22 Street Lane Nursery - February 2026 Newsletter

Nursery Newsletter February 2026 Play • Discovery • Growth

February Newsletter

Dear Parents and Carers, Welcome to our February newsletter, and a very warm welcome to the new families who have recently joined our nursery community. It has been wonderful to see everyone back after the New Year and to hear all about your Christmas adventures! We began January with a fantastic celebration of Burns Night. The children had great fun creating Scottish flags, designing their own colourful tartan patterns, and enjoying a delicious Scottish inspired feast. Scotland was also our Country of the Month, and the children were fascinated by bagpipe music, building their own version of Edinburgh Castle, and learning about the legendary Loch Ness Monster, ‘Nessie’ herself! Looking ahead, February is shaping up to be an exciting and very busy month. We will be taking part in National Storytelling Week, Children’s Mental Health Week, Valentine’s Day, Lunar New Year, Random Acts of Kindness Day, Shrove Tuesday,

Ramadan, and St. David’s Day. To find out more, please read on...

February Newsletter STAFF NEWS

Goodbye Nafeesa! Nafeesa left us at the end of January to begin her Maternity leave. We wish Nafeesa lots of luck and look forward to hearing her baby news soon!

Welcome to Courtney! We’d also like to say a warm welcome to Courtney, who will be joining our Bank Staff team and working across all of the rooms! “I’m really excited to be starting a Bank Staff position at 22 Street Lane Nursery, along side my university course studying Primary Education! From previous volunteering experiences and completing placements, I find it very rewarding to work with children and support their development, and love being able support them on their journey. I look forward to being part of the team and meeting the children and parents.”

February Newsletter

NEWS

Country of the Month, February 2026: China Throughout February, our Country of the Month will be China, connecting to the celebration of Lunar New Year. The children will be creating their own horses, as 2026 is the Year of the Horse, trying some early Chinese character writing, and even taking a trip to the Oriental Supermarket to collect ingredients for cooking some delicious traditional Chinese dishes. Did you know? The Yangtze River is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world. In Chinese, it is known as ‘Chang Jiang’, meaning long river. One of its most breathtaking features is the Three Gorges, which are considered among the most spectacular sights to see on a Yangtze River cruise. If anyone has any resources, books, or items from home that could support our Country of the Month learning, we would be most grateful.

Burns Night Celebrations In January, the children enjoyed learning all about Scotland, linked to our celebration of Burns Night on 25th January. Burns Night marks the birthday of the famous Scottish poet Robert Burns. The children had the opportunity to sample a traditional Burns Night supper, including Cock a Leekie soup, Neeps and Tatties, trifle, and oatcakes with cheese. We also explored other Scottish traditions such as listening to bagpipe music, making shortbread, and designing our very own colourful tartan patterns.

February Newsletter NEWS

Big Garden Birdwatch At the end of January the children really enjoyed taking part in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch! The children went on lots of local walks to see what species of birds they could spot, as well as using binoculars in our outdoor garden space to keep an eye on the wildlife too. Some of our children also drew their own interpretations of their favourite birds, as well as making some bird feeders and bird cookies, using bird seed, hone, log slices, and various other materials! We are looking forward to continuing to look for signs of wildlife as we start to head into Spring!

Car Park - Reminder Please can we remind you all to only park in the marked car parking bays when dropping off or collecting your children. As shown in the parking plan, there are 9 allocated parking spaces available for families to use.

Parking anywhere outside these marked bays, including near entrances, or in unmarked sections creates safety risks for children and families and can obstruct access routes for other vehicles. To help keep everyone in the Nursery safe, please ensure you use one of the 9 designated bays only and refrain from parking elsewhere. If there are no bays available, please seek alternative parking on the main road or a side street.

February Newsletter NEWS

National Storytelling Week: 2nd-8th February At the start of February, the children will be taking part in National Storytelling Week. This year’s theme, “Soundtrack Your Story,” invites children to explore the magic of storytelling through sound, lyrics, rhythm, and music. Throughout the week, we will be providing a range of exciting activities, sensory tuff trays, and creative experiences inspired by some of the children’s favourite stories, as well as our five core books. Activities will include designing our own version of The Gruffalo, making a fruit salad inspired by The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and many more imaginative opportunities for storytelling and play. Next week, we will be focusing on a different core book each day: • Monday: The Gruffalo • Tuesday: Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?

