Birkbees Newsletter – April 2026

Birkbees Newsletter – April 2026

Birkbees Nursery Newsletter

Welcome back! We hope you all had a wonderful and restful Easter break, filled with special moments, family time, and lots of fun. It’s lovely to see all our children returning with big smiles, ready for a new term of learning, exploring, and growing. We have an exciting few weeks ahead with lots of engaging activities, new experiences, and opportunities for the children to develop their skills—so we’re looking forward to another fantastic term together!

Fees Update

Please be advised that nursery fees increased from April in line with rising operational costs to ensure we can continue to provide high-quality care, learning opportunities and resources for all children. We also want to remind parents that we no longer offer discounted fees for holidays or absences. As places are booked and contracted for your child’s agreed attendance days, full fees will apply regardless of any holidays taken or occasional days missed. We appreciate your understanding and continued support.

Dates for the Diary

• Monday 4th May – Early May Bank Holiday (Nursery Closed) 
• Monday 25th May – Spring Bank Holiday (Nursery closed)
• Monday 25th May – Friday 29th May – (May Half Term – No funding sessions) 
• Graduation ceremonies: 

PS@S – Thursday 2nd July – Busybees – Friday 3rd July – Queenbees – Monday 6th July 

(times to be confirmed) 

• Friday 17th July – Funding session break up for summer holidays 
• Monday 31st August – Summer Bank Holiday (Nursery Closed) 
• Friday 4th September – Staff Training Day (Nursery Closed) 

🗣️ 5 Words a Week

Each week, we focus on five key words to support children’s language, communication, and understanding of our nursery themes.

• On display outside each room – so children can see and use them all day
• Shared on Famly each week – so you can explore the words at home too
• Fun at home – try using the words in conversation, play, or stories

Weekly Words 

13th April & 20th April – Light | Water | Early | Under | Warm

27th April & 4th May – Furry | Dots | Spots | Soft | Smallest | Fattest 

11th May – Happy | Kind | Sad | Unkind | Together

18th May – Round | Yellow | Black | Oval | Stripes

25th May – Large | Rough | Heavier | Old | New 

🌱 Our Learning Themes This Term

This half term, children across the nursery will be exploring a range of exciting themes that support their confidence, curiosity and overall development. 

Across the nursery, our themes include:

Across the nursery, our themes include:

Planting & Germination – exploring how things grow, planting seeds and caring for plants.
Animals & Life Cycles – learning about different animals and how they grow and change over time, including the bean life cycle.
Pets – talking about our own pets and how to care for animals.
Mental Health Awareness – supporting children to understand their feelings, build confidence and develop positive relationships.
The Sea & Ocean Animals – discovering underwater life and learning about different sea creatures.
Bees & Pollination – understanding the role of bees in nature and how they help plants grow.
Recycling & Sustainability – learning how to look after our environment and the importance of reducing waste.
ICT – using age-appropriate technology to support learning, creativity and communication.
Healthy Body, Happy Me – promoting healthy eating, exercise, self-care and overall wellbeing.

All learning is delivered through play, stories, songs and hands-on experiences, with activities carefully differentiated to meet the needs of both our Under 3’s and Over 3’s.

Honeybees Room (Baby Room)

In the Baby Room, we will be bringing our nursery themes to life through sensory play, exploration and hands-on experiences, all carefully adapted for our youngest children.

Our activities will include:
🌱 Planting & Growing – exploring seeds, soil and water through simple planting activities and sensory tuff trays.
🐛 Life Cycles – sharing familiar stories such as The Hungry Caterpillar and exploring simple changes in nature.
🐾 Animals & Pets – looking at animal toys, making sounds and learning how to be gentle and caring.
🌊 Sea & Water Play – enjoying water-based activities and discovering sea creatures through sensory play.
🐝 Bees & Nature – introducing children to bees through songs, visuals and simple discussions about flowers.
♻️ Exploring Our World – learning about recycling through play and everyday routines.
💻 Early Technology – using age-appropriate resources such as light-up toys and interactive equipment.
💛 Healthy Body, Happy Me – encouraging independence, self-care and positive interactions.

