Free Play
On the playground
At Happy Days, we believe that free play is as important to the child’s development as structured activities. The magnificent outdoor play area includes large, open lawns for running, extensive equipment for climbing, balancing, swinging and playing; sandpits and digging materials; and imaginative play opportunities with Thomas the Train, a rowing boat and a stationary motorbike. Each day, additional equipment is provided in the courtyard on a rotational basis – balls, hula hoops, balance boards and beams – for extra stimulation.
Our resident rescue tortoises – Pat, Doris and Suzy – also roam the grounds when they are not hibernating during the colder months, captivating the attention and curiosity of the children and helping them to learn respectful care for animals.
Fantasy Play
Some of the magic of the preschool-age child is their immersion in the imaginative world, their creativity and their ability to enter ‘make believe’ so easily and freely. We encourage this in our children as it is essential to what makes them children and is a deeply meaningful way of learning about themselves, others and their world. Each classroom has an upstairs area with dressing-up outfits, a small kitchen, household and workplace items and is a much-enjoyed part of playtime.