The Inspire Philosophy: Stillness

As children go through their adventure of education, they will hear a certain phrase at least once.

“Sit still!”

We have to question why it is that “sit still” begins to have a negative connotation to it. For example, it might spark one to think things like “Am I moving too much?” or “Why can’t I move around?” That seed of doubt is one that we try to avoid planting at an early age.

As practitioners and parents, if a child struggles to sit still or simply prefers to do things on their feet, we have to ask ourselves the golden questions:
* Is the child grounded?
* Is the furniture comfortable for the child?
* Is there too much stimulation?
* Is there not enough stimulation?
* What needs are not being met?

The simple answer to a lot of these questions is that every child has individual needs and we need to consider those needs. There is nothing inherently wrong with learning on their feet and being active in their learning.

One of the key ideologies that we believe in is that children learn through doing, so let them do it in ways they are comfortable and beneficial to the individual!

There are times to sit still, of course. Reading stories on the carpet, eating our food and periods of relaxation. However, like all things in life, balance is the key to success and happiness! #theinspirephilosophy

As an eco nursery in Dubai who has been established in Jumeirah for the last 30 years, we are honored to welcome the next generation of students into the Kid’s Island Nursery in Jumeirah family and it is rewarding to hear parents say “I remember what it felt like when I experienced this at the nursery for the first time”. It is important to cherish your warm childhood memories and even more important to create new ones with your child.⁠⁠

The Inspire Philosophy: Feet on the Ground

Feet on the Ground 🪑

In these photos, you can see children busy with activities both outdoors and indoors, playing with friends or happy to play on their own; free, content and engrossed in their work. Though, there is one piece of classroom furniture absent from each of these photos…can you spot it?

That’s right, not a single child is sitting down in a chair.

Why is that?

When you sit a child in a chair, their connection with the ground beneath them is interrupted and therefore their balance is completely shifted! The solid stability of the ground beneath our feet is what helps us to be confident and accurate in our movements, so shouldn’t we be encouraging that in our children as they play?

When doing activities at tables, children should be able to explore their work with their full reach and not be limited by their seated position. Instead, take away the chairs and allow them to stand and see how they navigate their space so much more freely.

While it is important for children to anchor themselves, it is also key that they have access to furniture where they can still be stable and secure. Smaller chairs for smaller people, as well as using them at appropriate times; for example, eating their snack or because they choose to sit down for a steadier activity.

Not to mention, when you give children ample opportunities to move about their space freely without the restriction of needing to ‘sit still’, they are constantly building upon their balance, core strength, motor skills, coordination and control - among many other vital skills that are necessary to growing healthily and happily.

So what are you waiting for - stand up! #theinspirephilosophy

As an eco nursery in Dubai who has been established in Jumeirah for the last 30 years, we are honored to welcome the next generation of students into the Kid’s Island Nursery in Jumeirah family and it is rewarding to hear parents say “I remember what it felt like when I experienced this at the nursery for the first time”. It is important to cherish your warm childhood memories and even more important to create new ones with your child.⁠⁠

The Inspire Philosophy: Another Day, Another Development

Another Day, Another Development

Welcome to our Learning Terrace!

Tucked into the back corner of the nursery school is a little haven that we like to call the Learning Terrace.

In its former state and in its new one, it has always been a place for imagination, mathematics and motor skills to meet one another.

Over the last few weeks, there have been new additions to add to its atmosphere and bring it up to date with our new aesthetics of warm and neutral tones, the addition of even more natural materials and open-ended learning experiences.

Wooden panels have been added to the back walls for a more dynamic look, a new table with loose parts to sort, order, count and make patterns with has been presented in the back side. The stables have been padded out with sawdust for a sensory treat and we are very proud of our collection of ‘food’ that we can cook plenty of imagination delights with.