We will also be extending our learning through small local outings such as visits to the shops or library, helping children to explore the world around them.

All activities will be set up through engaging tuff trays, sensory play and child-led exploration to support curiosity, communication and early development.

Honey Bees – Home Learning 

🌸 April – Food & Vegetable Tasting
We will be encouraging children to explore a variety of foods, especially fruits and vegetables, to support healthy eating.
At home, you can:
• Offer small tastes of different fruits and vegetables
• Talk about colours, textures and tastes (e.g. crunchy, soft, sweet)
• Encourage children to express their likes and dislikes

🌿 May – Our Growing World
As part of our growing theme, we will be exploring the outdoors and nature.
At home, you can:
• Visit your garden or local park
• Look at flowers, plants and trees growing
• Talk about what you can see, hear and feel outdoors
• Encourage simple exploration such as touching leaves or watching insects

📸 Get Involved!
We love seeing your home learning! Please get involved with your child and share photos of your activities with us by email.

Honeybees – Family Learning Events

Bee-Themed Stay & Play
Monday 18th May
10am – 11am

Join us for a fun, hands-on bee-themed session where you can take part in activities alongside your child. We will be exploring bees through sensory play, songs and simple crafts.

We look forward to welcoming you for a lovely morning of learning and play! 🐝🌼

🐝 Bumblebee Room (2-year-old room downstairs)

In the Bumblebee Room, we will be supporting children’s learning through a wide range of planned, engaging activities linked to our nursery themes, encouraging curiosity, independence and deeper thinking.

Our activities will include:
📚 Research & Exploration – exploring different themes through discussions, books and child-led research to build knowledge and understanding.
🌱 Life Cycles – using a variety of books and resources to learn about different life cycles and how things grow and change.
📖 Stories & Imagination – bringing learning to life through weekly story-based set ups linked to our reading themes.
🐾 Community Trips – visiting local places such as pet shops to support children’s understanding of animals and the world around them.
💛 Mental Health & Wellbeing – taking part in activities focused on feelings and emotions, including a dedicated Mental Health Awareness week.
🌈 Kindness & Relationships – creating a kindness tree/branch to encourage positive behaviour and caring for others.
♻️ Recycling & Creativity – exploring recycling through junk modelling and creative activities.
👐 Stay & Play Sessions – sharing special moments with families through activities such as story massages.

All learning will be delivered through a balance of adult-led and child-initiated opportunities, supporting children to develop confidence, communication and a love for learning.

Bumblebees – Home Learning 

♻️ Recycling Week
We will be focusing on recycling and caring for our environment.
At home, please:
• Encourage your child to take part in recycling (e.g. sorting waste, using recycling bins)
• Talk about why recycling is important

📸 Please take photos of your child recycling at home and share them with us. We kindly ask you to take the time to complete this activity together.

🌼 Planting for Bees
To support our learning about bees and pollination, children will be sent home with seeds on Wednesday 20th May.
At home, please:
• Plant your seeds together and watch them grow
• Talk about how plants help bees

📸 Please send photos of your planting and growing to our email – we love seeing your home learning!

Bumblebees – Family Learning Events – Mental Health Awareness Week

Spa-Themed Session
Tuesday 26th May
2:30pm – 3:30pm

Join us for a relaxing spa-themed family learning event to support Mental Health Awareness Week. Families will take part in calming activities designed to promote wellbeing, relaxation and positive mental health.

We look forward to welcoming you for a calm and enjoyable session together.

👑 Queenbees Room (3-4-year-old room downstairs)

In the Queenbees Room, we will be supporting children’s learning through hands-on experiences, exploration and enquiry-based activities linked to our nursery themes.

Our activities will include:
🌱 Beans in a Bag – observing and recording the growth of beans to understand how plants grow over time.
🦋 Life Cycles – learning about the butterfly and tadpole life cycles through books, discussions and visual resources.
🌊 Caring for Our Oceans – exploring what should and shouldn’t go into the sea and understanding how pollution affects sea animals.

