Children took part in a “mini-Olympics” at an East Molesey nursery on Friday.

Children were split into four houses, Lion, Crocodile, Whale and Dinosaur, for a sports day at Roselita Edwards Montessori Nursery that included sprints and wheelbarrow races.

School founder Roselita Edwards said: “All the parents said they had a wonderful time - the event was well-organised and they all came as a family, parents and grandparents and children on a family day out. Parents had an opportunity to get to know each other.

“We had been practising for four weeks and by the end the children had become faster runners and they were able to share the joy of that with their parents on sports day.”

The sports day was held to further the legacy left by the London Olympics in 2012.

Edwards said: “It was like a mini Olympics – we are laying the foundation for the future of sport in the children.

“The Olympic legacy is completing its task here, so that the children understand there are certain rules in sports and then when they are older they can think about whether they want to pursue sport further.”

Winners were given medals sponsored by the Montessori London and handed out by East Molesey Councillor Ernest Mallet.

The event was also a celebration of the United Kingdom, with Edwards emphasising the importance of teaching children their heritage.

She said: “They learned about the flags and the patron saints of each part of the UK, and then we carried the flags on sports day, so to the children it was like their learning coming true.”

Parents took part by baking biscuits and cakes which they sold at the event to raise money for the nursery.

Last year the event raised £800, but money is still being collected for this year, as some of the children are doing sponsored walks or other sponsored activities.

Despite the fundraising activities, the main theme of the event was fun.

All the family was encouraged to take part, with a special Fathers' Day race: “We had a Fathers' Day event, because the sports day was two days before Fathers' Day – we told the fathers to run and then their children had to catch them.

“We also had voluntary grandparents’ races and mothers’ races. The children are still talking about it.”