As always, we continue to change and adapt with new times and new ideas. On to the next! #theinspirephilosophy

As an eco nursery in Dubai who has been established in Jumeirah for the last 30 years, we are honored to welcome the next generation of students into the Kid’s Island Nursery in Jumeirah family and it is rewarding to hear parents say “I remember what it felt like when I experienced this at the nursery for the first time”. It is important to cherish your warm childhood memories and even more important to create new ones with your child.⁠⁠

The Inspire Philosophy: Watch Us Grow

Planting is a very common activity in early years settings. It involves playing with mud, thinking about abstract concepts like growth and nature, as well as be an extended activity to revisit every day or week.
When you have access to a Mud Kitchen, this can be even further expanded upon! Why not have fresh herbs and vegetables growing in the very mud that the children are playing in?
At Kids Island, we have fresh oregano growing in large planters and rubbing the leaves between your fingers gives off a fragrant, fresh scent that fills the air. In addition to oregano, we have a beautiful sweet potato plant too.
In a short time, they have grown so tall and lush; they are very well cared for by the children across the nursery and they enjoy looking into the soil to see how many roots they can see.
We believe in the process of play, and while planting as an activity can be some what teacher-led, the result is totally worth it to see the process of their efforts and how the world around them works! #theinspirephilosophy

As an eco nursery in Dubai who has been established in Jumeirah for the last 30 years, we are honored to welcome the next generation of students into the Kid’s Island Nursery in Jumeirah family and it is rewarding to hear parents say “I remember what it felt like when I experienced this at the nursery for the first time”. It is important to cherish your warm childhood memories and even more important to create new ones with your child.⁠⁠

The Inspire Philosophy: Find Your Balance

As adults we can take for granted being surefooted, coordinated and balanced in our movements. For children, it takes time for these important skills to be developed and built upon.
Throughout the nursery, we have these wonderful little pieces of equipment, best known as Wobbel boards.
They are a wonderful way for children to develop their physical awareness and balance, as children get more and more comfortable creating more space between their feet on the board. With the support of an adult, they can start out on the boards just rocking side to side until they feel confident enough to do it themselves.
Though, they also provide a separate purpose. Children often use the boards as pseudo rocking chairs, lying down on them to relax for a quiet moment, supporting individual play. If flipped over, they are also strong and sturdy ramps for cars or even as stepping stools.
It doesn’t take much to provide children with an enabling environment with equipment that helps to boost their physical confidence.
This is why it is important to let children learn through their play; allow them to follow their own interests and interact with their environment in their way and watch them acquire the valuable skills of balance and coordination without having to interfere. #theinspirephilosophy

As an eco nursery in Dubai who has been established in Jumeirah for the last 30 years, we are honored to welcome the next generation of students into the Kid’s Island Nursery in Jumeirah family and it is rewarding to hear parents say “I remember what it felt like when I experienced this at the nursery for the first time”. It is important to cherish your warm childhood memories and even more important to create new ones with your child.⁠⁠

The Inspire Philosophy: Look Down

Mini beasts are fun to read about in books and look at in photos, however when it comes to interacting them up close and personal, most will shy away.

Whether it’s because they’re slimy, creepy, crawly or have too many eyes and legs; they aren’t usually the subject of too much love and affection.

But what if you start to show them an appreciation from an early age?

When you teach children to love and respect even the tiniest of ants, you’re able to eliminate the fear of creepy crawlies from early on.

In these photos, you will see the discovery of a beetle in one of our playgrounds and instead of wanting to step on it or run away, the children got down on the floor and watched it so patiently. Waiting, watching - excited to see what it would do next.

Then it wandered onto their hands and the experience grew further, allowing them to understand where to place their hands next in order for it to carry on moving, see it’s legs and feelers up close.

So next time you see a mini beast out and about, use it as a learning opportunity and plant a seed of curiosity. #theinspirephilosophy

As an eco nursery in Dubai who has been established in Jumeirah for the last 30 years, we are honored to welcome the next generation of students into the Kid’s Island Nursery in Jumeirah family and it is rewarding to hear parents say “I remember what it felt like when I experienced this at the nursery for the first time”. It is important to cherish your warm childhood memories and even more important to create new ones with your child.⁠⁠

The Inspire Philosophy: Story Boxes

In our nursery, there are these beautiful boxes filled with collections of treasures and trinkets surrounding specific stories.

We’re Going On a Bear Hunt, Itchy Bear, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Rainbow Fish and so many more. They are all well loved classics in their own but let’s reimagine them, shall we?