All learning will be delivered through engaging, practical activities, encouraging children to ask questions, make observations and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them.

🌍 Activities & Experiences Planned

To support and extend our learning, children will take part in a range of meaningful experiences linked to our themes. These include:
• Earth Day activities with a focus on caring for our planet
• Recycling activities to help children understand how we can reduce waste and protect the environment
• Community learning experiences to explore the world around us
• Bus trip (local travel experience) to help children learn about different ways of travelling and their community

These experiences will help children develop a strong understanding of sustainability, the environment and their local community.

Queenbees – Home Learning – Makaton Competition Reminder

We recently sent home Makaton sheets as part of our home learning competition.

A reminder that the deadline for entries is Friday 1st May.

If you would like to take part, please ensure completed entries are returned to nursery as soon as possible so they can be included in the competition.

The winner will be announced after the closing date.

Queenbees – Family Learning Events

Celebrate the Bees & Pollen Awareness
Wednesday 13th May
10:00am – 11:00am

Join us for a bee-themed family learning event where children and families will explore the importance of bees and their role in nature. We will also be raising awareness of pollen and allergies in a child-friendly way.

Activities will include hands-on learning experiences, discussions and fun themed activities linked to bees and the environment.

We look forward to seeing you there!

📌 Queenbees Room – Important Messages

Please can we remind all parents and carers of the following:

• Please ensure your child has spare clothing and appropriate footwear in nursery.
  • For safety, please make sure the gate is always kept shut when entering and leaving the nursery.
  • All children must be signed in and out daily.
  • Please ensure all clothing is clearly labelled with your child’s name.
  • We kindly ask that children do not bring bags with strings or cords due to safety reasons.

Thank you for your continued support in keeping our children safe.

🐝 2 Bees Room (2-year-old room upstairs)

In the 2Bees Room, we will be supporting children’s development through engaging, hands-on activities linked to our half term themes.

Our activities will include:
📚 Life Cycle Focus Books – exploring stories such as The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other animal life cycle books to support understanding of change and growth.
🌱 Bean Experiment – observing beans grown with and without water to see what happens and begin to understand what plants need to grow.
🐾 Animal Learning – looking at growing animal books and learning about different creatures and how they develop.
💛 Mental Health Awareness Week – taking part in Cosmic Yoga, calming activities, making stress balls, and using the Colour Monster to explore feelings.
🌊 Ocean Animals – learning about sea creatures through sounds, visuals and sensory activities.
♻️ Recycling Awareness – supporting children to learn about recycling by sorting items and visiting the car park bins to practise putting waste in the correct place.

All activities are designed to support communication, understanding of the world, physical development and emotional wellbeing through play and exploration.

🌿 Activities & Experiences Planned

To support our learning themes, children will take part in a range of real-life experiences and outings, including:

• 24th April – Nature Walk
  A local walk to explore nature, look for flowers, and talk about what we can see, hear and discover in our environment.
• Week commencing 25th May – Supermarket Visit
  A trip to the local supermarket to explore food, talk about healthy choices, and learn more about where our food comes from.

These experiences will help children develop confidence, communication skills and a greater understanding of the world around them.

2 Bees – Home Learning 

🐸 Week commencing 27th April – Frog Life Cycle
Children will be exploring the life cycle of a frog. At home, we encourage families to support this learning by creating a simple frog life cycle plate activity together with your child.

🌼 Week commencing 18th May – Planting for Bees
To support our learning about bees and nature, children will be planting flowers for bees. At home, please take part in planting flowers with your child and talk about how flowers help bees to grow and survive.

Please ensure home learning is completed and shared with us by the following dates:

• 🐸 27th April – 4th May
  • 🌼 18th May – 29th May

📸 Please share photos of your home learning with us – we love seeing your learning at home!

