Nursery: Blog items
Nursery Blog – The Very Hungry Caterpillar 🐛🦋
Date: 23rd Apr 2025 @ 1:06pm
This week in Nursery we have been enjoying the wonderful story The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. The children have been learning all about growth and change through this fun and familiar tale.
🌱 Family Group Time
We explored the story by recalling the main events and talking about how the caterpillar grows and changes. The children did a great job sequencing the story and using this to help understand real-life changes, like how a caterpillar becomes a butterfly!
🍎 Healthy Choices
Using what we already know, we talked about healthy and unhealthy foods. The children loved feeding our very hungry caterpillar only the healthy foods – and were quick to spot which treats he shouldn’t have too many of!
🧩 In Provision
We added special jigsaws showing different types of food to help children sort and identify healthy and unhealthy items. The story props were a big hit too! Children used leaves, an egg, a chrysalis and butterflies to act out the story using their imaginations.
🎨 Creative Learning
In our teacher-led activity, we had a go at symmetry painting! The children painted one side of a butterfly, folded it over, and were amazed to see their colourful symmetrical butterfly appear! They also practiced their fine motor skills by carefully placing coloured spots on butterfly wings and using number language to count and describe their designs.
🔤 Phonics Focus
Our sound of the week was K – the children explored this through rhymes, actions, and games, thinking of words beginning with ‘C’ and listening for the sound in stories.
💬 Think Equal
This week in our Think Equal sessions, we focused on speaking and listening. We encouraged the children to work together to come up with ideas to solve problems – learning that teamwork and talking things through helps us all feel heard and supported.
It’s been a fun-filled and thoughtful week in Nursery – well done everyone! 🐛🦋
🍪🐻 Nursery News: Biscuit Bear Week! 🍪🐻
Date: 20th Mar 2025 @ 12:20pm
What a sweet and exciting week we’ve had in Nursery, focusing on the delightful story ‘Biscuit Bear’ by Mini Grey! The children have thoroughly enjoyed getting creative, using their senses, and strengthening their fine motor skills through fun and engaging activities inspired by the story.
Baking and Biscuit Fun! 🍪
To develop our fine motor skills, the children practiced rolling dough and cutting out little bears—just like Biscuit Bear! This activity helped to build strength in their hands and fingers, which supports early writing development. The children loved decorating their bears and were so proud of their creations!
Exploring the Story 📖
We read ‘Biscuit Bear’ together and explored the features of a book, including:
✅ The front cover
✅ The title
✅ The illustrations
✅ The blurb
The children showed fantastic listening and attention skills as they discussed the story and predicted what might happen next.
Using Our Senses 🍫👀👅
The highlight of the week was our biscuit-tasting session! The children explored different types of biscuits, using their senses to describe them. We spoke about how the biscuits felt (crunchy, soft), how they looked (round, square, chocolatey), and how they tasted (sweet, salty). After lots of careful thinking, the children voted for their favourite type of biscuit—chocolate digestives were a clear winner!
Creative Mark Making 🎨
To support our early handwriting, the children painted their very own Biscuit Bear! They carefully added facial features, working on their pencil grip and control. The results were adorable, and the children loved seeing their bears come to life!
Magnificent Maths
In our maths learning this week we have focussed on exploring and identifying positional language. The children worked together to identify where the bear was positioned, using language such as 'on top of, under and next to'
Phonics Focus: The Letter ‘Gg’ ✏️
Our phonics focus this week has been the letter ‘Gg’. The children practiced hearing and saying the sound in words like goat, gate, and gold. We also practiced writing the letter ‘Gg’ using sand trays and chalkboards, helping to build recognition and confidence.
What a brilliant week of learning and discovery! The children showed fantastic engagement and creativity, and we are so proud of their growing confidence in phonics and fine motor skills. We can't wait to see what exciting learning adventures await us next week! 🌟🍪🐻
🌍🚀 Nursery News: British Science Week – Adaption and Change 🌙✨
Date: 14th Mar 2025 @ 11:19am
What an out-of-this-world week we’ve had celebrating British Science Week! Our focus this week has been on adaption and change, guided by the children’s growing fascination with space and planets. The children have been curious, creative, and incredibly engaged as they explored the wonders of our world—and beyond!
Exploring Our World and Beyond 🌍🌌
We started the week by looking at our environment on a map—starting with our immediate surroundings, then zooming out to explore our local area, the United Kingdom, and finally the entire Earth from space! The children were encouraged to use size-related language such as “bigger/larger” and “smaller” when comparing maps and images. They were amazed at how small our town looked when we zoomed out to see the whole planet!
Rocket Launch Inspiration 🚀
On Tuesday, the children were thrilled to watch a real rocket launch! Their excitement inspired some fantastic creative play—we built and decorated our own rockets using recycled materials, ready to visit our friends on the moon. The children loved counting down and launching their rockets, just like the real thing!
Landing on the Moon! 🌙
Wednesday was all about problem-solving and creativity! We created "landing devices" with parachutes to make sure our rockets and astronauts could land safely on the moon. The children tested different materials and designs, adjusting their parachutes until they landed softly. This activity encouraged critical thinking and an understanding of how forces work!
Moon Craters and Scientific Investigation 🌑🪐
On Thursday, we became little scientists! We discussed the difference between the Earth and the Moon, focusing on the fact that the Moon has giant craters. We spoke about how these craters are formed and experimented by using playdough asteroids, dropping them from different heights to create our own craters! The children then measured and recorded the sizes of the craters using bits of spaghetti—what a brilliant way to combine science and maths!
Making the Moon More Colourful 🌺🌻
To finish our science week, the children decided that the Moon is “boring and grey” and needs a splash of colour! They planted some plants in our nursery garden and suggested that we could send them to the Moon so that our friends there could grow food and make it more colourful. This sparked some fantastic conversations about how plants grow and what they need to survive.
