Last week, Rosemary Nursery welcomed two very special new members of the nursery community, Milo and Popcorn the guinea pigs!
The children have been preparing for their arrival by learning all about how to care for guinea pigs. They have explored what they can and cannot eat, the sounds they make, and how to help them feel safe and comfortable. Through these experiences, children have been developing their understanding of the world while learning about the needs of living things.
Since arriving, Milo and Popcorn have quickly become part of nursery life. The children have discovered that they enjoy eating dandelions, cucumber and peppers, and they were even treated to some watermelon during a recent birthday celebration. The guinea pigs respond best to calm, quiet voices, and the children have been practising this as they spend time with them.
Milo and Popcorn seem to particularly enjoy joining in with the Welcome Song and will often pop their heads up to listen during story time. These shared experiences are helping children build confidence, empathy and a sense of responsibility as they learn how to care for animals respectfully.
As the guinea pigs grow and become more settled at nursery, children who would like to will have opportunities to gently hold and stroke them, while others may prefer to continue observing and listening. Already, staff have noticed how calm and focused the children become when spending time with Milo and Popcorn, and everyone is looking forward to learning more about them as they continue to get to know their new nursery family.
