Daycare at Paddington
When you register your child for day care at Paddington, they will join a group with children of the same age. This is not only nice for mutual contact, but also for sharing a daily routine together.
Activities and rituals
That way, toddlers don’t have to take sleeping babies into consideration, and can happily head out or do fun activities that match what they are already able to do and eager to learn. Playtime consists of free play and activities we do together. We turn activities that return often into rituals. For example by singing a song. The best-known example is our “Smakelijk eten” song when we prepare for a meal.
We follow the baby's rhythm
Of course, the advantage works the other way around too: babies are not dependent on breaks, but follow their own rhythm when it comes to playing, sleeping, and eating. Calm and consistency are incredibly important.
Below you will find the different daily schedules for the different age groups.
The day starts as soon as you bring your child which, thanks to our flexible hours, does not have to be at a fixed time.
One by one, the babies arrive.
We take all the time we need for cuddles and a calm start to the day. The first bottles are given and diapers are changed. Some babies play on a mat with soft blocks or rattles; others are already crawling around curiously or watching closely what is happening around them.
Time for fruit
For the older babies, there is a fruit moment at the table. The younger babies have their fruit on a lap or in a high chair. Afterwards, they have plenty of space to move and explore: rolling, crawling, or discovering materials. If someone is tired, it’s time for a nap. Each child follows their own rhythm.
After sleeping and/or playing, there is time for a bottle or sandwich.
depending on the individual feeding schedule. The weather is lovely today, so we go outside for a bit! The youngest babies enjoy the fresh air in the stroller, while the older babies explore the outdoor area by crawling around.
It gets quieter and quieter
After all, most of the children are now fast asleep.
Slowly, the first babies are waking up.
They get a bottle or a small snack. The older babies join us at the table for a cracker or a few pieces of vegetables. Of course, everyone gets a clean diaper. We keep track of that all day long.
Time for a little action!
We feel paint, crackly foil, and rice. Everything at their own pace.
The day is coming to an end.
Between 16:00 and 18:30 we round off the day together. Another bottle, some vegetables or a warm meal, a clean diaper, and a fresh little face! The last children play on a lap or crawl around while we finish the day together until everyone has been picked up.
Good morning!
The children trickle in and can immediately start playing with the toys that are ready for them: today that’s building blocks. After two hours, the tidy-up song starts and everyone knows what that means…
It is lunchtime!
A short story helps us shift from playtime to mealtime. Then we sing our fruit song together, and a cup of water and a plate of fresh fruit are ready to share. Finished? We swap slippers for shoes, grab our coats, and head outdoors!
‘We make a circle of boys and of girls...’
The children each grab their own chair. In circle time, we work with this week’s theme: doing the shopping. One by one, the children put a product into the shopping basket. This helps them learn to cooperate and to wait for their turn.
Ah, there’s the tidy-up song again.
Everything into the boxes, everyone helps out.
Mmm, we can already smell the freshly cooked meal.
Hands washed: time for a warm lunch. Of course, not before we sing “Smakelijk eten”.
Time for afternoon nap
The children practise undressing by themselves, take their cuddly toys and pacifiers out of their bags, and get their sleeping bags on: time for an afternoon nap.
Who do I hear?
Slowly you start to hear little voices from the bedroom.. time to get dressed again!
A calm wake-up with snack time
cups are filled with water, a plate of sliced raw vegetables goes around the table, and the children choose what they would like on their cracker.
Paint aprons on
because today we are painting our own fruit!
For the last time today, we sit down at the table
we finish the day with a sandwich meal. Each child chooses their own topping, because when you’re this big, you can do that! Plates and cups empty? Hands washed? Then it’s time to go outside. Run and play!
Good morning!
We stand by the window and wave goodbye to mum and dad. Then the children choose toys from the cupboard themselves until the tidy-up song sounds at 09:30…
It is lunchtime!
A short story helps us shift from playtime to mealtime.. Then we sing the fruit song, a cup of water is ready, and of course a plate of fresh fruit to share. Plates and cups empty? Hands washed? Let’s put shoes and coats on: we’re going outside!
‘We make a circle of boys and of girls...’
The children take their own chairs and form a circle. In the middle lies a big tea towel on the floor with five objects underneath. One by one, someone removes an object. What’s missing? In this way, children practise raising their hand and being mindful of each other.
Ah, there’s the tidy-up song again.
We tidy everything up together because…
It is lunchtime!
The freshly cooked meal smells delicious. The children wash their hands and collect their own plates from the kitchen. Once we are all seated together, we sing “Smakelijk eten”. Finished eating? They bring their plates and cups back to the kitchen themselves and put their washcloth in the laundry basket.
Sleep or an activity
The children who still take an afternoon nap undress themselves and get their sleeping bags on. Off to bed! The other children sort colours today: using tweezers, we put the red animals into the red tray, the yellow ones into the yellow tray, and so on. Are tweezers still a bit tricky? A spoon works too!
Who do I hear?
The sleepyheads wake up, time to get dressed again.
We sit down at the table for snack time
Cups are filled with water, a plate of sliced raw vegetables is shared, and the children choose their own toppings for their crackers.
Paint aprons or boots on
We split up: who wants to go outside? Who wants to stay in for some crafts?
Time for the sandwich meal
we sit down at the table one last time. Each child makes their own sandwich. Plates and cups empty? Hands washed? The first parents are already waiting!
Curious where your child will be spending their day?
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