This week in Reception (WB 5.01.26)

Date: 6th Jan 2026 @ 11:42am

Winter Wonders in Our Classroom ❄️

This week our learning has been perfectly linked to the season, as winter arrived with a blanket of snow outside! The children have been incredibly engaged as we explored winter through hands-on experiences, stories, science, maths and outdoor play.

We began by talking about the seasons, focusing on winter and the changes we notice at this time of year. The snowy weather gave us a fantastic opportunity to explore some simple science. The children investigated snow by holding it in their hands and observing how it slowly melted. We talked about freezing and melting and discussed how the warmth from our hands caused the snow to change. The children were curious and excited to explore this sensory experience.

In literacy, we shared the story Flower in the Snow. We discussed how Luna lives in a cold place and talked about what she was wearing to keep warm. This led to great conversations about winter clothing and how we can look after ourselves in cold weather. We also explored our winter tuff tray, discussing which animals might live in cold environments and why they are suited to these conditions.

In maths, the children focused on the composition of numbers to 5. They loved taking part in a beanbag game where they threw 5 beanbags and worked out how many landed inside the hoop and how many landed outside. The children recorded their scores, compared amounts and cheered each other on, with the winner being the person who landed the most beanbags in the hoop.

For knowledge and understanding of the world, we continued learning about winter and enjoyed listening to winter-themed stories. We spent time outdoors making a snowman, exploring how to make marks in the snow and listening carefully to the crunchy sounds our shoes made as we walked. We also talked about what animals do during winter, including hibernation and how animals keep warm.

It has been a joyful and exciting week of learning, made even more special by the snowy weather. The children have shown fantastic curiosity, teamwork and enthusiasm as they explored winter both inside and outside the classroom. We are very proud of all their learning this week! ☃️✨