• Wednesday: The Very Hungry Caterpillar • Thursday: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt • Friday: The Gingerbread Man

We would love your support in helping us celebrate the joy of stories. If you are able to, please share your child’s favourite stories at home by posting on Tapestry. This will help us plan even more personalised and exciting activities throughout the week. Children are also very welcome to bring in their favourite books for us to share and read together. We love discovering new stories!

Random Acts of Kindness Day: Tuesday 17th February In support of Random Acts of Kindness Day, each room will talk to the children about how we can be kind to others, and the importance of this. We will be reading stories and thinking of how we can make others feel happy and will share what we get up to on Tapestry! We will also have a Kindness Tree in Reception, where you can hang a photo showing something kind your child has done. We’d love to see how kind everyone can be!

February Newsletter NEWS

Children’s Mental Health Week: Monday 9th - Friday 15th February The theme for Children’s Mental Health Week 2026 is “This is My Place”, focusing on helping children and young people feel a sense of belonging within the places and communities that support them.

From 9th February, we will be dedicating the week to exploring this important topic. The children will spend time talking about their feelings, recognising emotions, and learning strategies to express themselves in healthy ways. We will be reading a range of emotion focused books, including “The Colour Monster” and “I Feel Angry”, to support these discussions. Some of the children will also enjoy calming and wellbeing focused activities such as: • Visiting Roundhay Park for some outdoor mindfulness • Taking part in yoga sessions in the garden • Making healthy fruit and vegetable smoothies to explore how good food supports a healthy mind We look forward to a nurturing and supportive week that helps every child feel confident, valued, and understood.

Ramadan: Tuesday 17th February - Wednesday 18th March During February and March, some of our families will be observing Ramadan, a special month in the Islamic calendar. Ramadan is a time for kindness, caring for others, and thinking about how we can be patient and helpful. At nursery, we will be learning about the values of sharing, gratitude, and community through stories and activities. We will also talk about how different families have different traditions and celebrations, helping the children learn about respect and understanding. If any families would like to share something about how they mark Ramadan at home, we would love to hear from you!

February Newsletter

Love is most definitely in the air at 22 Street Lane, and we have some lovely Valentine’s Day activities planned for the children! The children will be encouraged to speak about who they love and why, as well as share photos of their special people on Tapestry. The children are also welcome to come to Nursery dressed in an outfit they love! Valentine’s Day: Friday 13th February

February Newsletter Lunar New Year Celebrations: W/C 16th February

2026 is the ‘Year of the Horse’. The children will get the opportunity to look at beautiful Chinese lanterns, take a trip to the oriental supermarket, learn about why little red envelopes are given to children and get to taste some delicious Chinese cuisine. Red is the main colour of the festival, so our rooms will feature plenty of red decorations and the children are welcome to come to nursery dressed in red throughout the week!

February Newsletter

To celebrate Pancake Day the children will be making their very own pancakes and will take part in a ‘flipping competition’! Oli will also cook up some delicious pancakes for the children with a choice of toppings. Yum - we can’t wait! Shrove Tuesday: Tuesday 17th February

February Newsletter St. David’s Day: Friday 27th February

We will be celebrating St David’s Day at the nursery with lots of activities themed around the colours green and red, as well as looking at their national emblems of daffodils, leeks and red dragons. Oli will be cooking some Welsh dishes for us to try and the children will also be learning some simple Welsh words too!

February Newsletter

Dish of the Month

Cock-a-leekie Soup with Seeded Oat Cakes

See our past selections on: 22streetlanenursery.co.uk/dish-of-the-month/

Ingredients • 1 Pint (600ml) Water • 1 (60g) Onion • 1 Tablespoon (20g) Pearl Barley • 1 (10g) Chicken Or Vegetable Reduced Salt Stock Cube • 2 (320g) Leeks • 1 Stick (30g) Celery • 1 Teaspoon (1g) Dried Thyme • (10g) Parsley • 1 Pinch Ground Black Pepper • Vegan cream 300 • Chicken - optional (don’t blend)

Method 1. Peel and chop the onion. 2. Wash the celery and leeks then finely chop then add to the pan with the thyme, parsley and stock cube. Stir to dissolve the stock cube, adding more water if required. 3. Add pepper to taste and simmer until the vegetables are tender, approximately 20-30 minutes. 4. Blend to a smooth consistency or leave chucky and add pre cooked stripped chicken thighs. 5. Garnish with multi-seed Scottish oatcakes and garnish with finely diced chopped parsley.

