Spring Newsletter 2026
A Welcome from the Director
Dear Families,
A very warm welcome to our Spring 2026 Newsletter.
As we move into the brighter and warmer months, we welcome longer days and all the excitement that comes with the changing season. There is something truly magical about watching our environment change, and nowhere is that more evident than here at SPLAT.
The children and team are already beginning to embrace the seasonal changes. We say goodbye to muddy puddles (well… mostly!) and welcome firmer ground beneath our feet, colourful flowers, new insects to discover, increasingly active wildlife and, of course… the return of sunshine and sun cream!
One bonus for the team is that wet clothes dry much quicker and we’re certainly dealing with a lot less mud! 
As the environment around us changes, our provision changes with it. The seasons provide endless opportunities for exploration, curiosity and learning, and we can’t wait to embrace everything the warmer months bring with your children.
Clothing for the Warmer Months 
As we begin spending even more time outdoors, we’d be grateful if you could help us by ensuring your child is dressed appropriately for both comfort and safety.
Everyday Nursery Clothing
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- Light, loose-fitting cotton clothing where possible.
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- Layers remain the best option, as temperatures can vary throughout the day.
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- Secure, closed shoes are recommended — canvas shoes are ideal as they allow feet to breathe.
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- Please avoid open-toed shoes.
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- Crocs are welcome; however, they can present additional risks during active play, running and climbing, so please bear this in mind when choosing your child’s footwear.
Forest School Clothing
Forest School continues in almost all weather, and even during the warmer months children need protection from scratches, insects and the natural environment.
Please provide:
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- Long, lightweight cotton trousers.
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- Trousers tucked into socks where possible.
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- Strong, closed footwear.
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- A sun hat — hats are a must!
Those thicker wetsuits, jackets, fleece-lined suits and winter accessories can now be packed away and replaced with lighter, breathable layers.
Sun Cream
Please apply sun cream to your child before arriving at nursery each morning.
With around 35 children to care for, this makes a significant difference to our mornings and helps us minimise the amount of valuable play and learning time spent applying sun cream before everyone can head outside.
The team will then reapply sun cream later in the day before children return outdoors after lunch.
Water Play 
With warmer weather comes LOTS more water play!
We’ll be introducing more opportunities for children to explore water, experiment, splash and, inevitably, get absolutely soaked!
If you would like your child to fully embrace these experiences, please send in:
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- Swimwear.
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- A towel.
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- Spare underwear.
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- Spare lightweight clothing.
Chef Gemma’s New Spring Menu 
Chef Gemma has now launched our brand-new Spring Menu, and we’re delighted to say it has already been a huge success with the children.
We’ve refreshed some long-time favourites while introducing exciting new dishes designed to broaden children’s tastes and encourage them to explore different flavours.
As always, every meal is freshly prepared on site using high-quality ingredients. We continue to source our meat locally from the fantastic team at W Butchers, and we are currently looking to partner with a local greengrocer to further strengthen our commitment to fresh, seasonal and locally sourced produce.
Providing children with the very best nutrition during these crucial early years remains one of our highest priorities.
You can read more about our approach to healthy eating, nutrition and wellbeing and view our latest menus here:
Reducing Plastics – Our Next Steps 
Many of you know how passionate I am about what goes into our children’s bodies and the environment we create around them.
Over recent months, I’ve spent a considerable amount of time researching plastics and some of the chemicals associated with plastic food and drink products, particularly in relation to young children.
It has certainly made me stop and think about some of the everyday items we all use without giving them much thought.
Research has raised concerns around substances including BPA (Bisphenol A), which has historically been used in certain food and drink containers, and phthalates, which are used in some plastics and food-contact materials. There is particular interest in reducing unnecessary exposure to chemicals that may migrate from food-contact materials, especially where plastics are heated, damaged or used repeatedly.
We don’t want to create fear around plastics or suggest that every plastic product is harmful. Instead, where there is a sensible, practical alternative available, we have decided that reducing our reliance on plastic is a positive step for both our children and our environment.
You will therefore begin noticing more changes across SPLAT, including:
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- Plastic drinking cups being replaced with stainless steel cups.
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- Continuing to use ceramic plates.
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- Stainless steel cutlery.
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- Stainless steel chopping boards where appropriate.
