Home Corner Curiosity

We have been developing our old baby room and converting it into a dedicated role playroom. During the creation of this space we have followed the guidelines of the Curiosity Approach accreditation that we are currently undertaking as a setting. The Curiosity Approach promotes a home from home environment where children feel at ease in their surroundings and are free to play, explore and experiment.

The walls have been covered to create a calm and relaxing environment, with limited distractions so the children can focus on their learning and play and not be disturbed by “environmental background noise”

A restful area with a sofa is present to provide a familiar home-like space, children can rest here and take time out from their busy day at nursery supporting their mental health and emotional literacy.

Children can role play in the home corner and develop their Expressive Art and Design ( EAD ) skills in line with the Early Years Foundation Stage ( EYFS ). They enjoy being able to emulate life at home by cooking for their friends, cleaning, caring for the dolls and dressing up. This supports and enables them to continue their growth and development at home with siblings and family as they can join in with the real-life activities that they have practiced and learnt at nursery.

Within the kitchen area children can access a range of utensils and foods to prepare in their play. They can stir, cut, transfer as they “cook” using the microwave and the oven to complete food to share with their peers. Through this engagement they learn about healthy foods and non-healthy foods linking to their Physical Development ( PD ) of movement and health and self-care of themselves through food intake and caring for others, being peers, adults and the dolls.

Learning continues with their Personal, Social, Emotional ( PSED ) growth by playing cooperatively with their peers, keeping play going and exploring ideas together. Choices are made as to how and what they play from the range of resources within the room, there is no right or wrong way to play here.

They can create a narrative for their play at an unrushed pace allowing them time to build bonds with adults and peers, they are supported by adults who role model play, build and guide their imagination.

All of this creates a communication rich space in which to practice, use and learn new words to extend their vocabulary. Whilst listening and turn taking with peers so enabling them to understand and share the intricacies of conversation and communication.

As well as using the space to play, rest and learn children are encouraged and supported by adults to care for their environment by using resources carefully and tidying away items that they have finished playing with. Children will be involved in the further development of this room by creating pictures and self portraits to hang on the walls to create a sense of belonging,

Our aim for this room is to teach and allow children to develop these important life skills at their individual pace in preparation for transitioning to reception class.