February Newsletter

Chicklets Room News

The Chicklets have had a wonderful start to the New Year! We began January exploring mark making, giving the babies chances to look closely at pictures and enjoy sensory messy play. They loved discovering new textures and colours in a playful environment. This month, we also enjoyed a baking activity, where the children explored different smells and sensations while supporting their early development. They did brilliantly by helping Chloe mix the ingredients, using their fine motor skills to stir, scoop, and pour. They even helped cut the banana into small pieces before placing everything into the bowl, taking turns as they mixed it all together! Our regular trips to the local park continue to be a highlight. The Chicklets enjoyed the fresh air, explored the sculpture trail, and looked out for any wildlife along the way. The children have shown an interest in our Gingerbread Man book, so we created a themed sensory tray using a variety of cereals. The babies enjoyed touching and investigating the different textures, supporting their sensory development, fine motor skills, and curiosity. The children have loved going upstairs to explore the sensory toys and the piano, showing wonderful curiosity as they listened to the music and watched the keys being pressed. These sessions support sensory awareness, early listening skills, and a joyful connection with music in a calm, nurturing environment.

CHICKLETS ROOM

February Newsletter

Ducklings Room News

January has been a wonderfully busy and exciting month as we welcomed the children back to nursery after the Christmas break. Our Ducklings have enjoyed lots of hands-on activities, including baking sessions inspired by their love of the role-play area. They made banana bread- taking it in turns to mash the bananas, and a lemon and honey loaf, proudly developing their fine motor skills as they whisked and mixed the ingredients before taking their bakes home to enjoy. The children have also shown a growing interest in painting and mark making, especially when playing with farm and jungle animals, so we set out inviting trays with brushes, toy animals, and loose parts to encourage them to explore colours, patterns, and animal prints. Transport-themed play has also been very popular, with the Ducklings racing cars along tracks, learning to share space, and using wonderful vocabulary such as “beep beep!”, “brmmm!” and “fast!” during their imaginative play. We also celebrated Burns Night with a Scottish-themed tuff tray filled with blue and white rice representing the Scottish flag, along with scoopers for pouring and transferring. The children enjoyed plenty of dancing at group time too, moving to traditional Scottish music. This month, the Ducklings wrapped up warm for a winter walk to Roundhay Park, spotting buses, dogs and trees along the way. They crossed the lake to look for ducks and wandered through the woods to see what animals they could find. We hope to enjoy many more park walks as the weather begins to warm up.

DUCKLINGS ROOM

February Newsletter

Goslings Room News

January has been a fantastic month of creativity and exploration for the Goslings. It was lovely to welcome the children back and hear about what they had been enjoying with their families, helping everyone settle back into nursery routines and reconnect with friends. We began the month by celebrating the New Year with a range of creative activities. The Goslings explored a shaving foam paint tuff tray, mixing colours and printing fireworks using cut-up toilet roll tubes to create bright pictures. With the cold winter weather, we have also been learning about snow and ice. The children enjoyed making snow potions, exploring Arctic sea animals, and creating snowmen in our tuff trays, encouraging curiosity and imaginative play. Alongside this, the Goslings have shown an interest in animals. We have been exploring animal sounds and practising the Makaton signs, helping to support the children’s communication skills. We have had a strong focus on baking this month, which the children have thoroughly enjoyed. The Goslings helped to prepare a yummy smoothie, chopping strawberries and bananas before blending everything together. These activities supported independence, fine motor skills, and turn-taking. As part of our learning, we have been celebrating Scotland as our Country of the Month. The children explored Scottish themes through hands-on activities such as sensory rice trays, making tartan berets, and creating Scottish flags using tissue paper and glue.