They are combined and perfected over time and hold such a special place in our nursery. The children and adults love them equally and it’s always interesting to see just what will come out of those boxes and bags.

It’s a mystery!

They are filled with items and toys relevant to the story it is made about, like the three baby owls from the Owl Babies or the array of fruits seen in The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

Keep an eye out for the many different boxes we have across the nursery, there are many surprises to see! #theinspirephilosophy

As an eco nursery in Dubai who has been established in Jumeirah for the last 30 years, we are honored to welcome the next generation of students into the Kid’s Island Nursery in Jumeirah family and it is rewarding to hear parents say “I remember what it felt like when I experienced this at the nursery for the first time”. It is important to cherish your warm childhood memories and even more important to create new ones with your child.⁠⁠

The Inspire Philosophy: New Year, New Perspective

For parents and teachers, we often hear the phrase “They grow up so fast.” And that’s true, one minute our children are only just discovering their hands and feet and the next, they are heading off to nursery and telling you about their friends and what the get up to during the day.

This is the nature of growing up. But we think it’s important to remind ourselves to slow down too. Children are only the age that they are once in their life. Nursery is a few short years of developing those important life skills, establishing friendships and learning through play. It doesn’t last long enough!

There is a rush to do everything nowadays; to get into school, to learn to count to 100 and write their names. But why wish these few short years away?

Cherish them; the good moments, the hard moments, the laughs and challenges overcome! Take every day as it comes and enjoy childhood for what it is. #theinspirephilosophy
As an eco nursery in Dubai who has been established in Jumeirah for the last 30 years, we are honored to welcome the next generation of students into the Kid’s Island Nursery in Jumeirah family and it is rewarding to hear parents say “I remember what it felt like when I experienced this at the nursery for the first time”. It is important to cherish your warm childhood memories and even more important to create new ones with your child.⁠⁠

The Inspire Philosophy: Raindrops

Living in Dubai, rainy days are few and far between.
They often creep up out of nowhere and before you know it, you’re soaked from your head to your toes and standing in a puddle.

So we believe it is important that opportunities such as these are utilized as a powerful learning experience!

Think of the hours of endless fun that comes from riding through puddles on our bikes and simply splashing in them barefoot or even better, in some rubber boots.
It’s natures water play after all, so it can be utilized as an amazing sensory experience.
Capture the rainwater in whatever ways you can and bring out the funnels from the garage and the strainers from the kitchen!

For the little learners that are older, we can teach them about the clouds and shine a light on how rain actually comes to be!

It also helps children to build up resilience to change. One minute it could be sunny and warm outside and all of a sudden it’s raining; which means we might not be able to go outside at that very moment or we may have to change our outfits to fit the weather, and that’s okay!

Playing in the rain is one of the simplest joys in life, so get your spare clothes ready and get splashing! #theinspirephilosophy

As an eco nursery in Dubai who has been established in Jumeirah for the last 30 years, we are honored to welcome the next generation of students into the Kid’s Island Nursery in Jumeirah family and it is rewarding to hear parents say “I remember what it felt like when I experienced this at the nursery for the first time”. It is important to cherish your warm childhood memories and even more important to create new ones with your child.⁠⁠

The Inspire Philosophy: Talk about Toys

The Inspire Philosophy: Talk about Toys

When you think of toys, what do you think of?
Nowadays, toy stores are stocked to the brim with plastic and toys that are meant to be watched and not truly played with.

Play shouldn’t be passive!

Play should spark imagination, create opportunities for open ended experiences that can be repeated and have different outcomes every time they are used.

Loose parts, neutral colours and recycled materials are easily processed, don’t overload the senses and allow children to use their imaginations to make their play their own!

Children should be the decision makers in their own play, explore their wants and needs and have that reflected in their exploration of the resources and ‘toys’ around them. #theinspirephilosophy

As an eco nursery in Dubai who has been established in Jumeirah for the last 30 years, we are honored to welcome the next generation of students into the Kid’s Island Nursery in Jumeirah family and it is rewarding to hear parents say “I remember what it felt like when I experienced this at the nursery for the first time”. It is important to cherish your warm childhood memories and even more important to create new ones with your child.⁠⁠