Keeping Little Ones Happy and Healthy Through Autumn and Winter at Hungry Caterpillars

Hungry Caterpillars Day Nurseries 25th Birthday

As the seasons change and the leaves turn golden, there’s a special kind of magic in the air. Autumn and winter offer endless opportunities for children to explore, learn, and grow — even when the weather turns chilly! At Hungry Caterpillars Nurseries, we believe that every season is a chance for adventure, discovery, and joy.

1. Outdoor Play — Rain or Shine!

We love to embrace the great outdoors all year round. Whether it’s crunching through fallen leaves, splashing in puddles, or spotting birds in the trees, outdoor play helps children build resilience, coordination, and confidence.
Our nurseries encourage families to send children with warm, waterproof clothing so they can enjoy nature whatever the weather. After all, there’s no such thing as bad weather — just the wrong clothes!

Try this at home: Go on a family “nature hunt” and collect conkers, pinecones, or colourful leaves. Children love to sort, count, and create with what they find.

2. Boosting Health and Immunity

Autumn and winter can bring sniffles and sneezes, but good nutrition and rest go a long way in keeping children healthy.
At Hungry Caterpillars, we serve nutritious, balanced meals made from fresh ingredients — perfect for fuelling little explorers. Soups, stews, and warm porridges are seasonal favourites that keep tiny tummies full and immune systems strong.

Fun idea: Involve your child in simple cooking at home — stirring, pouring, or adding herbs. It builds confidence and curiosity around food.

3. Creating Cosy, Calm Environments

When it’s cold outside, our nurseries become warm and inviting spaces filled with sensory play, storytelling, and creative exploration.
We love to use natural materials — like leaves, twigs, and pinecones — in our play activities, helping children stay connected to nature even indoors. The scent of cinnamon playdough or a story under twinkling fairy lights can make a grey day feel magical.

4. Supporting Emotional Wellbeing

The darker months can sometimes affect mood and energy, even for young children. That’s why we take extra care to include calm, reflective moments throughout the day — like gentle music, breathing exercises, and mindfulness stories.
These activities help children understand their feelings, feel secure, and build emotional resilience.

5. Celebrating the Season

Autumn and winter bring so many opportunities for learning about our world — from Harvest and Bonfire Night to Christmas and Lunar New Year.
At Hungry Caterpillars, we celebrate these special days together, exploring different traditions, foods, and stories. It’s a wonderful way to nurture understanding, respect and community spirit.

Final Thoughts

Autumn and winter are seasons of warmth, connection, and discovery. At Hungry Caterpillars Nurseries, we see every puddle jump, every story shared, and every muddy smile as part of a child’s learning journey.
With care, curiosity, and creativity, we can make these months truly magical — rain, wind, or snow!

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This nursery holds a special place in our hearts, they’ve looked after both my children who started after their first birthday and left just before starting school. My kids have made some fantastic memories from their time there. The staff are caring, the food is made fresh (which they always ate!), and they took part in many engaging activities over the years.

Parent at Chalfont St Peter

I just love this nursery and I’m happy that I chose it again for my second child. The staff it’s very polite and responsible and overall it’s an amazing experience for my child and for me as well.

Parent at West Twyford

The staff at the nursery provide a home from home environment. I can drop my daughter and go to work with no worries. I highly recommend this nursery. My daughter can write her name, is articulate and confident. The nursery staff have worked well with me to support my daughter and I am so happy we found this nursery.

Parent at Hanwell

We feel great being able to send our son there to learn and to grow. It’s only been a month, I have already begun noticing a difference in his development. The staff have been extremely helpful in teaching new skills and giving the kids new experiences also communicative with us about his progress they are all welcoming. My son loves going to nursery every day his talking about what he will have done if he’s in the nursery when he is day off. We’ve been really happy with our experience and would strongly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a nursery Hungry Caterpillars is a really wonderful place to send your child!

Parent at Acton Park