Hopscotch offers a range of free peripatetic lessons at our nurseries. Please ask your manager for more details.

Languages
Many parents wonder why introducing another language so early is beneficial to children. It has been said that learning more that one language is easy – if you do it before you are seven years old. Up to that age, the language areas of the brain can change depending on the speech you hear. Later, the brain areas are ‘wired-up’ and learning another language is much harder. Studies have shown that teaching a foreign language at an early age not only helps children to learn languages at school but also helps them with mathematics, the sciences, music and generally builds cognitive skills

French
Gabrielle Ellin from Salut! Ca va? teaches French to our children in a fun way through hand puppets, action songs, stories and rhymes. Right from the very first session, the children join in by replying to simple French questions. Gabrielle ensures the children have fun and enjoy playing with and learning the names of the puppets. The children learn the basic French phases such as hello, thank you and goodbye, colours, numbers, animals, weather etc. Children are asked to draw or colour an image of the theme or topic after the lesson to reinforce what they have learned and to take home to share with their family.  

Spanish
Buenos Dias! visit the children for a weekly Spanish lesson and specialise in teaching the language to all ages. These sessions provide an excellent introduction for pre-school children as classes are interactive and use a combination of music, rhymes, puppets, stories and games to make learning Spanish fun and enjoyable. Children learn colours, numbers, animals and basic phases. At the end of the session children can colour and draw simple work sheets to reinforce their learning and to share their experience with their family. 

Yoga
Sophie Handscome of Yogaga visits the nursery every week to teach the children simple yoga. Sophie is an accredited teacher of the British School of Yoga, holds a Birthlight Diploma in Baby Yoga and specialises in teaching yoga to babies and pre-school children including those with special needs. Her lessons comprise of songs and rhymes with plenty of movement and stretching. Each child is given their own yoga mat and learn simple yoga positions such as the mouse, the lion, the snake, the bumblebee, the butterfly and elephant. They also do some simple chanting which helps with breathing. Yoga is a wonderful opportunity for children to have fun whilst acquiring strength, flexibility and balance. The session also provides the children with an opportunity to relax and learn to some calming techniques. Yoga provides an holistic experience, enhancing physical well-being and stimulates language, listening and developmental skills. From these firm foundations children are better equipped to face the challenges that await them in the wider world. 

Dance
Jan Linfield is a fully registered teacher of RAD & ISTD. Jan’s aim is to teach the children the enjoyment of dance in line with the pre-primary syllabus of the RAD and ISTD. With imagery to stimulate their imagination they will learn the basics of dance, developing their physical and spatial awareness. Through learning dance, the children will gain increased control and co-ordination of their bodies, improving confidence and self-esteem and gaining in self-discipline. They will learn to be aware of movement in time with music which stimulates their listening skills, aiding and developing their sensitivity to music. 

Fiddlesticks Music
Fiddlesticks provide a very structured class including elements to stimulate and entertain children, including visual aids, puppets and pictures. Many traditional songs and nursery rhymes which have been handed down the generations are included as well as new ones to learn. Our aim is to provide children with the opportunity to express themselves vocally and develop their musical and social skills whilst having lots of fun!