Phonics Focus: The Letter ‘S’ 🌟
This week, we’ve also been working on the letter ‘S’ in our phonics learning! The children have been practicing hearing, saying, and recognizing the letter S in words like star, space, and sun. They also enjoyed practicing writing the letter S using chalk and sand trays!
What an incredible week of science, exploration, and creativity! We are so proud of how engaged and curious the children have been. Their natural love of learning continues to shine, and we can’t wait to see where their imaginations take them next! 🌟🚀
Nursery News: Week 2 – Spring 2: Why Does That Happen? 🌙💡
Date: 5th Mar 2025 @ 7:57am
This week, our little learners have been investigating light and dark as part of our exciting “Why Does That Happen?” topic! Our focus book, “Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear?” by Martin Waddell, has helped us explore the concept of light and how it can help us see in the dark.
Exploring Light and Dark 🔦✨
To bring our learning to life, we introduced a light box and torches into our classroom, creating a magical space for the children to experiment with shadows, reflections, and brightness. The children loved investigating different materials and how light shines through them, sparking some fantastic discussions and curiosity!
Family Group Learning: Patterns and Problem-Solving 🔢
Our mathematical learning continued this week as we built upon our understanding of repeating patterns. Using colourful counting cubes and peg boards, the children created their own patterns, strengthening their problem-solving skills and early mathematical thinking.
Gross Motor Development: Parachute Play 🌅🌙
Outdoors, we strengthened our gross motor skills with an exciting parachute game! The children were shown flashcards representing different daytime and nighttime activities, such as sunrise and sunset, and they had to decide what action to perform with the parachute. This active learning helped reinforce their understanding of how the world changes between day and night.
Sorting Day and Night Activities 🌞🌜
One of our favourite activities this week was our day and night sorting challenge. The children worked in small groups with two large sheets of paper—one labeled daytime and the other nighttime. They were given picture cards showing different activities and had to decide where each one belonged! This encouraged critical thinking, teamwork, and reasoning skills as they explained their choices to their friends.
Phonics Fun: The Letter ‘M’ ✏️🎵
This week, our phonics focus has been on the letter ‘M’! The children have been practicing saying, hearing, and recognizing the letter M in different words. We’ve enjoyed playing listening games, spotting objects that start with M, and even practicing mark-making to form the letter. Some children even tried writing "M" in sand and shaving foam for extra fun!
What’s Next? 🔍
Next week, we will continue to spark curiosity as we explore how things work through more hands-on investigations. Thank you for your continued support, and we can’t wait to share more of our learning journey with you!
Stay curious! 🌟🔦
Nursery News: Week 1 – Spring 2: “Why Does That Happen?” 🔍✨
Date: 25th Feb 2025 @ 4:10pm
Welcome back to a brand new term! This half term, we are diving into our exciting new topic: “Why Does That Happen?”, where curiosity will lead the way! To name a few, our young explorers will investigate how things work, exploring forces, magnets, cogs, and wind-up toys. Through hands-on activities, we aim to spark curiosity, build critical thinking, and strengthen problem-solving skills—all while developing a deeper understanding of the world around us.
This Week’s Focus: Floating and Sinking
To kick off our new topic, we have been learning all about floating and sinking using the brilliant story “Who Sank the Boat?” by Pamela Allen. The story has captivated the children’s imaginations and set the stage for lots of scientific discovery and inquiry-based learning.
Family Group Learning: Communication and Curiosity
In our family groups this week, we focussed on listening and attention as we read through the story together. The children were encouraged to ask questions and make predictions—who did they think would sink the boat? Why might some objects float while others sink? It was wonderful to see their minds working as they explored these ideas.
Science in Action: Floating and Sinking Experiments
The highlight of our week was our floating and sinking experiment. The children had the opportunity to test different objects in water to see whether they would float or sink. They observed, discussed, and even made predictions before testing each object. This practical, hands-on approach encouraged scientific thinking and early problem-solving skills.
Maths Learning: Repeating Patterns
In our maths learning, we explored repeating patterns. The children loved using body percussion to create patterns with their friends. They stomped, clapped, and tapped out sequences, developing their understanding of pattern recognition and enjoying the rhythm and movement along the way.
What’s Next?
We are so excited to continue our journey of discovery over the coming weeks. The children will explore forces, magnets, cogs, and wind-up toys, learning more about how things work and asking “Why does that happen?” Stay tuned for more exciting updates as our little scientists continue to explore, investigate, and learn!
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to sharing more of our adventures with you soon! 🧠🔎🌟
Nursery News: Week 5 – Doctors and Nurses! 🏥👩⚕️👨⚕️
Date: 6th Feb 2025 @ 1:09pm
This week in Nursery, we have been learning all about Doctors and Nurses! The children have absolutely loved role-playing in our very own Doctors’ Surgery, taking on the important roles of doctors, nurses, and patients. It has been wonderful to see their imaginations flourish as they cared for their 'poorly' friends, teddies, and dollies.
Fine & Gross Motor Skills – Caring for Patients
In our family groups, we have been strengthening both our fine and gross motor skills by carefully placing plasters and wrapping bandages around our poorly teddies and dolls. This activity encouraged careful hand movements while also developing empathy and communication as the children reassured their 'patients' with kind words.
Maths Learning – Counting Medical Equipment
Our maths learning this week has been all about counting! The children matched pictures of doctors’ equipment—such as thermometers, stethoscopes, and syringes—to number flashcards. This helped them to practise number recognition and one-to-one correspondence in a fun and engaging way.