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- Wooden and stainless steel cooking and serving utensils.
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- Glass and stainless steel water dispensers replacing plastic alternatives.
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- Beeswax wraps being used instead of cling film where appropriate.
Some of these changes may seem tiny, but collectively they help us reduce unnecessary plastic use and encourage more sustainable practices throughout the nursery.
What goes into the children is incredibly important to us, and we will continue to question, research and improve what we do rather than simply accepting that something has always been done a particular way.
Safer Sleep – Important Update 
Keeping babies and young children safe whilst they sleep remains one of our highest priorities.
Following updated safer sleep information for early years providers, we have reviewed our procedures to ensure our practice continues to reflect current guidance and that our team and families have clear, consistent information.
Our safer sleep practices include:
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- Babies being placed on their backs to sleep.
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- Clear, appropriate sleep spaces.
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- Careful monitoring of sleeping children.
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- Regular sleep checks which are recorded.
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- Being mindful of room temperature, clothing and the risk of overheating.
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- Working with parents around children’s individual routines whilst always maintaining safe practice.
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- Ensuring our practitioners understand and consistently follow our safer sleep procedures.
We would encourage all parents, particularly those with babies, to familiarise themselves with the safer sleep information too.
You can view the Department for Education’s safer sleep guidance here:
Our own updated policies, procedures and sleep-check guidance can be found here:
Growing Our Forest School Team 
We are very pleased to announce that Amy from Preschool and Kayla are both embarking on their Level 3 Forest School Leader training.
This is another exciting investment in our team and in the future of our Forest School provision.
Forest School isn’t something we want to sit separately from the children’s nursery experience; it is a fundamental part of who we are and how we believe children learn best.
Having more of our nursery practitioners trained to Forest School Leader level will help us create an even stronger, more seamless connection between children’s day-to-day learning in the nursery and their experiences in the forest.
Skills, interests and learning that begin indoors can continue outdoors, while discoveries made in the forest can be brought back into the nursery environment and developed further.
Most importantly, Amy and Kayla already know our children, their individual needs, interests and personalities. Combining that knowledge with their developing Forest School expertise will allow us to strengthen the consistency and quality of what we offer across the whole setting.
We are incredibly excited to support them through their training and to see the new ideas, skills and opportunities they bring back to the children.
Another exciting step towards making Nursery + Forest School one truly seamless SPLAT experience. 
Our Own Bespoke SPLAT Curriculum 
This is something we are incredibly proud to share.
Behind the scenes, we have been working hard to finalise our very own bespoke, in-house, home-grown SPLAT curriculum.
Our curriculum is being developed around the children we actually care for, the environment we are fortunate enough to have, our experience as Early Years practitioners and the values that make SPLAT, SPLAT.
It brings together the statutory Early Years framework with the richness of our everyday provision, including Forest School, nature and outdoor learning, creativity, technology, practical life skills, independence, physical development, communication, emotional wellbeing, curiosity, challenge and child-led exploration.
Rather than keeping Forest School, nursery learning, and the children’s wider experiences separate, our aim is for everything to connect and flow naturally throughout the child’s day and their journey with us.
We are very proud of how this is progressing and hope to be in a position to present our completed draft curriculum to our families for consultation by the end of 2026.
We want you to have the opportunity to see what lies behind your child’s learning at SPLAT, understand why we do what we do, and, importantly, contribute your thoughts before the curriculum is finalised.
Watch this space; this is a big piece of work and one we’re very excited to share with you.
A Very Warm Welcome to Preschool
We would like to give a huge SPLAT welcome to Sara, who has recently joined our Preschool family. Sara has many years of experience in early years as well as two children of her own. Joining us with a level 5 in Early Years we look forward to enbracing Sara’s knowledge and experince.
We’re delighted to have you with us and look forward to watching you settle in, build friendships, grow in confidence and enjoy everything Preschool and Forest School have to offer.
Welcome to the SPLAT family, Sara!
Meet Silky & Bob! 
We also have two rather adorable new members of the SPLAT family…
Silky and Bob, our beautiful guinea pigs!
The children have absolutely loved getting to know them, and they provide far more than simply some very cute little faces to cuddle.
Having animals within an Early Years environment provides wonderful opportunities for children to develop:
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- Kindness and empathy.
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- Responsibility.
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- Confidence.
