Our Hygge Approach
We are an Early Years Hygge Accredited setting
Hygge (pronounced hue-gah) is a Danish concept that focuses on finding wellbeing by enjoying the comforts of everyday routines.
It’s an art of creating feelings of cosiness, happiness, familiarity, simplicity, comfort and anything else that brings that warm feeling of contentment. It could be the simple act of lighting a candle, snuggling under a blanket, or sipping tea by the fire when it’s cold outside.
Adding hygge to Stanstead Mill
Applying the concept of hygge allows us to create a home-from-home feeling. In turn, this helps to create a sense of security and wellbeing that enables our children to feel calm and relaxed, and to explore and investigate with confidence.
Focusing on children’s wellbeing is fundamental for their development and continuing progress. The calming atmosphere allows for increased engagement and focus is on the child’s own interests in play. It also promotes self-confidence. Peaceful play helps children to manage their emotions.
Teaching Hygge
In teaching, hygge is about focusing on the process and not the end product. We focus on the children’s current interests and allow them time to explore, talk and investigate and twinkly lights soften our atmosphere.
We’ve carefully designed each room to incorporate a homely feel. Cosy corners provide a space for reflection or reading time. There’s minimal clutter in the rooms to promote a relaxing learning play space.
Enjoying the outdoors
Children’s interests are at the forefront of learning. Our children are able to move activities around the room and to the outdoors. Hygge is all about enjoying the simple pleasures in life and the environment around us, so it’s important to enjoy the outdoors and to bring nature indoors.
We take the children on nature walks and bring back natural resources such as fallen leaves, branches, feathers and flowers.
We enjoy watching the ducks and other birds on the river that sails past our garden and walking to visit the local fields which in the spring have sheep in and often have horses living. Even the local allotment lets us visit to see what they are growing and to offer ideas for our own mini vegetable patch.
Fun Activities
Children also enjoy doing simple activities like baking, planting flowers and reading stories. We find that children progress and develop a lot better when we give them time to practise their skills in their own time, as much as they want to.
Being outside is very important to us. You will find that many of our themes focus on the natural world around us.
In January 2024 submitted our journey of Hygge in the Early Years to become an accredited setting.
© Stanstead Mill Day Nursery