Christmas at Growing Places

Christmas at Growing Places is a magical time for our children. It’s a chance to slow down, notice the little things, and see the world through their eyes; keeping wonder, joy, and simple, meaningful

moments at the heart of all we offer.

Learning through the changing seasons.

Embracing our differences

We are lucky to have families from many different cultures and beliefs in the Growing Places family. Christmas allows us to learn from each other; share our traditions and memories and listen to the children and families about theirs. How do our German families celebrate Christmas?

What is eaten at Christmas time in Romania? What is it like to spend Christmas in South Africa?

By learning about these traditions, we help children see that everyone celebrates differently.

We invite families to share their customs, songs, and food. Every child’s home traditions are welcome and valued in our nurseries.

Children enjoying quiet activities and slowing down to notice the small seasonal changes.

Time to feel inspired

During December, we give children time and space to enjoy Christmas without too much noise or over stimulation. The rhythm of the day is just as important now as ever. We take time to notice small wonders together: crunchy grass, icy windows, warm soft lights, and cosy blankets. We tell stories, sing songs with actions and props, and create calm, happy moments. These experiences let

children feel the magic of Christmas in a gentle way.

The Growing Places value of ‘kindness’ is reflected at Christmas time in many ways.

We show children how to care for others, share, and make a difference. Children deliver baked goods and handmade decorations to local shops, businesses and within our community, these small acts of kindness teach children that giving can be joyful and meaningful.

Growing Places' children gifting to our local community and enjoying Christmas intergenerational connections.

The magic is in the process

Christmas at Growing Places is not about creating items that all look the same or about rushing

children from one activity to the next. Instead, it is a time to offer rich opportunities for exploration, creativity, and connection. Children learn most deeply when they can follow their own ideas, test possibilities, and make choices about how they want to work. This is why we focus on process-led creative opportunities. When children have access to open-ended materials, natural resources, and enough time to play freely with them, their creativity grows in ways that cannot be captured in a single finished product. Every mark, every combination of textures, colours, or materials tells a story about how they are thinking, feeling, and discovering.

During Christmas, these explorations may involve the colours, scents, shapes,and textures of the season. Some children may be drawn to sparkles and light; others may prefer the scents of pine cones or spices. Some will want to create on a large scale, while others find joy in tiny details. Each approach has value, and each child’s choices should be recognised and celebrated.

As educators, our role is to create spaces that invite curiosity - offering materials in thoughtful ways, slowing our own pace, and observing closely so that we can support children without directing their ideas. By watching how children engage, we can add new provocations, extend their explorations, or simply step back and let them take the lead. These moments show us what is meaningful to them at Christmas time, and they help us understand their thinking in deeper ways.

This December, remember to let their capabilities shine through in their creations and achievements, and let the magic be in the process and not always in the end product.

The ‘perfect’ Christmas tree, card or decoration will look and mean different things to an adult than it does to the child and it is our job to join them in seeing the beauty of Christmas through their eyes and feel it with them in their hearts.