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- Communication and language.
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- Respect for animals and other living things.
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- Understanding of care, food and basic needs.
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- Emotional wellbeing and regulation.
For some children, quietly sitting with, stroking or caring for an animal can also be incredibly calming.
The children will be involved in age-appropriate aspects of their care, helping them understand that animals depend on us to treat them gently, respectfully and responsibly.
We’re very excited to see Silky and Bob become part of everyday nursery life and all the learning opportunities they will bring.
Dates for the Diary 
We have lots happening over the coming months, so please save these dates!
Monday 10th August – Mini First Aid: Preschool Leavers 
Our Preschool Leavers will take part in their special Mini First Aid session, introducing them to simple, age-appropriate first aid skills before they head off to school.
Saturday 15th August, 9:00am–12:00pm – SPLAT Open Day
Our next Open Day will take place on Saturday 15th August from 9:00am–12:00pm.
The team will be working hard to ensure your child’s latest summative assessment is available to you ahead of the Open Day.
If you would like to discuss your child’s development with their Key Person, you are very welcome to have an informal conversation with them during the morning.
Alternatively, if you would prefer a dedicated, more formal sit-down appointment, please arrange this in advance with Ellie:
Throughout August – Summer Stay & Plays
Our outdoor Summer Stay & Play sessions will continue every Tuesday and Thursday throughout August.
These sessions are FREE for current SPLAT families, with a reduced rate available for our graduated SPLAT children.
Come back, explore the forest, enjoy some summer fun and make the most of those long summer days with us!
Saturday 29th August – Preschool Graduation 
A very special date for our Preschool families as we celebrate our wonderful 2026 Preschool Graduates and everything they have achieved during their time with us.
September – Paediatric First Aid for Parents 
Our Paediatric First Aid session for parents will give families the opportunity to learn practical skills and build confidence in responding to common baby and child first aid emergencies.
Date to be confirmed.
Saturday 12th December, 9:00am–12:00pm – Winter Open Day 
Our final Open Day of 2026 will take place on Saturday 12th December from 9:00am–12:00pm.
Pop the dates in your diaries now, there’s plenty to look forward to!
Our New Nursery & Out of School Club – An Update 
We know many of you are keen to hear more about our plans for the new nursery and Out of School Provision, so we wanted to give you a little update.
We are pleased to say that plans are still progressing, and we continue to work behind the scenes towards what we hope will be a very exciting next chapter for SPLAT.
There are, however, a number of legal and contractual matters that still need to be completed before we can formally confirm the development. For that reason, we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves or share details that may still change.
What we can say is that the vision remains very much alive, discussions are continuing, and we remain excited about the opportunities the development could bring for our children, families and wider community.
As soon as everything is legally agreed and we are in a position to share more definite plans, our families will be among the first to know.
We will, of course, keep you posted as things progress.
Parking & Site Safety 
A little reminder for everyone using the parking area outside the nursery.
We kindly ask both parents and staff not to sit parked with vehicle engines running. Vehicle exhaust contributes to local air pollution, and young children are particularly vulnerable to its effects.
Turning your engine off while waiting is a very small action that helps us create a cleaner and healthier environment immediately around the nursery.
Please also remember that the speed limit throughout the site is 5 mph.
Our site is shared with families, children, pedestrians, campers and other visitors. Please drive slowly and remain alert at all times, particularly around the nursery, car park and pedestrian areas.
Engines off. 5 mph. Small actions that help keep our children, families and wider site community safer and healthier.
Finally, From Me…
As always, thank you for choosing SPLAT and trusting us with your children.
Early childhood passes incredibly quickly. It is a privilege for us to be part of these years and to work alongside you in giving your children the strongest possible foundations.
There is so much happening behind the scenes at SPLAT, from developing our own curriculum and investing in our Forest School team, to improving our food, environments and sustainability and continuing to progress our plans for the future.
But amongst all of that, the children remain at the centre of every decision we make.
Thank you too for continuing to support our team, our Forest School, our slightly muddy ways and our constant desire to keep learning, questioning and improving what we offer.
Here’s to brighter days, lighter clothes, colourful flowers, new discoveries, lots of water play and another wonderful season of making memories together.
With love,
Gemma Porterfield
Managing Director
SPLAT Day Nursery & Forest School