If you are looking for a British school in Madrid that offers quality early years education, it is important to understand the dynamics that promote development from the first months of life. At our British school in Madrid, we know how important it is to offer a welcoming environment with activities tailored to each stage of development. If you would like to find out how we support the development of our youngest pupils from the early months onwards, read on.
Why is early stimulation important for babies in nursery?
The first five years of life represent a unique period during which a child’s brain develops connections at an astonishing rate. During this golden stage, your baby lays the cognitive and behavioural foundations that will influence their entire future educational journey.
Science confirms it: approximately 90% of brain development takes place before the age of five. This critical window means that every interaction is an opportunity to shape your little one’s ability to learn, think and grow.
The environment in which your child grows up has a direct impact on their brain. Environments that enrich, provide security and stimulate babies promote early brain development. On the other hand, environments where there is tension or instability could negatively affect their development.
High-quality nurseries, like ours, create precisely the kind of positive atmosphere that benefits all children. Our programmes promote psychomotor development, personal autonomy, language and communication skills, along with the social abilities needed to interact positively with others.
The effectiveness of these early activities benefits from the extraordinary brain plasticity characteristic of the first six years of life. During this time, the infant brain constantly creates new neural connections in response to each experience. Once these initial connections are created, they endure over time.
Nursery activities for babies according to developmental stage
Each stage of a baby’s growth brings new abilities and needs. Nursery activities are carefully designed to match these developmental phases.
From 0 to 6 months: early sensory stimulation
In their first six months, your baby explores the world mainly through their senses and early motor skills. They will love touching and holding objects, as well as putting them in their mouth to explore them. At ISM, we disinfect objects so that this learning practice can be carried out safely, without any risk to the baby. Nursery activities for babies at this stage should offer varied sensory experiences in a protected environment supervised by expert educators.
Some ideal activities for this stage include:
- Playing with fabrics of different textures to stimulate the sense of touch.
- Gentle brushing with soft bristles on different parts of the body.
- Exploring toys made of different materials such as rubber, fabric and wood.
- Mobiles with high-contrast figures to help focus vision.
- Games with soft, colourful lights to capture visual attention.
- Supervised water play for new tactile sensations.
- Rattles combining auditory, tactile and visual stimulation.
- Safe mirrors that fascinate babies as they discover their own reflection.
It’s also beneficial to include tummy time on colourful mats to strengthen muscles, show black-and-white patterns that attract their attention, and enrich their day with music and songs. Even everyday interactions — talking gently, singing or making facial expressions — nurture early language development.
From 6 to 12 months: movement and exploration
As your baby grows, they make significant progress in motor development. Around six months, many can sit briefly without support. Between seven and nine months, most begin to crawl, allowing them to explore their surroundings more freely. Some may even take their first steps close to their first birthday, although each child develops at their own pace. At this stage, movements become more intentional and coordinated. Nursery activities for babies aged 6 to 12 months should promote mobility, exploration, and both gross and fine motor development. Here are some ideas:
- Regular tummy time to strengthen the neck, arms and torso.
- Placing toys just out of reach to encourage movement.
- Rolling games on different surfaces.
- Support for practising sitting independently.
- Safe crawling spaces with small tunnels or cushions.
- Helping them pull up and stand using stable furniture.
- Supporting first walking attempts.
- Passing objects from one hand to the other.
- Books with simple images and tactile elements.
Sensory exploration remains important at this stage. At nurseries, we offer activities such as touching natural elements (leaves, grass) under supervision; games with homemade sensory containers such as bottles filled with glittery water or rice; and fabric books with varied textures.
Cognitive activities also gain importance: educators help babies identify different sounds, reinforce babbling, teach simple words with gestures and repetition, and play “object permanence” games such as hiding a noisy toy and encouraging them to find it.
From 1 to 2 years: gross motor skills
As your little one reaches their first birthday, they are walking more confidently and may be starting to run and climb. They are also developing fine motor skills: stacking blocks and making their first scribbles. Nursery activities for babies at this stage should refine their motor skills, encourage active and selective exploration, and introduce more complex movements.
Ideal activities include:
- Throwing and hitting balloons with different parts of the body.
- Ball games, such as rolling or passing, to improve coordination and strength.
- Simple circuits for crawling, walking or pulling wheeled toys.
- Supervised play in areas with slides, swings and sandboxes.
- Drawing with crayons and moulding playdough for fine motor development.
- Practising with everyday items such as child-friendly cups and cutlery.
Sensory discovery remains important, with water, sand and playdough activities providing varied textures. Cognitive activities include finding hidden objects, simple puzzles and memory games with picture cards.
From 2 to 3 years: socialisation and communication
Between the ages of two and three, children love exploring through imaginative play. They gradually develop emotional regulation and social skills. Nursery activities for this age should encourage social interaction, communication, healthy emotional expression, and provide plenty of opportunities for creative and symbolic play.
Recommended activities include:
- Role-play games imitating daily situations like shopping or visiting the doctor.
- Collaborative art projects to encourage teamwork.