Understanding the World – Exploring Medical Tools
We also explored real-life doctors' equipment and discussed what each item might be used for. The children were fascinated by stethoscopes, otoscopes, and syringes, and they loved testing out our toy versions in role-play! This activity helped to build their vocabulary and understanding of how doctors and nurses help us when we are unwell.
PSHE – The Power of Breathing
As part of our PSHE learning, we practised deep breathing techniques and discussed how breathing can help us to feel calm. The children enjoyed learning simple breathing exercises and discovering how we can use our breath to help us relax and feel better—just like when a doctor asks us to take deep breaths during a check-up!
Looking Ahead
It has been a fantastic week of learning and exploration, and we are so proud of how engaged and enthusiastic the children have been. Next week, we will continue our “What do I want to be when I grow up?” theme with more exciting professions to explore! 🚑✨
Nursery News: Week 4 – Celebrating Chinese New Year! 🎊🐉
Date: 29th Jan 2025 @ 2:21pm
This week in Nursery, we have extended our learning to celebrate Chinese New Year! We introduced the children to this exciting cultural celebration and helped them understand that different people celebrate different things. The children were full of curiosity and enthusiasm as they explored the traditions of this special festival!
Maths Learning – Exploring Size
As 2025 is the Year of the Snake, we used this theme to develop our mathematical awareness. The children compared the sizes of different snakes and used brilliant mathematical language such as longer and shorter to describe them. This activity helped to build their vocabulary while supporting their understanding of measurement and comparison.
Physical Development – Dragon Dancing!
In our PE session, the children watched a video of a traditional Dragon Dance performed by school children in Hong Kong. Inspired by what they saw, they then created their very own interpretive dragon dance! It was wonderful to see them moving rhythmically, working together, and using their bodies to mimic the flowing movements of a dragon.
Fine Motor Fun – Chopsticks Challenge
To support fine motor development, we used themed Funky Finger mats where the children practiced using 'chopsticks' (tweezers) to carefully place pom-poms in the correct spots. This activity strengthened their finger muscles while also incorporating counting skills—great for both coordination and number recognition!
Understanding the World – Exploring Traditions
The children watched a video showing a family celebrating Chinese New Year, which sparked an exciting discussion about different traditions. They were fascinated by the decorations, special foods, and fireworks! We then compared these traditions to celebrations that are familiar to us, helping the children to appreciate diversity and cultural differences in a meaningful way.
Looking Ahead
It has been a fantastic week full of learning, discovery, and fun as we celebrated Chinese New Year together! We are so proud of how engaged and thoughtful the children have been. Next week, we will continue our “What do I want to be when I grow up?” theme, exploring even more exciting professions. 🎇✨
Nursery News: Week 3 – Keeping Our Community Safe
Date: 23rd Jan 2025 @ 1:19pm
This week in Nursery, we continued our “What do I want to be when I grow up?” theme by focusing on the important role of police officers and how they help keep our local community safe. The children were so engaged as they learned all about police equipment, vehicles, and the vital work that police officers do every day!
Family Group Fun
In our family groups, we explored the book Police Officers in Our Community, which gave the children a fantastic insight into the tools and vehicles police officers use to keep people safe. The children loved spotting familiar items like police cars and sirens, and they were full of curiosity and questions about how police officers help in emergencies.
Maths Learning
This week in maths, we practiced recognising numbers in our environment. The children had lots of fun on number hunts, spotting house numbers, numbers on signs, and even numbers on our classroom resources. This activity helped to build their confidence in identifying numbers in real-life contexts.
Expressive Art and Design
Our creative activities this week were inspired by our learning about police officers. The children painted wonderful pictures of police officers in uniform and worked together to junk model their own police cars and vans. By the end of the week, our classroom was full of colourful artwork and imaginative creations!
Physical Development: Cops and Robbers
One of the highlights of the week was our Cops and Robbers game, where the children got to chase their friends in their ‘police cars’ that they had junk modelled earlier. This energetic activity helped to develop gross motor skills like running, chasing, and dodging, while also encouraging teamwork and imaginative play.
Phonics Learning
This week, we introduced a new sound: A/a! The children have loved learning phonics rhymes and playing fun phonics games to help them recognise and use this sound. Their enthusiasm for phonics is shining through, and they’re making fantastic progress in their early literacy skills.
Looking Ahead
It’s been another brilliant week of learning and fun as we continue exploring the world of different job roles. Next week, we’ll discover even more exciting professions—thank you for supporting your children as they explore and grow! 👮♂️👮♀️✨
Nursery News: Week 2 – Taking Off with "What Do I Want to Be When I Grow Up?"
Date: 15th Jan 2025 @ 1:38pm
This week, our exciting topic “What do I want to be when I grow up?” took to the skies as we focused on aeroplanes and the fascinating roles involved in making them work. From pilots to air hostesses and engineers, the children explored the many jobs that help us take flight.
Family Group Fun
In our family groups, we had wonderful conversations about the children’s experiences of holidays, airports, and aeroplane journeys. These discussions sparked imaginative role play, where the children transformed into pilots, passengers, and even air traffic controllers. It was fantastic to see their enthusiasm as they "flew" around the classroom and practiced giving safety announcements!
Communication and Language Development
This week, we shared stories and practiced using ‘what’ and ‘where’ questions to deepen our understanding of the narrative. The children demonstrated fantastic listening and speaking skills, asking questions about their favourite characters and the exciting adventures in the stories.
Maths Magic
In maths, we practiced 1:1 counting with spring-themed objects. The children worked hard to count accurately, touching each object as they counted aloud. They are building confidence in their early number skills!
Expressive Art and Design
Our creative activity this week focused on designing and creating paper aeroplanes. The children had so much fun decorating their planes with bright colours, patterns, and stickers. On Friday, we took to the “runway” and launched our aeroplanes to see how far they could fly. This activity brought so much joy and excitement to the end of our week.