GOSLINGS ROOM

February Newsletter

Cygnets Room News

Throughout January, the Cygnets had a wonderful time exploring the changes that winter brings. We talked about the weather and how it feels colder outside, discussing what we need to wear when we play in the cold, such as coats, hats, and gloves. The children especially enjoyed creating their own hat pictures, using their imagination and developing their fine motor skills. We also explored Arctic animals that live in icy environments. The children were fascinated to learn how these animals survive in very cold conditions and loved sensory play activities, including playing with ice and icy water, which sparked lots of curiosity and excitement. As part of our Country of the Month, we learned all about Scotland. The children took part in a variety of creative activities, including making the Scottish flag using different materials such as paint, coloured pencils and tissue paper. We also explored traditional Scottish clothing, learning about the kilt and creating our own tartan patterns through threading activities. In addition, we learned about Highland animals such as Highland cows and sheep, discovering how sheep provide wool that can be used to make warm clothing, perfectly linking back to our winter theme. Looking ahead to next month, we are very excited to learn about the Lunar New Year. The children will explore how it is celebrated across Asia, including receiving red packets, writing numerals and letters, and learning about special Lunar New Year foods.

CYGNETS ROOM

February Newsletter

Swans Room News

We’ve had a lovely start to the year in Swans! We loved welcoming all the children back and hearing all about the exciting Christmas they had with their friends and families. The children enjoyed sharing pictures of fun activities they had been up to, as well as talking about what Santa had brought them. Throughout January, we have been focusing on Scotland as our Country of the Month. The children have enjoyed taking part in a wide range of activities across all areas of the room. We made Scottish flags in the creative area using paint and tissue paper, as well as flags in the finger gym area using peg boards. We also created beautiful pictures of thistles, along with some Highland cow crafts in the creative area. Finally, we made some delicious homemade shortbread during our baking sessions. The children did a great job weighing out all the ingredients and mixing everything together. In January, we also started Phase 2 phonics, which the children have shown great interest in. Each week, we focused on a new sound, listening to the Jolly Phonics song and playing a few simple group games. Some of the children also enjoyed going on hunts around the room to find objects that began with the chosen sound. We can’t wait to continue with our phonics learning next month! We’ve enjoyed going on more walks around our community in January. A group of children visited the charity shops and found some lovely books for us to buy and bring back to nursery. We have also continued with our weekly Forest School sessions, which the children have absolutely loved.

SWANS ROOM

February Newsletter

2026 Events Calendar *Dates subject to change - Please check the website for the latest calendar

W/C Monday 2nd

National Storytelling Week

W/C Monday 9th

Children’s Mental Health Week

Friday 13th

Valentine’s Day Celebrations

W/C Monday 16th

Lunar New Year Celebrations

February

Tuesday 17th

Random Acts of Kindness Day

Tuesday 17th

Shrove Tuesday

Tues 17th Feb - Weds 18th March

Ramadan

Friday 27th

St David’s Day Celebrations

Tuesday 3rd

World Wildlife Day

Wednesday 4th

Holi Colour Festival

Thursday 5th

World Book Day

Friday 6th

International Women’s Day

W/C Monday 9th

Mother’s Day Stay & Plays

March

Tuesday 17th

St Patrick's Day

Wednesday 18th

Global Recycling Day

Friday 20th

Red Nose Day

Friday 20th

World Down Syndrome Day

Friday 20th

Eid Al Fitr

Saturday 21st

World Poetry Day

February Newsletter

2026 Events Calendar *Dates subject to change - Please check the website for the latest calendar

Weds 1st - Thurs 9th

Passover Celebrations

Thursday 2nd

Easter Bonnet and Egg Hunt

Good Friday, Nursery Closed

Friday 3rd

April

Easter Monday, Nursery Closed

Monday 6th

Tuesday 14th

Vaisakhi Festival Celebrations

Wednesday 22nd

Earth Day

Thursday 23rd

St George's Day

Early Bank Holiday, Nursery Closed

Monday 4th

W/C Monday 4th

National Walking Month

W/C Monday 11th

Mental Health Awareness Week

W/C Monday 18th

Grandparents Stay & Play

May

W/C Monday 18th

National 'Share a Story' Month

Wednesday 20th

World Bee Day

Spring Bank Holiday, Nursery Closed

Monday 25th

Wednesday 27th

Eid Al Adha

February Newsletter

2026 Events Calendar *Dates subject to change - Please check the website for the latest calendar

W/C Monday 1st

National Children’s Gardening Week

Friday 5th

Team Training Day, Nursery Closed

W/C Monday 8th

Healthy Eating & G reat Big Green Week

Tuesday 9th

Bicycle Day - Bring your bike to Nursery Day!

