Squiffle Tots Daycare, Nursery School, Harare

What Makes Squiffle Tots Special?

Intentional Early Childhood

Every nursery school provides care. At Squiffle Tots, we strive to offer so much more. We have created a place where children feel safe to explore, free to be themselves and inspired to discover the world around them. These are just some of the things that make our little nursery school so special:

Home-away-from-home atmosphere with limited enrolment.
Small class size with individual attention. We know every child and because we intentionally keep numbers low, children don't get lost in the crowd.
Play-based learning inspired by the Cambridge Early Years curriculum.
Nature-rich outdoor environment encouraging exploration and discovery.
Warm, experienced and long-standing teaching team who know every child personally.
Heated indoor swimming pool with weekly Water Confidence sessions.
Intentionally low-tech. Our emphasis is on nature, imagination, relationships and real experiences rather than screens or flashy gadgets.
Healthy nutrition, wholesome snacks and a focus on lifelong healthy habits.
Child-led learning that nurtures curiosity, creativity and confidence.
Opportunities to care for and interact with our small animals.
Rich creative experiences including art, sensory play, music, storytelling and imaginative play.
An inclusive community where every child is welcomed, respected and encouraged to thrive.
Strong partnerships and open communication with families.
A safe, happy environment where childhood is celebrated every day. We value childhood and we don't rush our children.

Our Squiffles leave school everyday tired for the right reasons - they've climbed, dug, splashed, painted, laughed, built forts, danced, listened to stories and made friends.

An Overview

At Squiffle Tots, we believe children learn best through meaningful play, exploration and hands-on experiences. Our curriculum combines a play-based approach with the Cambridge Early Years framework, ensuring that each child is supported in all areas of their development.

Our activities are thoughtfully planned to nurture the seven key areas of learning and development while allowing children the freedom to follow their own interests, ask questions, solve problems and discover the world around them. We recognise that every child develops at their own pace, and rather than focusing solely on checklists or comparisons, we celebrate each child's individual journey. Children are regularly observed and assessed to monitor their progress, celebrate their achievements and identify any areas where additional support or encouragement may be beneficial. This enables us to work closely with families to ensure every child is developing with confidence and reaching their full potential.

A healthy lifestyle is also an important part of life at Squiffle Tots. We provide nutritious morning and afternoon snacks each day and encourage healthy eating habits from an early age. Fresh drinking water is always available and we are happy to accommodate allergies and specific dietary requirements. While wholesome food is our everyday focus, we also believe childhood should be celebrated, and that means there's always room for a slice of birthday cake on special occasions!

The Setting

At Squiffle Tots, our environment has been thoughtfully designed to inspire curiosity, creativity and joyful learning. We believe children learn best when they have the freedom to explore, imagine and discover through play, with nature playing an important role in their everyday experiences. Our spacious playground is an extension of the classroom, with large doors allowing children to move freely between the indoor and outdoor learning spaces. Whether they are climbing, digging, building, planting, riding bikes, caring for our animals or simply enjoying imaginative play with friends, every day brings new opportunities for adventure, exploration and growth.

Outdoor play is at the heart of our programme. We believe time spent in nature encourages confidence, resilience, creativity, problem-solving and independence, while supporting children's physical, social and emotional development. Our natural play spaces are complemented by carefully selected equipment, including ride-on bikes, hand-crafted mud kitchens, trampolines and climbing equipment that challenge children in fun and meaningful ways.

Our classrooms are warm, welcoming and filled with engaging resources that encourage children to explore their interests. From art and creative activities to sensory play, construction, small world play, books and imaginative role play, every area has been carefully planned to nurture curiosity and a love of learning.

We value child-led learning and believe children should have choices throughout their day. Rather than expecting every child to complete the same activity, we encourage them to follow their interests, explore at their own pace and participate in creative experiences when they feel inspired. Collaborative projects often evolve naturally, fostering teamwork, confidence and a wonderful sense of achievement.