Looking Ahead
It’s been an incredible week of exploration and creativity as we learned about the world of aeroplanes and the people who make flying possible. Next week, we’ll continue our journey into exciting job roles—who knows what adventures are just around the corner? ✈️✨
Nursery News: Week 1 – Welcome Back!
Date: 8th Jan 2025 @ 4:34pm
We are thrilled to welcome back all our children after the Christmas holidays, and we extend a warm welcome to our new friends—our rising three’s from pre-school and those new to our school community. This term, we will begin our exciting new topic, “What do I want to be when I grow up?”
Exploring Winter with Kipper
This week, we embraced the chilly season by focusing on Winter and enjoying the story Kipper’s Snowy Day by Mick Inkpen. The children loved diving into the snowy adventures of Kipper while learning all about the season.
Family Group Fun
In our family groups, we explored emotions:
- Identifying and Naming Emotions: The children matched different emotions to faces, named specific emotions, and created their own facial representations using loose parts. This activity helped them understand and express their feelings.
Maths Learning
The children worked with an adult to practice counting as high as they could. They enjoyed the challenge and were proud of their growing number skills!
Literacy Learning
Our literacy activities focused on:
- Seasonal Clothing: We categorised clothing suitable for winter and summer.
- Mark Making: The children created their own shopping lists, drawing and “writing” to represent items of clothing they’d need for winter.
Communication and Language
We encouraged the children to use longer, more detailed sentences as they described a winter scene. Their descriptive language skills are blossoming, and they enjoyed talking about snowflakes, frost, and icy fun!
Caring for Birds in Winter
As part of our exploration of Winter, the children learned about how birds need extra care during this season. We made bird feeders using pine cones, lard, and birdseed. This activity combined creativity with empathy as we discussed how we can help animals during colder months.
Looking Ahead
It’s been a fantastic start to the term! We can’t wait to explore more about “What do I want to be when I grow up?” in the coming weeks. Thank you for your continued support as we dive into this exciting new learning journey! ❄️✨
Nursery News: Week 5 – The Gingerbread Man
Date: 3rd Dec 2024 @ 1:42pm
This week in Nursery, we’ve been diving into the delightful tale of The Gingerbread Man. The children loved bringing the story to life through creative activities, storytelling, and even some festive fun as we began our Christmas preparations!
Storytelling and Sequencing
Using story puppets and masks at our small world table, the children practiced retelling the story of The Gingerbread Man. We focused on:
- Sequencing events: The children worked hard to put the story in order, helping them understand how the plot progresses and improving their memory and comprehension skills.
- Building sentences: We encouraged the children to build sentences connected to the story, such as “The gingerbread man ran away!” or “The fox tricked him.” This helped enhance their communication and language development.
Shape Hunts and Festive Fun
In our family groups, we went on a shape hunt around the school, spotting and identifying different shapes in our environment. This hands-on activity made learning about shapes exciting and interactive.
Other exciting activities included:
- Decorating the Christmas tree: The children were thrilled to help decorate the tree, spreading holiday cheer throughout our classroom.
- Baking and decorating gingerbread men: A highlight of the week was making and decorating our own gingerbread men. The children loved choosing their toppings and watching their creations come to life!
A Week Full of Festive Joy
This week has been full of creativity, laughter, and learning as we explored The Gingerbread Man and got into the holiday spirit. Thank you for your continued support—we’re looking forward to even more fun and learning next week!
Nursery News: Week 4 - The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Date: 26th Nov 2024 @ 1:53pm
This week, we’ve had a wonderful time diving into the classic tale of The Three Billy Goats Gruff! The children have enjoyed exploring the story through engaging activities, storytelling, and imaginative play.
Storytelling Adventures
Using story puppets and our small world table, the children retold the story of The Three Billy Goats Gruff, practicing sequencing and developing their language skills. They loved taking turns as the troll and the goats, bringing the story to life with enthusiasm.
Family Group Activities
In our family groups, we focused on:
- Rolling a dice: The children practiced identifying the numbers 1, 2, and 3 on a dice, building their early maths skills through playful learning.
- Learning pronouns: To strengthen our understanding of each other, we practiced using "he" and "she" by saying kind things about our friends. For example, "He makes me laugh" or "She shares with me." This activity encouraged social bonding and positive communication.
- Retelling with movement: The children recreated the goats crossing the bridge by hopping, skipping, and crawling, combining gross motor skills with storytelling.
- Introducing 2D shapes: We explored basic 2D shapes, such as circles, squares, and triangles, laying the foundation for geometry in a fun and hands-on way.
PSHE: Celebrating Uniqueness
Building on last week’s learning, we continued to explore similarities and differences using Is There Anyone Like Me? by Fred Strydon. The children created their own unique Okapis, adding new designs and features. Sharing their creations with friends sparked conversations about individuality and celebrating what makes each of us special.
Mark Making: Painting Billy Goats
This week’s mark-making activity was inspired by the story. The children painted the three billy goats, focusing on size by creating the BIGGEST goat, the middle-sized goat, and the smallest goat. They used real-life pictures of goats, bridges, and meadows as inspiration, practicing their observation and fine motor skills while getting creative.
Highlights of the Week
The children’s excitement for The Three Billy Goats Gruff was contagious, and it’s been a joy to see their creativity and curiosity shine through. With storytelling, art, and active play, this week has been full of memorable moments.
Thank you for supporting your children’s learning journey. We look forward to exploring more traditional tales and nursery rhymes next week!