- Mime games to recognise and express emotions.
- El clásico “Simón dice” para mejorar la atención y seguimiento de instrucciones.
- Group storytelling where each child adds a sentence.
- Simple cooking tasks in teams to foster cooperation.
- Building towers with cups to practise teamwork and planning.
- Group songs about kindness, friendship and respect.
Language development is supported through frequent conversations with teachers and peers, illustrated storytime, rhymes to develop phonological awareness, and repetitive songs that enrich vocabulary.
Five benefits of nursery activities for babies
Structured nursery activities bring multiple benefits to your child’s early development.
1. They enhance cognitive development
Nursery activities stimulate children’s natural curiosity, strengthen problem-solving skills, and nurture critical thinking from the earliest years. These varied experiences improve memory, attention span, logical reasoning and creativity.
At nursery, your child learns basic concepts such as numbers, colours, shapes and spatial relationships. Sensory games, positive social interactions and creative activities all contribute to their overall cognitive growth.
2. They encourage independence
Nursery activities actively promote independence in young children. Through regular opportunities to make simple choices and manage small tasks safely, children learn to do things on their own, building self-esteem and confidence.
Clear daily routines help them understand the passage of time and their responsibilities, developing self-regulation skills that prepare them for future challenges.
3. They improve coordination
Activities focused on psychomotor development help your little one control their body and improve their coordination. This includes both gross motor skills (large movements such as running or jumping) and fine motor skills (precise movements with the hands and fingers).
Games with balls, obstacle courses, painting, playdough and movement-based music sessions enhance balance, agility and physical confidence, helping children explore their environment safely.
4. They stimulate language development
The nursery environment is brimming with language opportunities thanks to constant interactions between children and educators. This continuous contact offers endless possibilities for your child to express thoughts, emotions, and needs through language. Numerous nursery activities for babies are specifically designed to encourage language development: songs, story reading, word games, identifying everyday objects and frequent conversations. This immersion in a verbally rich environment boosts vocabulary acquisition and improves grammatical structures, which your child will incorporate naturally and spontaneously.
5. They foster secure attachment
High-quality nurseries play a key role in fostering secure attachment in babies — especially when caregivers are responsive, sensitive, and consistent.
Forming a secure attachment gives your baby the confidence to explore their environment while knowing they have a safe emotional base. Key elements include close collaboration with families, small groups that allow personalised attention, stable educators, and predictable routines that build trust and security.
Parent tips: how to reinforce learning at home
As a parent, you are your child’s first and most influential teacher, and your home is their first learning environment. Supporting what your child learns at nursery can maximise their holistic development.
Here are some practical tips to complement nursery activities:
- Establish a daily routine: Create regular times for meals, rest and play to promote wellbeing and readiness for learning.
- Set up a learning corner: Provide a quiet space with books and educational materials that encourage independent exploration.
- Have meaningful conversations: Ask about nursery activities, use open-ended questions and share your own experiences.
- Read together every day: Reading aloud supports language development — and seeing you read for pleasure teaches the value of books.
- Limit screen time: Restrict the use of electronic devices and choose educational content when appropriate.
- Integrate learning into everyday life: Turn activities like cooking, shopping or sorting clothes into learning opportunities.
- Promote independence: Offer simple choices, let your child help with age-appropriate tasks, and support problem-solving efforts.
- Allow free play: Provide open-ended toys and materials that stimulate imagination and creativity.
- Practise basic maths: Count objects, sort toys by colour or size, and play simple board games.
- Develop social-emotional skills: Talk about emotions, teach words to express feelings, and model turn-taking and sharing.
- Use community resources: Visit libraries, parks and museums to enrich your child’s learning experiences.
- Communicate with educators: Stay informed about the curriculum and progress to reinforce learning at home.
Your child’s early years lay the neurological foundations for their future academic and personal success.
References:
- Davis Schoch, A., Simons Gerson, C., Halle, T., & Bredeson, M. (2023). Children’s learning and development benefits from high-quality early care and education: A summary of the evidence. OPRE Report #2023-226. Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- First Things First. (s.f.). 90% of Brain Growth Happens Before Kindergarten. Brain Development. https:// firstthingsfirst.org/early-childhood-matters/brain-development/
- Henderson, R. (2023, july). Baby Sensory Activities 0-3 Months: 15 Ideas for Engaging With Newborns. Baby Connect. https:// en.babyconnect.com/blog/baby-sensory-activities-0-3-months
- Melchior, M. (2024, octubre 1). Ir a la guardería favorece el desarrollo de los niños, según un estudio realizado en cinco países. Yahoo News. https:// es-us.noticias.yahoo.com/ir-guarder%C3%ADa-favorece-desarrollo-ni%C3%B1os-163913951.html
- Pathways. (s.f.). Sensory activities from 0 to 18 months. https:// pathways.org/sensory-activities-0-18-months
- Universidad Internacional de La Rioja. (s.f.). Estimulación temprana: qué es y cuáles son sus ventajas. https:// peru.unir.net/revista/educacion/estimulacion-temprana/
