Age of Children
We offer childcare to children aged 6 weeks to 10 years.
Baby Bluebells and Chirpy Chicks
Our baby department is a calming, therapeutic, beautiful planned space for our very young babies. It is equipped with age-appropriate toys for the developing children, and a separate soothing cot room is set up for the sleeping babies.
Jolly Robins Toddler Group
Our Jolly Robins Toddler Group is a very exciting, bright, active room full of wonderful artistic displays and stimulating resources. The room provides a range of activities including:
- construction
- role play
- dressing up
- music
- arts & craft
- dance
- song & rhythm
- creative and messy play
- soft cosy book corner for relaxed, quiet reading
Pre-School
Our pre-school area is a wonderful, bright, exciting and stimulating room where each child is encouraged to develop to their full potential. Part of our pre-school area is a wonderful sensory purpose-built room designed and built into our all-weather outdoor play area, which leads onto our natural garden area.
The children enjoy the excitement of the changing seasons and the many sensory environmental outdoor experiences, from natural rain falling, snow, frosted gardens, natural leaves falling so much extra to learn and have fun within a heuristic way!
Bright Sunshine to April Showers, and the little birds are nesting in the hedgerows and the Bluebell bunny rabbits hopping around in the outdoor garden.
Curriculum - Our pre-school staff follow the NI six areas of learning with our children:
- Early mathematics & numeracy
- The world around us
- Crafts
- Physical development
- Movement
- Mutual understanding and development
These include role play corner, book corner, messy craft areas, themes, free play, dressing up, imagination play, water, sand, construction, games, song, storytelling, all for individual personal, social and emotional development, and communication through speech and language.
It's a real joy to see our children develop, ready for their primary school years and show parents how well prepared for school their children have been, all thanks to their Early Years support and experience at Bluebell Lodge. This gives our staff a great sense of reward.
After School
At Bluebell we offer a Home from Home after school service. We can drop off and collect your child/children from various schools. After school children are given a snack and high tea throughout their stay. Homeworks within reason can be supervised on request, and the den area is planned and designed for our children to relax and chill out after a busy day at school. Weather-permitting, the after-school children can continue play in our outdoor garden. Various activities and equipment is provided for the children.