Nursery News: Week 3 - Exploring Old McDonald
Date: 20th Nov 2024 @ 12:58pm
This week in Nursery, we’ve had a fantastic time exploring the classic nursery rhyme Old MacDonald Had a Farm. The children have been learning about the animals that might live on a farm and the unique noises they make. It’s been a noisy but fun-filled week of “oinks,” “moos,” and “baas”!
Family Group Fun
In our family groups, we practiced retelling Old MacDonald using both actions and words, helping the children build confidence in storytelling and language skills. We also:
- Explored patterns: The children learned what makes a pattern and practiced identifying them.
- Identified colours: Each child worked on naming at least three colours, improving their vocabulary and observational skills.
- Used positional language: The children took it in turns to place farm animals in different locations, practicing words like “under,” “over,” “next to,” “in front of,” and “behind,” turning language learning into active play.
PSHE: Similarities and Differences
In PSHE, we read the book ‘Is There Anyone Like Me?’ by Fred Strydon, which sparked conversations about similarities and differences. Inspired by the book, the children created their own unique Okapis and shared them with friends, noticing how their designs were the same or different. This activity supported their social skills and encouraged an appreciation for individuality.
Creative Mark Making
For our mark-making activity, the children painted farm animals, using real-life photos for inspiration. They worked hard to match the colours of the animals, producing some truly wonderful artwork while practicing their fine motor skills.
Outdoor Adventures: Snowy Fun
One of the highlights of the week was exploring the snow! The children were delighted to experience the magic of winter, playing outdoors, observing the snowflakes, and noticing how the snow changed throughout the day.
Looking Ahead
It’s been a jam-packed week full of fun and learning, and we’re excited to continue our Nursery Rhymes and Traditional Tales theme with our learning around ‘Three Billy Goat Gruffs’ next week. Thank you for your continued support—we can’t wait to share more adventures with you next week!
Nursery News: Incy Wincy Spider
Date: 12th Nov 2024 @ 1:15pm
We’re back with another exciting week in Nursery, and our learning focus is on Nursery Rhymes and Traditional Tales! This week, we jumped right into the world of Incy Wincy Spider and had a fantastic time exploring hands-on activities, songs, and stories that brought this classic rhyme to life.
Exploring Incy Wincy Spider
To support our fine motor skills, we made handprint spiders, crafted webs, and used tweezers to find hidden spiders in our web-themed tuff trays. The children showed great focus and creativity as they worked on these projects, strengthening their fine motor skills and their hand-eye coordination.
Family Group Time: Learning About Books
In our family groups, we started looking at the features of simple children’s books, exploring elements like:
Front cover: Noticing the title and illustrations that introduce the story
Back cover: Finding the blurb and talking about what it tells us
Characters and settings: Identifying who is in the story and where it takes place
Beginning and end: Learning that every story has an order This exploration helps build our early literacy skills and fosters a love for books and reading!
Singing with Our Voices and a Parachute!
The children practiced singing Incy Wincy Spider with different voice levels. With a parachute, we made small waves for quiet voices and big waves when we sang loudly! This activity was not only a fun way to practice using our voices differently but also helped the children understand rhythm and volume control.
Maths Learning: Numbers and Shapes
In maths, we worked on our number recognition and counting by placing a specific number of spiders on matching webs. The children also practiced positional language by placing the spider "on top of" and "under" different objects, which is part of our WELLCOME language learning program.
In the maths area, we explored shapes and patterns with a “match the object to the outline” tuff tray activity. This was a wonderful opportunity for the children to practice their shape recognition and spatial awareness while having fun!
A Moment for Remembrance Day
On Monday, we observed a two-minute silence for Remembrance Day. We had a gentle discussion about why it’s important to remember people who may no longer be with us in person but remain with us in our hearts. The children showed great respect and understanding during this time.
Play and Stay Nursery Rhyme Parties
This week, we were delighted to welcome parents into our Nursery for our Play and Stay Nursery Rhyme Parties! Parents and children explored different areas together, doing all kinds of fun activities, from crafts to games. We ended the day with a lively song and dance session, and our parents did an amazing job singing and dancing along with us!
Thank you for all your support, and we look forward to sharing more nursery rhyme adventures and learning with you this term!
Nursery News: Baa Baa Black Sheep
Date: 5th Nov 2024 @ 2:13pm
Welcome back to a new term full of excitement and discovery! This term, our learning will be focused on Nursery Rhymes and Traditional Tales, a topic packed with fun activities that build literacy, creativity, and a love for reading. Together, we’ll dive into beloved rhymes and stories such as Baa Baa Black Sheep, Incy Wincy Spider, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Gingerbread Man, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. We are thrilled to invite parents to join us for nursery rhyme activities throughout the term and share in the joy of learning.
Celebrating Diversity in Our Community
This week, we started off by embracing the wonderful diversity within our community through learning about celebrations like Diwali, Bonfire night and Halloween. The children enjoyed creating their own interpretations of beautiful Rangoli patterns, experimenting with symmetry, colour, and design. They also explored the art of Mehndi with intricate patterns on paper, which helped them develop fine motor skills and appreciate traditional art.
To celebrate Bonfire Night, we had lots of fun experimenting with forks, stamps, and cardboard tubes to create vibrant firework paintings. The children were amazed at the effects they could create by using different tools, exploring texture, and getting creative with paint.
Nursery Rhyme of the Week: Baa Baa Black Sheep
This week’s nursery rhyme focus is Baa Baa Black Sheep, which has been a hit in the classroom! Through this rhyme, the children are learning about patterns and sounds, reinforcing their understanding of rhyme through music and rhythm. Singing and clapping along to the beat has also been a fantastic way to build on their Communication and Language skills in a fun and engaging way.
In our Maths sessions, we are continuing our exploration of colours by focusing on the colour black. The children are working on matching objects by colour, deepening their understanding of sorting and categorizing—a foundational skill in early maths.
