In Blue Group we used our hands and fingers to find fireworks under the black salt.
In main nursery we used powder paint to create fireworks. We danced with pom poms to the song “Firework”
This week in Blue group we have been learning all about snails as part of our mini beast topic. We have made clay snails, yummy cheese, ham and tomato pastry’s and we had some special visitors! Skye and Everest, our nursery’s giant African land snails came to spend to the week in Blue group. We loved looking at them and some of us were very brave and had a little hold!
This week Red and Green group celebrated everything African. We learnt some new words and greeted each other with a friendly ‘Jambo’ which means ‘Hello’.
We looked at their different ways of life and the beautiful colours they wear. The children made African inspired necklaces making pattens on paper plates and threading pasta.
We made elephants out of milkbottles and used 3D shapes (cylinders and cones) to make mud huts for our small world play.
Red group used the computer to learn about African villages and were fascinated that they did not have taps to get water from. We made a ‘well’ outside and the children used a bucket and some rope to collect water and transfer it into another container to carry to their own village they had made comprising off dens made from boxes and sticks and material.
We harvested some vegetables from our nursery allotment and made lovely fruit kebabs and salads and practiced our cutting and colouring skills making tribal masks.
The children really enjoyed watching the Tinga tinga tales on YouTube, they are based on African folk stories, their favorite was ‘How elephant got his trunk’. They also enjoyed the story ‘Handas Surprise’ we copied Handa by trying to balance things on our head and used our observational skills to draw her basket of fruit.
Lastly we dressed up in bright or animal print clothes and all joining in a very physical dance.
EYFS Links
R14- Listens to stories with increasing attention to detail.
R16- Shows interest in illustrations and print in books.
SM20- Beginning to use mathematical names for solid 3D shapes.
PC10- Shows an interest different ways of life.
TW17- Can talk about some of the things they have observed.
TW18- Talks about why things happen and how things work.
TW21- Looks closely at similarities, differences, pattens and change.
T8- Knows that information can be retrieved from computers.
EMM10- Enjoys joining in with dancing.
EMM12- Beginning to move rhythmically.
EMM13- Imitates movement in response to music.
EMM21- Joins construction pieces together to build and balance.
EMM30- Uses simple tools and techniques competently and appropriately.
BI13- Uses available resources to create props to support role play.
BI19- Plays alongside other children who are engaged in the same theme.
MR21- Keeps play going by responding to what others are saying or doing.
S26- Questions why things happen and gives explanations.
S30- Builds up vocabulary that reflects the breadth of their experiences.
HSC24- Observes the affects of activity on their body.
HSC29- Eats a healthy range of foodstuffs and understands need for variety in food.
Characteristics of Effective Learning
Engagement
*Showing curiosity about objects, events and people
*Using senses to explore the world around them
*Acting out experiences with other children
*Seeking challenge
*Showing a can do attitude
Motivation
*Maintaining focus on their activity
*Showing high levels of fascination and energy
*Showing satisfaction in meeting their own goals.
*Being proud of how they accomplished something.
Thinking
*Finding new ways to do things
*Testing their ideas
*Developing ideas of grouping, sequencing, cause and effect.
*Planning, making decisions about how to approach a task, solve a problem and reach a goal
We have been learning about the Country France by participating in lots of French activities.
* We constructed the Eiffel Tower in wafers and clay.
* Decorated the nursery in French bunting.
* Served French food in our new café.
* Went camping on holiday to France with a mask on and a suitcase
* Celebrated the work of Vincent Van Gogh who painted ‘Sunflowers’ in France
* Sang French songs and counted to 10 in French.
*Made garlic French bread.
Finally on Friday it was ‘French Day’ and we had a French breakfast at snack time.
Everyday our children are involved in an adult led task. This means an adult plans a fun activity for a small group that builds on the children’s knowledge and skills and focuses on learning and developing even further.
I want to share some of the fantastic teaching and learning I saw today on my way around the nursery to welcome everyone.
Purple Group – Learning about time. 
Yellow Group – ‘Silly Soup’, listening to and recognising rhyming words. 
Red Group – Learning to hold a pen correctly and practicing forming letter shapes. 
Red Group – Following instructions to build famous landmarks. 
Yellow Group – Sensory time. 
Green Group -Fun ways to sing counting songs and rhymes. 
Purple Group – Taking turns and sharing. 
‘How many sandcastles can you build in one minute’
The children (and staff) in Blue group has shown lots of interest in the tadpoles. We look at them daily to see their progress. Last week there was great excitement as one of the tadpoles had grown two back legs!
We have all helped to clean the tank regularly, collecting rainwater to use when we change the water as it can get a bit smelly! We have been feeding them cucumber and cold water fish food and they are growing really fast. This morning when we looked into the tank, we discovered some of the tadpoles now have four legs and are beginning to come to the top of the water.
We have looked on the internet and in books to learn how to care for them and explored the lifecycle of a frog.
When we explore nature we:
*Show curiosity about objects/events and people
*Use our senses to explore the world around us
*Taking a risk and engaging in new experiences
*Show high levels of energy/fascination
*Maintain a focus on an activity for a period of time
*Making links and noticing patterns in their experiences
“Eyeballs” “Lizzards” 
“wigglin” 
“Look” 
“Fogs” “Fis” 
“Swinkles” 
“In a water, simmin” 
“Tadpole! 
“Tadpoles” 
This week red group have been developing their gross motor skills outdoors. Children have had opportunities to develop climbing and exploring different ways of travelling on, under, and over equipment. The obstacle course that Mrs Dalton and Mrs Brown built was challenging and made the group think of how they would negotiate their bodies across, on, under and through it to reach the end. We set a timer and recorded how fast everyone could make it around the course. I wonder if your child can tell you who won first, second and third place. It has been lovely to see the children extending and consolidating their learning by building their own obstacle courses during free flow play.
Well done red group!
‘There is something to be wondered at in all of Nature’ – Aristotle Why
During long months of the pandemic, millions of us turned to nature. Research collected during the pandemic and recent months has showed going for walks outside was one of our top coping strategies and 45% of us reported being in green spaces had been vital for our mental health. Further information can be found via the link: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/mental-health-awareness-week
Hooray For Fish is a favourite story for the children in Green Group. It’s full of colourful pictures and playful descriptive vocabulary that supports children’s language development.
Green Group love it so much they have written their own Hooray For Fish story.
“A spotty fish” 
“A Mammy fish” 
“A shark big one fish” 
“A wavy fish” 
“1,2,3 fish” 
“The twin fish” 
“The spotty fish and it’s friend the stripy fish” 
“The angry fish” 
“A scary fish” 
“So many friends, so many fish” 
Can you spot a pattern on a fish?
When it is someone’s birthday in Blue Group we bake a cake to celebrate! We used the scales to weigh out the ingredients and took turns to mix them all together. When the cake was ready we decorated it and sang Happy Birthday. We all helped to blow the number 3 candle out.
When we bake we:-
* Show curiosity about objects, events and people.
*Use our senses.
*Maintain a focus on an activity for a period of time.
*Being proud of how we accomplish something-not just the end result.
