BUSY Bees, which has two sites in York, has announced what its nurseries will look like as they reopen this week

There will be no playdough, sandpits, or water games, but plenty of reassurance from staff and outdoor play in smaller groups, and no floor markings for children’s play areas or timed toilet breaks.

Busy Bees has confirmed that its health and safety plans for its nursery in Heworth - called Kindercare York Heworth - and in Rawcliffe - known as Busy Bees in York - will not require children to play in hoops as some schools have suggested. Instead, it will focus on dividing children into close friendship groups, limiting the number of people children come into contact with, reducing the space that children can explore and increasing the time spent outdoors.

All children and staff will have their temperature checked on arrival, and families waiting to enter the nursery will be asked to stand two metres apart at drop off and pick up. Regular temperature checks for children and team members will continue throughout the day, as will frequent handwashing and disinfecting of communal areas.

The childcare provider aims to keep life as close to normal for children, with team members advised to cuddle their key children if they become upset during the day and to only wear face masks for temperature checks.