Mark Making and Following Instructions
For our mark-making activity, the children are practicing following instructions as they create shapes and scenarios with their bodies. This activity not only supports their gross motor skills but also encourages listening and coordination as they follow each step. The children are enjoying the chance to be imaginative while also learning about spatial awareness and movement.
Inspired by Yayoi Kusama
Following our autumn and Halloween learning, we are introducing the children to the artist Yayoi Kusama, known for her bold and playful polka dots. The children will create their own observational drawings of Yayoi’s famous polka dot pumpkin, using inspiration from her unique style. This activity is a wonderful opportunity for them to engage with expressive art and design, building confidence in their mark-making skills while learning about a fascinating contemporary artist.
Coming Soon: Nativity Practice!
We’re also excited to announce that we’ll soon be preparing for our Nativity performance! The children are already buzzing with anticipation, and we can’t wait to begin rehearsals for what promises to be a magical experience.
What a jam-packed term we have ahead! Thank you for your support, and we can’t wait to share all the amazing learning and fun with you as we journey through this exciting term together!
Nursery News: Inclusion week - Week 7
Date: 23rd Oct 2024 @ 10:01am
Celebrating Inclusion During Our Special Week
This week at school, we’ve been proudly celebrating our Inclusion Curriculum Week, a special time dedicated to recognising and embracing our similarities and differences. Our key vocabulary this week has been Same, Belong, Different, Inclusion, and Disability. We have helped the children understand these important concepts as they explore what makes each of us unique and how we all belong in our school community.
Core Story: Me, Myself and I by Helen Lumgair
Our learning was centred around the core story Me, Myself and I by Helen Lumgair. This thoughtful book supported our discussions about inclusion and disability, giving the children the opportunity to learn about different experiences, such as children who need the support of hearing aids. To make this learning hands-on and fun, we made cup and string telephones! The children loved using these simple creations to explore how sound travels, while also thinking about how hearing aids help people to hear more clearly. This activity not only supported their understanding of disabilities but also strengthened their curiosity and cooperation skills.
Maths Learning: Exploring Numbers 1, 2, and 3
In maths, our focus has been on the numbers 1, 2, and 3. The children had the exciting task of counting acorns, helping them develop their number recognition and counting skills. Whether it was holding one, two, or three acorns in their hands, the children had fun with this sensory-based learning activity, which encouraged them to apply early mathematical concepts in a playful way.
To reinforce both maths and phonics, we also incorporated some of our favourite nursery rhymes like 5 Little Aliens, Hickory Dickory Dock, and 10 Hungry Seagulls. These catchy songs not only helped the children with counting and rhythm but also made learning more interactive and enjoyable.
Expressive Art and Design: What Makes Us Special
One of the highlights of this week was when the children explored what makes them special, with a particular focus on celebrating their unique skin colours. Using materials such as skin-coloured paints, crayons, and collage materials, the children created self-portraits that showcased the diversity within our classroom. This activity tied in beautifully with the concept of inclusion, as the children were encouraged to see the beauty in the differences that make each of them special.
Celebrating Achievements and Looking Ahead
As we wind down for the half-term break, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate all the children’s incredible achievements this term. From building friendships and developing social skills to embracing their individuality, every child has grown in confidence and creativity.
Next term, we’ll be diving into a new and exciting focus—Nursery Rhymes! Our learning will centre around timeless classics like Baa Baa Black Sheep, Incy Wincy Spider, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Gingerbread Man, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. We’re looking forward to exploring these fun stories and songs.
We hope you all enjoy a restful half-term break, and we can’t wait to continue this amazing learning journey when we return!
Please post any fantastic experiences on our childrens tapestry so we can talk about them when we return on the 5th November
Nursery News: All About Me – Week 6!
Date: 23rd Oct 2024 @ 9:36am
Nursery News: All About Me – Week 6!
What a wonderful week we’ve had in Nursery! We are so pleased to see that our newest friends are now fully settled, with relationships blossoming all around. The children are not only growing in confidence but are also learning valuable social skills, such as sharing, cooperating, and problem-solving together to reach a common goal. It's heartwarming to see them work as a team and support one another during their play.
Exploring Families Through Stories
This week, we continued our focus on families by exploring two fantastic stories: My Mum and Dad Make Me Laugh by Nick Sharratt and In Every House on Every Street by Jess Hitchman. These books provided a wonderful opportunity to delve deeper into the ideas of similarities and differences between families. Through lively discussions, the children were able to share what makes their family special while also recognising that every family is unique.
These discussions have been the perfect lead-in to our Inclusion Curriculum Week, which we will be celebrating next week. We’re excited to continue this journey of understanding and celebrating the diversity within our Nursery community.
Core Stories and Developing Number Skills
In our family groups, we’ve spent time reading some of our core stories and helping to strengthen the children’s understanding of language, story structure, and characters. The children are becoming more familiar with these beloved tales, which not only supports their Literacy development but also fosters a love for reading.
In our Mathematics learning, the children have been strengthening their understanding of number through a hands-on comparing-size tuff tray activity. They’ve enjoyed exploring different-sized objects, comparing them, and using mathematical language like "bigger," "smaller," and "same." This activity not only builds number awareness but also helps with the development of early reasoning skills.
Following Instructions: A Fun Maths Challenge
We’ve also been working on following simple instructions during our maths family group time. The children were tasked with going out into the environment and finding specific objects, like “two pinecones” or “three pencils.” This fun activity not only reinforces their counting skills but also encouraged independence, problem-solving, and listening skills. The children were so excited to take on these challenges and show off what they had found, making learning a fun and active process.