2 Bees – Family Learning Events

Eid-Themed Celebration
Tuesday 19th May
9:30am – 10:30am

Join us for a special Eid-themed family learning event where children and families can celebrate together through fun, hands-on activities.

Bee-Themed Event
Wednesday 20th May
Morning & Afternoon Sessions

Join us for a fun bee-themed family learning event where children and families can explore a range of engaging, hands-on activities.

Activities will include:
• 🐝 Beehive messy play using yellow and black gloop
• 🍯 Honey water play exploration
• 🎁 Bee treasure baskets using a variety of natural and sensory materials

This session is a great opportunity to learn together through play, creativity and sensory exploration. We look forward to seeing you there!

🐝 Busy Bees Room (upstairs 3-4-year-old room)

In the Busy Bees Room, we will be supporting children’s learning through practical, hands-on experiences linked to health, growth, emotions and the natural world.

Our activities will include:
🦷 Oral Health & Germs – brushing teeth routines, learning about germs, and taking part in simple germ experiments to understand how they spread.
🌱 Planting & Growth – planting beans and seeds, learning the names of different parts of a plant, and exploring how plants grow and change.
📖 Jack & the Beanstalk – using story-based learning packs to support imagination, understanding of growth and sequencing.
🐾 Pets & Animals – talking about pets at home and exploring how we care for animals, including a visit linked to “Pets at Home” learning.
💛 Emotions & Wellbeing – focusing on feelings and emotions, helping children to recognise and talk about how they feel.
🌿 Caring for Plants – planting seeds and learning how to care for them, encouraging responsibility and continuing learning at home.

All learning will be delivered through play, discussion, stories and hands-on experiences to support children’s development across all areas.

🌍 Activities & Events Planned

To enrich our learning, children will take part in a range of special events and themed days linked to our curriculum and wider world celebrations, including:

• 🐝 20th May – World Bee Day
  Children will learn about the importance of bees, their role in nature, and how they help plants grow through fun, hands-on activities.
• 🌙 End of May – Eid Party (Eid ul-Adha)
  We will be celebrating Eid with a fun-filled party, helping children to learn about different cultures and celebrations within our community.

These events will support children’s understanding of the world, diversity, and respect for different cultures and beliefs.

Busy Bees – Home Learning 

🌸 Spring Time Nature Walk
Take a walk with your child and explore the world around you.
• What can you see on the way to nursery or in your local area?
• Look for signs of spring such as flowers, trees, birds and insects
• Talk about what you can hear, see and smell

🌱 Caring for Our Seeds
We will be growing seeds at nursery and learning how to care for them.
At home, please:
• Look after your seeds/plant together with your child
• Water them regularly and place them in sunlight
• Talk about any changes you can see as they grow

📸 Please send us photos of your child’s plant progress so we can share their learning journey in nursery.

Busy Bees – Family Learning Events

Eid-Themed Celebration
Tuesday 19th May
9:30am – 10:30am

Join us for a special Eid-themed family learning event where children and families can celebrate together through fun, hands-on activities.

Activities will include themed crafts, sensory play and creative experiences linked to Eid celebrations, helping children learn about different cultures and traditions in our community.

We look forward to welcoming you for a lovely morning of learning and celebration together.

📌 Messages for Busy Bees Parents

We would like to thank you for your continued support with your child’s learning and development.

• Please continue to support your child in recognising their name cards for self-registration, as this helps to build independence and confidence in the nursery routine.
• Now that the Easter break has passed, we will be beginning to support toilet training for children who are showing readiness. We kindly ask that parents work in partnership with us at home where appropriate, to help ensure consistency and support progress.

Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.

🐝 Pre-school Stingers (PS@S) (3-4-year-old room, back building)

In Pre-School Stingers, we will be supporting children’s learning through a wide range of hands-on, meaningful experiences linked to life cycles, nature, healthy living and the environment.