For children attending a full day, we provide a peaceful sleep room where they can rest after lunch under the attentive supervision of our caring staff. Our child-friendly bathroom facilities have also been designed to encourage growing independence and confidence in everyday routines. Our purpose-built eating room feels homely and is a place where many wonderful meals and fun conversations at our tables are shared together. It has a large canteen-style hatch into our kitchen, giving ease of access should we need anything during our meals.

Above all, Squiffle Tots is a place where children feel safe, happy and loved. Through gentle guidance, consistent boundaries and positive role modelling, we help children develop kindness, respect, self-discipline and good manners, creating a caring community where every child can flourish.

Our Nurture Room

At Squiffle Tots, we recognise that every child develops in their own unique way. As part of our commitment to supporting each child’s individual journey, we have created a dedicated Nurture Room, a calm, welcoming space where children can receive additional support in a familiar and reassuring environment.

Our Nurture Room is used by our affiliated specialists for Occupational Therapy, Speech and Language Therapy, developmental assessments and other support services, allowing children to be observed and, where appropriate, receive therapy within the comfort of their nursery school environment. This not only helps minimise disruption to their day but also enables closer collaboration between families, therapists and our teaching team.

Having these professional services available on site means that, where support is needed, children can often access it more quickly and comfortably, while parents benefit from the convenience of therapy taking place at school.

If your child is currently working with a therapist or specialist, or if you have any questions or concerns about their development, we encourage you to speak with us. By working together, we can ensure your child receives the support they need to grow, learn and flourish with confidence.

Extra Curricular Activities

Our extra curricular activities include swimming lessons, tennis, Playball sports, dance classes, library, music, baking, cooking, gardening, art and crafts. There are extra charges for swimming, tennis, Playball and dance classes.

We also arrange termly educational & fun day trips, our annual Family Day, and other special days at school throughout the year.

Swimming

At Squiffle Tots, we are proud to offer our children the unique opportunity to enjoy swimming as part of their nursery school experience. With our heated indoor swimming pool located on site, children can build water confidence and develop essential water safety skills in a safe, fun and nurturing environment throughout the year.

All Squiffles participate in our weekly Water Confidence sessions, where the focus is on becoming comfortable and confident in the water while developing a lifelong love of swimming. We are delighted to partner with instructors who offer professional, small-group swimming lessons in our pool each week. Having a dedicated swimming pool right on our doorstep provides a wonderful opportunity for children to continue developing their skills with experienced instructors, all within the familiar surroundings of Squiffle Tots.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

At Squiffle Tots, we believe every child deserves to feel welcomed, valued and respected. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where children and families from all backgrounds feel a true sense of belonging. We welcome children from all backgrounds and celebrate the unique qualities that every child brings to our nursery school.

We recognise that every child develops differently and has individual strengths and needs. If your child has special educational needs (SEN), a disability or requires additional support, we encourage you to meet with us before enrolment so that we can discuss your child’s individual needs and work together to determine how we can best support them. Where it is possible for us to provide the appropriate care and support, we are committed to helping every child participate fully in nursery life, learn alongside their peers and reach their individual potential.

Kindness, empathy and respect are values that are woven into everyday life at Squiffle Tots. We encourage children to appreciate and celebrate the diversity of our community, recognising that our differences make us stronger and enrich our learning experiences.

We value open and honest communication with parents and believe that working in partnership is essential to every child’s success. Parents are always welcome to discuss their child’s progress, development and wellbeing with us.

Throughout the year, children are introduced to a variety of cultures, traditions, celebrations and age-appropriate experiences that help them develop an understanding and appreciation of the diverse world around them. We also ensure that dietary requirements, allergies and cultural preferences are respected and accommodated wherever possible.

Communication

At Squiffle Tots, we believe the best outcomes for children come from a strong partnership between home and nursery school. We are committed to open, honest and ongoing communication, and operate an open door policy for both current and prospective families. Whether you have a question, a concern, or simply want to chat about your child’s day or development, we are always happy to hear from you. No question is ever too big or too small.

If you would like to learn more about Squiffle Tots or request our information brochure, please get in touch. We’d love the opportunity to answer your questions and show you what makes our nursery school such a special place.