Nursery World Awards 2011: Resources - Birth to threes: new launch
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
WINNER: Baby Mouse House, TTS Group
The Baby Mouse House from TTS Group offers babies and toddlers a snug and special place in which to play and provides an ideal 'enclosed space' so loved by young children.
Children can crawl into this attractive den through two entrances and peep out through two side windows, which help budding toddlers to pull themselves up and stand.
Babies and toddlers love to look at their reflections, so a mirror has been fitted on the inside of the den, while images of flowers and creatures are etched in to the smooth sides for decoration. There is also scope for adding voile drapes or other textiles. The structure is made of MDF and measures L140 x W83 x H63cm.
The den was the inspiration of Busy Bears Nursery, County Durham, which recognised the younger children's needed for a cosy space and helped TTS create the structure.
Busy Bears proprietor Emma Graham says, 'The Baby Mouse House we created at Busy Bears was as a result of observing children in outdoor hidey places. This made us think about how this could impact on the indoor learning environment. It's really lovely for times when children need solitary play to explore their own lines of thinking, and also for parallel play. It's still light and airy enough so that it's not a scary place to be but rather an open-ended place that can be used for all.'
The Baby Mouse House is 'very popular' with the youngest children at Little Millers Day Nursery, where the age range in the Busy Bees room is from six weeks to 16 months old.
Deputy manager Sarah Brown says, 'We cover the top with material and fill it with cushions and so on to make it into a cosy snuggle. The children love to crawl in and out and have some cosy time in it!'
FINALIST
We're Roaming in the Rainforest Sensory Tale, Play to Z
Criterion: Open to early years resources and equipment that support children's learning, development and enjoyment in the Early Years Foundation Stage or equivalent. New launches should have been first offered for sale since June 2010.