Our activities will include:
📚 The Hungry Caterpillar & Healthy Foods – exploring healthy eating and linking this to the life cycle of a butterfly.
🦋 Life Cycles – learning about the life cycles of butterflies, frogs and other animals through stories and practical experiences.
🌱 The Tiny Seed & Growing Plants – exploring how seeds grow and what plants need to survive.
🥕 Planting & Growing – planting carrots, tomatoes, potatoes and flowers, then measuring and observing them weekly to track changes. Once grown, children will use produce to support simple cooking activities.
🐄 Farm Animals & Pets – learning about animals such as lambs, rabbits, chickens, cows, cats, dogs and fish, and discussing how to care for them (food, shelter, exercise and wellbeing).
🐝 Bees & Honey – exploring the importance of bees and how they help our environment.
♻️ Recycling Week – learning about different materials, the recycling process, and how we can look after our environment.

All learning will be delivered through play, exploration, observation and hands-on activities to support curiosity, independence and a deeper understanding of the world.

🌍 Activities & Experiences Planned

To enrich our learning and support real-life understanding, children will take part in a range of exciting community visits and themed experiences, including:

• 🌿 Garden Centre Visit – exploring plants, flowers and how they grow
  • 🐾 Vet Visit/Role Play – learning how animals are cared for and kept healthy
  • ♻️ Recycling Centre Learning – understanding how materials are recycled and why it is important
  • 🐶 Pet Shop Visit – learning about different pets and how to care for them
  • 📚 Library Visit – developing a love of reading and exploring stories
  • 💛 Emotions Week – focusing on feelings, wellbeing and helping children understand and express emotions

These experiences will help children develop confidence, communication skills and a deeper understanding of the world around them.

Pre-school stingers – Home learning 

🌸 April – Spring Treasure Hunt
Children will take part in a spring-themed treasure hunt. At home, you can:
• Go on a spring walk or explore your garden/local area
• Look for signs of spring such as flowers, buds, insects and birds
• Talk about what you can see, hear and find

💛 May – Emotions Week – Stress Ball Activity
To support our emotions and wellbeing learning, children will create a stress ball. At home, you can:
• Make a simple stress ball together using balloons and safe filling materials
• Talk about different feelings and when we might feel them
• Use the stress ball to help with calming and relaxation

📸 Please share photos of your home learning with us – we love seeing the children’s experiences at home!

Pre-School Stingers – Family Learning Events

🐾 Wednesday 29th April – Animals & Habitats
⏰ 10:30am – 11:30am

Join us for an animal-themed family learning session where children and families will explore:
• Animal habitats
• What animals eat
• Key features of different animals
• How to care for animals responsibly

🐝 Thursday 21st May – Bees & Pollination
⏰ 10:30am – 11:30am

Join us for a bee-themed learning experience where families will explore:
• The importance of bees
• Pollination and how it works
• Bee habitats
• A fun honey and toast tasting activity for children and families to enjoy

These sessions provide a great opportunity to learn together through hands-on activities and shared experiences. We look forward to seeing you there!

Parent Notices & Reminder

✔ Running Late? Call ahead to avoid late collection fees (£10 for the first 15 minutes, then £1 per minute).
✔ No Toys from Home: To prevent loss or distraction, children should not bring personal toys.
✔ Sickness: Please ring the nursery on each day your child is unwell to inform us.

Funding & Childcare Updates

• 30 Hours Funding Deadline: Apply by 22nd May 2026 if your child turns 3 before this date.
• 15 Hours Funding: If your child is aged 2 or 3, they may be eligible for 15 hours of funded childcare per week. Please check your eligibility and apply as soon as possible to secure a place.
• Funding for Babies: Some families may be eligible for funded childcare for babies under 2 years old, depending on their circumstances. Please speak to our team for more information on how to apply.
• More Info: Visit www.childcarechoices.gov.uk for eligibility details.

Contact Information

📍 Birkbees Day Care LTD

📞 01484 453354

📧 birkbeesdaycare@gmail.com 

📍 Address: 65a Halifax Old Rd, Hillhouse, Huddersfield HD1 6EE

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Thank you for being part of the Birkbees family! We appreciate your support and look forward to another fantastic half term of learning and fun! 🎉