Activities at a Nursery?

[BeeDee2018]

My 3 year old started at a local independent nursery 2 weeks ago and hasn’t come out of his shell there. He was a happy engaged child with his nanny and friends back in the native land and it’s heartbreaking to hear how he just say around waiting to go home all day. He speaks about English fluently albeit with an accent so it can’t be that he’s not communicating. What I heard from his key worker today though is that the activities are entirely child led - they don’t have anything other than book reading - I was hoping for things like circle time, group activities for dance or colouring etc. we had a teacher come in and do these with him and he used it enjoy these. Bit of a rant/ramble - but am I just expecting too much or is this typical for a nursery here? This one was rated almost 9.8 from 20 ratings on daynurseries. Very worried mum could do with some guidance.

Is it a Montasori type place? My dc nursery definitely structured the day, painting, singing, dancing, sensory play etc.
I don't think kids do well just milling around for 8 hours.

My GDs are at a council nursery and there is structure to the day from age 2

Our nursery is child led in that the children can do what they want and don't have to join in anything in particular but there are always several activities going on at once. They definitely don't just mill around and read books (I know this because last week I had to collect DS when they were worried he'd been sat in the corner reading for 20 mins and it turned out he's developed a temp)

2 weeks isn’t very long at all. I’m sure there are activities but there will be choices and guides by the children’s interests

My son’s nursery has activities set up in different parts of the room and they said child led as they get to decide what they want to do out of those. with a set time for lunch/snacks etc

DD’s nursery certainly has set activities that they do, painting (generally with a theme eg painting leaves/pinecones, or doing hand prints etc), sand and water play, dancing, story time etc. It’s child led in the sense that they don’t have to do them, eg if they’re doing painting and DD wants to go off and play with some toys that’s fine.
They also have unstructured times during the day where they can play as they please, plus outdoor time each day.

They probably follow 'planning in the moment' which if done well is excellent. It might take him a little while to find his feet but if he does he'll learn really well.

Ours is also child led- my boy seems to just do what he wants all day but loves it!

Thank you all - I know two weeks is just a short while and this is a HUGE change for him, but there’s a bit of mom guilt and worry in leaving him there I suppose versus the comfort of knowing exactly what he was up to earlier :(

Story time might be the only thing they have to come and sit down for, but typical activities like construction, playdough, painting, sand & water, bikes, scooters and so on will all be available for the children to choose.