Register for a preschool place
We have two preschools:
70 Durban Road West, Watford, WD18 7DS (Ofsted rated: Outstanding. Click here to read report)
1st Apsley Scouts, Durrants Hill Road, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, HP3 9QX (New setting awaiting first Ofsted inspection)
Welcome to Precious Playdays
At Precious Playdays, we believe children learn best by doing, exploring and experiencing the world around them. Our curriculum is inspired by the idea of Putting the E's into Education—recognising that learning is Embodied, Embedded, Enculturated, Enactive, Extended, Emotional, Enabling and Evolutionary. Rather than seeing learning as something that happens only in the mind, we understand that children's bodies, relationships, environments and everyday experiences all play an essential role in cognitive development.
Every interaction has purpose. Whether a baby is watching a smile, a toddler is filling a container, or a preschooler is rebuilding a story one piece at a time, these experiences are laying the foundations for language, mathematics, problem-solving and creativity. Our carefully planned curriculum combines the latest research in early childhood education with meaningful play, ensuring children develop confidence, curiosity and a lifelong love of learning.
We work closely with families to create an environment where children feel safe, valued and inspired to explore. By nurturing relationships, encouraging independence and providing rich opportunities for discovery, we help every child build the knowledge, skills and understanding they need for school—and for life. At Precious Playdays, education is not simply something children receive; it is something they actively experience every single day.
Intersubectivity
Children learn first through relationships. Before they understand words, they communicate through eye contact, facial expressions, gestures and participatory attention. These early interactions, known as intersubjectivity, build trust, language, emotional security and the confidence to explore, forming the foundation for all future learning and meaningful relationships
Explain it!
When it is in our hands, we explain it. Research suggests that as children develop, their attention shifts from looking at faces to watching what adults do with their hands. As we hold, demonstrate and talk about objects together, children begin linking actions with words, helping them build language, understanding and shared meaning through everyday experiences
Name it!
When it is in the child’s hand, we name it! In a busy environment, children often lift objects into their own line of sight to explore them. This moment of focused attention is the perfect opportunity to name the object. By connecting the world with what the child can see and feel, we strengthen vocabulary, meaning and early concept development
Tool Use
We learn to use a variety of tools. Tools are more than equipment - they become an extension of children’s thinking. As children learn to use spoons, scissors, brushes and other everyday tools, they discover new ways to solve problems, express ideas and explore the world. Each tool expands what children can do, know and create
Image Schemas
We learn through image schemas. Mark Johnson’s theory of image schemas explains how children develop concepts through repeated bodily experiences. In this photograph, the children are exploring the CONTAINER schema by placing objects inside and outside. These simple actions become the building blocks for later language, reasoning, imagination and mathematical thinking
Primary Metaphor
We learn through primary metaphors. As children play, they begin connecting physical experiences with abstract ideas. Building a tower helps them understand that “Up is More”, while collecting and counting objects introduces the idea that “Arithmetic is Object Collection”. These everyday experiences provide the foundations for later mathematical reasoning and conceptual understanding.
Step-by-Step
We learn through step-by-step activities. Our activities encourage children to think with their hands. By recreating story scenes one piece at a time, children gradually learn how actions, attention and perception work together. These carefully sequenced experiences build the foundations for literacy, mathematics, problem-solving and lifelong learning through meaningful play. As an extra bonus, we make up these activities into a book of memories for each child, which is sent home at the end of each half term with a progress report.
Imitating Adults
We learn by imitating what we see adults do at home. Research shows that children learn through enculturation - participating in the everyday routines of their family and community. By observing and imitating meaningful activities, children aquire language, practical skills, values and traditions that help them understand the world and their place within it