Harvest Festival Fun: Parents Join Our Stay and Play at Monkey Puzzle Marleigh, Cambridge
Last week, Monkey Puzzle Marleigh, our day nursery in Jubilee Square, Cambridge, rounded off its Harvest Festival theme with a very special stay and play session. Parents were invited into the nursery to join their children for an afternoon of hands-on, muddy, seasonal fun, and to see for themselves how learning through play sits at the heart of everything we do in our early years setting.
Harvest Digging, Vegetable Printing and Pumpkin Rolling in the Garden
Our nursery garden was transformed into a harvest playground for the afternoon. The children got stuck into harvest digging, explored colour and pattern through vegetable printing, and tested their aim and coordination with pumpkin rolling. Parents were encouraged to roll up their sleeves and join in alongside their little ones, sharing in the discovery and seeing first-hand how each activity builds the physical skills, curiosity and confidence that children carry with them as they grow.
Our Toddlers Open the Marleigh Farm Shop
Earlier in the day, our toddlers set up their very own Marleigh Farm Shop. Together they talked about the names of different fruits and vegetables, looked closely at how each one appears, felt the textures in their hands and had a taste, before taking turns to sell their produce to their friends. It is a wonderful example of how a simple role play activity weaves together language, sensory exploration, early maths and social skills, all in one playful morning.
Why Learning Through Play Matters for Your Child
Seasonal themes like Harvest Festival give children a real-world reason to explore. Digging, printing, rolling and role play are not just fun ways to fill an afternoon, they are how young children build vocabulary, fine and gross motor skills, an understanding of where food comes from and the confidence to share ideas with others. Inviting parents in to play alongside their children also strengthens the link between home and nursery, so you can see your child’s progress with your own eyes and carry those ideas back to the kitchen table. For your child, it means childcare in Cambridge that is rooted in curiosity, connection and a genuine love of learning from the very earliest years.