June

W/C Monday 15th

Father’s Day Stay & Play

Monday 15th

Parents Evening - Chicklets, Goslings, Swans

W/C Monday 15th

National Picnic Week

Wednesday 24th

Parents Evening - Ducklings & Cygnets

W/C Monday 29th (TBC)

Beach Party Week

Thursday 9th (TBC)

Swans Graduation

July

Friday 31st

Yorkshire Day Celebrations

WC Monday 24th

Carnival Week

August

Summer Bank Holiday, Nursery Closed

Monday 31st

W/C Monday 7th

Rosh Hashanah

September

Friday 25th

Mid-Autumn Festival

Friday 25th

Macmillan Bake Sale

February Newsletter

2026 Events Calendar *Dates subject to change - Please check the website for the latest calendar

W/C Monday 5th

Black History Month

Friday 9th

World Mental Health Day

W/C Monday 19th & Monday 26th

October

Halloween Stay & Play

Team Training Day, Nursery Closed

Tuesday 27th

Friday 30th

Halloween Fancy Dress Day

W/C Monday 2nd

Diwali Celebrations

Thursday 5th

Bonfire Celebrations

Friday 6th

Remembrance Sunday

Monday 9th

Parents Evening - Chicklets, Goslings, Swans

Friday 13th

World Kindness Day

November

W/C Monday 16th

Road Safety Week

TBC

World Nursery Rhymes Week

Wednesday 18th

Parents Evening - Ducklings & Cygnets

Friday 20th

Children in Need

Thursday 26th

Thanksgiving

W/C Monday 7th

Chanukah

Thursday 10th

Christmas Jumper Day

TBC

Swans Christmas Nativity

December

W/C Monday 14th

Christmas Party Week

Tuesday 15th

22SLN Christmas Dinner Day

Christmas Eve, Nursery Closes at 12pm

Thursday 24th

February Newsletter

*ATTENTION* Important Information - Please Read Notice: Glass Door We would like to remind parents to close the glass door behind them for the safety of the children. Please make sure that you do not let anyone in behind you. Thank you for your support. Birthdays Unfortunately, we do not allow parents to bring in birthday cakes treats to celebrate birthdays. If you would like to bring something in, we can suggest stickers, bubbles and other party bag fillers. If it is your child’s birthday, please tell us so that we can celebrate with a class disco! Labels in Clothing To avoid items being lost, please can you ensure that your child’s uniform is clearly labelled including their coats, hats, scarves and wellies. If your child brings gloves to nursery, we strongly advise for these to be attached and threaded through their coat to avoid any gloves going missing.

February Newsletter

*ATTENTION* Important Information - Please Read Drop Off and Collection Please remember that we open at 7.30am and close at 6.00pm, and anyone who picks up after this will be charged a late fee. Absence Please note that we are unable to swap days or offer an alternative day if your child is absent from nursery. We are now extremely busy, and it is impossible for us to do this for all children. This is stated in our terms and conditions. Thank you for your cooperation. Car Park Please can we kindly ask that parents ensure they are only parking in a single car parking bay. As you are aware, we have very limited space, and it is very busy a peak times. Weather Appropriate Clothing With the warmer months upon us, please can you ensure that your child has appropriate clothing for warm weather including sun cream and a sun hat. We would recommend that you provide sun cream which is factor 50 and at least a 4-star UVA rating. If you could please label your child’s sun cream and hat with their name, it would be helpful.

CONTACT US 0333 043 22 22

www.22streetlanenursery.co.uk info@22streetlanenursery.co.uk