

Confidence: children gain in confidence as choice is a feature of child-led play.
Concentration: children tend to show high levels of concentration during self-chosen play.
Creativity & Imagination: children often combine materials and can be very creative and imaginative as they play.
Perseverance: children often stay at a play activity longer or persevere to achieve a goal.

This is where the child takes part in activities led by an adult, who decides what skills, concepts or knowledge the child might need to work on.

This could be where the adult sets up a board game to teach the child how to take turns and learn rules playing a game, or perhaps sets up a new area with a play hospital for some role-play.

Adult-led play can broaden a child's knowledge of different methods of play and materials to play with, or introduce new concepts and ideas for the child to comprehend, and is a great way of expanding a child's language with new vocabulary as the adults spend time interacting with the children.

Adult-led play activities are also used to help children practice skills in areas where they need additional support, such as learning to take turns or holding new tools. Children will take what they experience in adult-led play and use it in their own initiated play, using and practicing their new skills on their own.

Children get the most out of adult-led activities when they are specifically designed around the child's own interests, when they are more likely to become engaged and spend more time taking part.

At Little Crickets Day Care, we spend time understanding each individual child and their specific interests and needs, then we design adult-led activities suited to the children.

This creates various benefits, like helping children to learn new skills, concepts and knowledge that they may not have gained alone; allowing children to learn new games and ways of playing that they may not otherwise have known or chosen to try; giving children opportunities to explore materials and resources they may not have otherwise selected; and providing children with opportunities to develop language, like when practitioners take part in role-play or organise mathematical games.

Every Step of the Way: Supporting Your Child’s Development

Throughout your child’s journey at Little Crickets Daycare, we provide consistent care and support tailored to their individual needs.

Our approach includes:

A nurturing and stimulating environment
Individualised care and learning plans
Play-based learning experiences
Strong key person relationships
Close partnerships with parents

We ensure every child feels supported, valued, and ready for the next stage of their development.

School Readiness at Little Crickets Daycare

School readiness is about more than just knowing letters and numbers. It means your child is emotionally, socially, and physically prepared to start school with confidence.

At Little Crickets Daycare, we support school readiness by helping children to:

Develop independence (e.g., dressing, toileting, managing belongings)
Build strong communication and language skills
Learn how to form friendships and work as part of a group
Follow routines and understand boundaries
Develop early literacy and numeracy skills
Build confidence, resilience, and a positive attitude to learning

Why Parents Choose Little Crickets Daycare

We provide high-quality childcare focused on early learning, development, and school readiness in a safe and caring environment.

Early Years Journey

a nurturing

Supporting every stage of your child’s growth - from first steps to school confidence

Learning Through Play

Play supports development across physical, cognitive, language, emotional and social development

Physical Development from Play

Language Development from Play

Cognitive Development from Play

Emotional Development from Play

Social Development from Play

Every Step of the Way: Supporting Your Child’s Development

School Readiness at Little Crickets Daycare

Why Parents Choose Little Crickets Daycare

Early Years Journey

a nurturing

Supporting every stage of your child’s growth - from first steps to school confidence

Learning Through Play

Play supports development across physical, cognitive, language, emotional and social development

Physical Development from Play

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Every Step of the Way: Supporting Your Child’s Development

School Readiness at Little Crickets Daycare

Why Parents Choose Little Crickets Daycare