Looking Ahead: Inclusion Curriculum Week
Next week, we’ll be diving into our Inclusion Curriculum Week, where we’ll focus on celebrating diversity, inclusivity, and the wonderful things that make each of us unique. It will be a fantastic opportunity for the children to reflect on what makes them special, while also learning about the many different backgrounds, cultures, and experiences that we share within our Nursery.
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to sharing more of the children’s learning and achievements with you next week!
Nursery News: All About Me – Week 5!
Date: 9th Oct 2024 @ 4:35pm
Nursery News: All About Me – Week 5!
What an exciting week it has been in Nursery! We are so pleased to see all of our friends settled and truly enjoying their journey with us. The children’s confidence is growing each day, and their excitement for learning is clear to see. This week, we continued our focus on families, diving deeper into exploring our homes and surroundings while also practicing important skills like counting and name writing.
Junk Modelling Our Houses
This week, we had a wonderful time creating our very own houses using junk modelling materials! The children were full of creativity as they built their homes using boxes, cardboard, and a variety of recycled materials. It was fantastic to see how each child approached the task in their own unique way. Once their houses were complete, the children eagerly described their creations, pointing out features like the number of windows, doors, and even the colour of their front doors! This activity not only sparked their imaginations but also supported Mathematical Development, as they practiced counting different parts of their houses.
Name Writing and Number Fun
Our Nursery friends have been working hard this week to practice writing their names. Through family group activities, many of the children have been able to write/ trace the letters in their names, growing in confidence and developing their literacy skills. It's been a joy to see how proud they are when they recognize and write their own names!
In addition, we’ve been practicing our numbers to ten with lots of fun and active learning. During carpet time, we’ve marched around the classroom like ants, whilst we sing “The Ants Go Marching.”. We also had a fantastic time pretending to be “hungry seagulls,” swooping down to eat our teacher’s and friends’ chips, all while practicing our counting with the song “Ten Hungry Seagulls.” These lively activities have helped the children develop their Mathematical Development in a playful and engaging way, reinforcing number recognition and counting in a context they love.
Guided Reading: 'Animal Fun'
In our guided reading sessions this week, we focused on the story Animal Fun from our brilliant Little Wandle collection. The children were captivated by the animal characters and enjoyed learning about the different sounds they make. This story provided a fantastic opportunity for the children to engage with Communication and Language and Early Reading Skills, as we explored the sounds and actions of the animals together. They particularly enjoyed acting out their favourite parts of the story, which encouraged not only language development but also physical movement.
Looking Ahead
Next week, we look forward to continuing our exploration of families, homes, and the world around us. We will also be introducing new stories and songs, and encouraging even more creative play as we further develop our literacy and numeracy skills. It’s been a fantastic week of learning and fun, and we can’t wait to see what adventures lie ahead!
Thank you for your ongoing support—it’s been a joy to see the children’s enthusiasm and excitement grow, and we look forward to sharing more of their achievements with you in the coming weeks!
Nursery News: All About Me – Week 4!
Date: 2nd Oct 2024 @ 7:32pm
This week in Nursery, we’ve seen our new friends settling in even more, and it’s been wonderful to watch all the children grow in confidence and curiosity. As we continue with our "All About Me" topic, everyone is becoming more of an adventurer—exploring new ideas, developing friendships, and discovering the world around them. Our focus this week has been a deeper look at families, exploring similarities and differences, while also continuing our learning around colours inspired by autumn.
Discovering Families: Similarities and Differences
As part of our Personal, Social, and Emotional Development, we’ve been encouraging the children to think more deeply about their families and how they are similar to and different from others. The children shared stories about their family members, pets, and special traditions. We talked about how every family is unique—some are big, some are small, but all are full of love! These conversations helped the children understand diversity and develop a sense of belonging.
Exploring Colours in Our Environment
Building on our recent exploration of autumn, we took a closer look at the colours we can see in our environment. The children ventured outdoors to spot autumnal colours like oranges, reds, browns, and yellows. They excitedly collected leaves and other natural items, this sparked conversations about the changes we’re seeing in nature as the weather cools and the leaves fall.
Autumnal Art: Creativity Through Colour
Inspired by the colours of autumn, the children had the opportunity to create their own autumnal pictures using a variety of media. We explored different ways to represent the season through painting, collaging, and mark-making. The children experimented with sponges, brushes, and their own hands to create textured leaf prints, while others used collage materials like tissue paper, felt, and natural items to represent the vibrant shades of autumn. These activities not only fostered their creativity but also supported Physical Development, as the children practised using fine motor skills to manipulate tools and materials.
Their artwork is now proudly displayed in our classroom, reflecting the rich colours and textures of the season. It’s wonderful to see the individuality in each child’s creation, with some focusing on specific leaves, others blending colours, and some even creating abstract interpretations of autumn. The children’s confidence in expressing themselves through art continues to grow, and it’s been fantastic watching their imaginations flourish.
Adventuring Through Play
With each passing week, we’ve seen the children becoming bolder in their play and learning. They are more willing to take on new challenges, whether that’s trying out a new role in the home corner, exploring the climbing equipment outside, or working together on group activities. This adventurous spirit is helping the children build their confidence, independence, and problem-solving skills. Their natural curiosity is leading them to exciting discoveries every day!
Looking Ahead
As we look forward to next week, we’ll continue to explore the world around us, focusing more on nature and the seasons. We’ll also begin incorporating new themes into our maths learning and literacy activities. It’s been a joy watching the children thrive as they explore the "All About Me" theme, and we are excited to see where their adventures will take them next!
Thank you for your continued support—it’s been wonderful hearing the children talk about their experiences at home, and we’re so proud of all they’ve achieved so far!
Nursery News: All About Me – Week 3!
