Little Bear’s First Day at Nursery

This is Little Bear.

And this is Big Bear.

Today is a big day. Today, Little Bear is starting nursery.

Little Bear has new red wellies. Stomp, stomp! And a little bag with a duck on it. And inside the bag is Blue Bunny, who goes everywhere.

Off they go, stomp, stomp, stomp, all the way down the hill, to the round green door.

Knock, knock!

---

The door opens, and there is Nell.

Nell is a rabbit, with long, soft ears and a big, kind smile.

“Hello, Little Bear,” says Nell. “I’ve been waiting for you. I’m so glad you’re here.”

Little Bear holds on to Big Bear’s leg. Tight, tight, tight.

Inside, it’s busy and bright. Somebody is banging a drum. Somebody is splashing in the water. Somebody is singing, very loudly, about a bus.

“Home,” says Little Bear, in a very small voice. “Want to go home.”

Big Bear kneels down, nose to nose.

“It’s all new, isn’t it?” says Big Bear. “New feels big. That’s all right.”

---

“Now,” says Big Bear, “it’s time for our special goodbye. Ready?”

A kiss on the nose. Mwah! A squeeze of the paw. Squeeze, squeeze! A wave at the window. Wave, wave! Bye-bye, see you later. I’ll come back. I always do.

“After story time,” says Big Bear, “I’ll knock on the green door. Knock, knock!”

And off goes Big Bear, up the path, waving all the way.

---

Little Bear’s lip goes wobble, wobble.

And out come the tears. Big ones.

Nell doesn’t say, “Don’t cry.” Nell sits down on the floor, right next to Little Bear.

“You miss Big Bear,” says Nell softly. “That’s a sad feeling. I’m here.”

Out of the bag comes Blue Bunny, for a cuddle. Little Bear cuddles Blue Bunny. And Nell cuddles them both.

They sit like that for a while.

Then Nell whispers, “I’ve got a very important job. I need someone to help me fill up the boats.”

Little Bear sniffs. And looks. And gets up.

---

Splish! Little Bear fills a boat.

Splash! Little Bear fills a bigger boat.

SPLOOSH! Little Bear fills Nell’s shoe. Oops!

Nell laughs a big rabbit laugh. Little Bear laughs too.

“Is Big Bear coming now?” asks Little Bear.

“Not yet,” says Nell. “After snack, and after the garden, and after story time.”

---

Snack time! Everybody sits at the little table. Crunch, crunch, go the apples.

A small mouse called Tam sits next to Little Bear and passes the raisins.

“Is Big Bear coming now?” asks Little Bear.

“Not yet,” says Nell. “After the garden, and after story time.”

---

Garden time! Little Bear stomps in the puddles in the new red wellies. Stomp, stomp, SPLASH!

Tam stomps too. Stomp, stomp, SPLASH!

Then a cloud goes over the sun, and Little Bear remembers.

Little Bear’s lip goes wobble, wobble.

Nell comes and holds Little Bear’s paw. “Shall we say it together?” she says.

A kiss on the nose. Mwah! A squeeze of the paw. Squeeze, squeeze! A wave at the window. Wave, wave! Big Bear will come back. Big Bear always does.

“Is Big Bear coming now?” asks Little Bear.

“Nearly,” says Nell. “After story time.”

---

Story time! Everybody sits on the big rug. Nell reads a story about a bear who climbs a tall, tall tree.

Little Bear sits right at the front, with Blue Bunny, and Tam.

“…and the bear climbed all the way down,” reads Nell, “and went home for tea. The End.”

And just then…

Knock, knock!

Who’s that at the green door?

---

It’s Big Bear!

Little Bear runs across the rug, as fast as little legs can go, right into Big Bear’s arms.

The biggest hug in the whole wide world.

“You came back!” says Little Bear.

“I came back,” says Big Bear. “I always do.”

---

All the way up the hill, Little Bear tells Big Bear about the boats, and Nell’s wet shoe, and Tam, and the puddles, and the bear in the tall, tall tree.

“Were you sad?” asks Big Bear.

Little Bear thinks.

“A bit sad,” says Little Bear. “And then a lot happy.”

“Can we do our special goodbye again tomorrow?”

“Every day,” says Big Bear.

A kiss on the nose. Mwah! A squeeze of the paw. Squeeze, squeeze! A wave at the window. Wave, wave! Bye-bye, see you later.

And Big Bear always comes back.

The End

About this story

Starting nursery or a childminder is a day of firsts: a new door, new faces, new noises, and saying goodbye to the person your little one loves most. This story walks through the shape of that day, so it feels a bit more familiar before it happens: the goodbye at the door, a wobbly moment, a kind grown-up who notices and helps, some fun, and the knock at the door at the end.

Little Bear is allowed to be sad, twice, and nobody says “don’t cry”. Nell sits down and stays close until the sad feeling passes. The heart of the story is the line that keeps coming back: “I’ll come back. I always do.” It doesn’t promise every goodbye will be easy. It promises the grown-up comes back, every time.

Reading it aloud

• Make it yours. Swap “Big Bear” for the names your family uses: Mummy, Daddy, Nana, or whoever does drop-off. If your little one is going to a childminder, say “going to Nell’s house” instead of “starting nursery”, and use your childminder’s or key person’s real name for Nell.
• Copy the special goodbye. Do the actions as you read: a kiss on the nose, a squeeze of the hand, a wave. If you like it, use it at the real door too, or make up one of your own.
• Let them knock. Knock on the book, the floor or the bedhead for each “Knock, knock!”, and let your toddler answer the “Not yet” countdown before Nell does.
• When to start. A week or two before the first day is a good time, and keep reading it in the first few weeks.
• Things to talk about. Who will look after them, what they might play with, what you’ll do together when you come back, and what they could take from home. On the bad days, ask, “Was it a bit sad and a lot happy, like Little Bear?” Sad is a fine answer too.