Date: 2nd Oct 2024 @ 7:23pm
What an exciting week we’ve had in Nursery! As we continue with our "All About Me" theme, we’ve noticed our new friends becoming more settled, confident, and adventurous in their learning. It’s been wonderful to see friendships deepening and the children becoming more comfortable in their surroundings. This week, our focus has been on exploring our closest family connections and discovering more about the world around us, especially as we welcome the beautiful season of autumn.
Learning About Our Families
In circle time, we’ve spent the week talking about our families—who lives in our homes, what we like to do together, and how our families are all different but equally special. The children loved sharing family photos and stories, and it was a great opportunity to develop their Communication and Language skills, as they practiced speaking confidently and listening to their friends. These discussions also tied into Personal, Social and Emotional Development, as they help children understand their own identity and the important role family plays in their lives.
Exploring Autumn
As part of our Understanding the World focus, we turned our attention to the changing seasons, and this week was all about autumn! We’ve been observing how the leaves are changing colours, the weather is becoming cooler, and the world around us is transforming. During outdoor play, we collected leaves, pinecones, and twigs, sparking conversations about nature and how the world works. This exploration encouraged the children to use their senses to engage with the environment around them.
Creating Autumn Sun Catchers
In a burst of creativity, the children made beautiful autumn sun catchers using collage materials. Inspired by the vibrant reds, oranges, yellows, and browns of autumn leaves, the children selected materials to represent the season. This artistic activity not only allowed them to express their creativity but also supported their Physical Development by helping them refine their fine motor skills as they cut, glued, and arranged the different pieces. Their sun catchers now brighten our classroom windows, reflecting the beauty of autumn inside!
Maths Through Music: Nursery Rhymes and Numbers
In maths this week, we’ve been securing our understanding of numbers through the magic of nursery rhymes. The children had so much fun singing “The Ants Go Marching” and other number rhymes like “Five Little Ducks” and “Ten in the Bed.” These songs are a fantastic way to support Mathematical Development as they help the children practice counting forwards and backwards. By acting out the songs with props and fingers, they also engaged their bodies in learning, making the experience more memorable.
Looking Ahead
As we move into next week, we’ll continue deepening our understanding of ourselves and the world. We’ll explore more about the people we love, extend our knowledge of autumn, and introduce new activities that challenge and inspire the children. It’s a joy to see how much progress they’ve made as individuals and as a group, and we can’t wait to see what new adventures await us in Week 4!
Thank you for all your support at home—it’s been wonderful to hear the children share their nursery experiences with such enthusiasm.
Nursery News: All About Me – Week 2!
Date: 24th Sep 2024 @ 8:07am
Nursery News: All About Me – Week 2!
This week in Nursery, we continued our exciting "All About Me" journey, but with a special focus—welcoming new friends! We are delighted to welcome new children into our class. It’s been wonderful watching friendships bloom as everyone gets to know one another and we’ve been busy helping the children feel comfortable, confident, and connected in their new environment.
Friendship in Action
To support our new friendships, we’ve been focusing on activities that encourage cooperation and teamwork. Group games, such as parachute play and building with blocks, gave the children the opportunity to work together, share, and take turns. This links directly to Personal, Social and Emotional Development, as the children learn to interact positively with one another, build relationships, and understand the importance of kindness.
Exploring Emotions
This week, we’ve also started talking about feelings—what makes us happy, sad, excited, or even a little nervous. We used stories, puppets, and role-play to help the children explore and express their emotions, this has supported children to identify and talk about their feelings and build essential skills for emotional resilience and understanding.
Creative Self-Portraits
To further our “All About Me” exploration, the children worked on creating self-portraits with paint, crayons, and collage materials. This was not only a fun way for them to express themselves creatively but also a fantastic opportunity to enhance their fine motor skills.
Looking Ahead
As we wrap up Week 2, we’re looking forward to continuing our “All About Me” topic by diving deeper into the things that make each child unique, from their interests to their families. With new friendships forming every day, the classroom is buzzing with excitement and discovery. We’ll continue to nurture these new relationships and build a strong, caring community where every child feels valued and supported.
It’s been an amazing week watching the children grow closer, learn more about themselves, and, most importantly, make new friends. We can’t wait to see what Week 3 brings!
Date: 12th Sep 2024 @ 4:19pm
Nursery Weekly Blog WB 4/12/2023
Date: 7th Dec 2023 @ 2:48pm
This week in Nursery we have had an exciting visitor! On Monday Santa left us a letter telling us that one of his elves was making some wobbly choices and he needed the children in Nursery to help him to make some better choices. He left us a book as a reward for helping him. Sadly the elf has carried on making wobbly choices while he was in Nursery - swinging from the bunting and covering our Christmas tree in tissue paper to name just two. Hopefully next week he might make some better choices!!
We have loved welcoming in parents into Nursery this week for Stay and Play sessions - thank you very much to everyone who made the time to come into Nursery and explore it with your child - they loved it!
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Nursery Weekly Blog WB 27/11/2023
Date: 30th Nov 2023 @ 9:21am
This week in Nursery we have been doing lots of fantastic learning about the traditional story The Three Billie Goats Gruff. here is a link to a video of the story that you could share with your child at home.
The children have done some fantastic paintings of the troll in the story making great colour choices when deciding what the troll should look like. They have also done some amazing drama learning outside based on the story and have built bridges in our block area. They have played musical instruments that they thought matched the sound that the characters would make and played a maths game based ion the story.
The children have also been busy practising their Christmas songs ready for their performance of the Nativity at the end of term.
Next week the children will find a surprise visitor in Nursery when they arrive on Monday - listen out for them telling you about some strage things happening in Nursery throughout the week!
We look forward to welcoming all parents into Nursery next week for our Stay and Play sessions when you will have the chance to do some Christmas crafts and explore the Nursery with your child!
