Dear Parents,
Thank you to all who attended our Thermomix presentation on Wednesday evening; we were all amazed at just how remarkable this gadget is and were presented with many delicious dishes, prepared and cooked for us with participation from the group. Kim is very happy to arrange private demonstrations in your homes so if you would be interested, please let me know and I can pass you her details.
We have recently had a number of children present with high fevers; please be advised that we cannot routinely administer Calpol to regulate/control temperatures if there is an underlying reason for the spike. If you feel that your child is not well enough to attend nursery, please do keep them at home.
Oaks 1:
Adrian, one of Oaks 1’s greatest friends – has left the Broughton family to move to Surrey in preparation for school; you’ll be missed by us all.
Oaks 1 showed great interest in the concept of growth this week as they continued to monitor their stick insects. The children were also excited to see a significant change with their caterpillars, who have started to turn into a chrysalis. We spoke about how they create a cocoon out of skin which has been secreted and woven. A few of the class noted that the process isn’t yet complete as you can still see the caterpillars’ heads. We all laughed when a wriggling chrysalis made Paige jump as she attached them to the soft membrane in their netted home ahead of the hatching process.
Forest school was a big success again. The children are really enjoying exploring the different areas and are becoming interested in understanding the world and listening to the different sounds of the outdoors. The children enjoyed twisting sticks to fashion as dream catchers, decorating them with foraged materials remarking on the different shapes they created. The whole team contributed to lunch by helping to cut the vegetables for lunch or setting the tables for their friends. They relished having different responsibilities and exercising independence.
Oaks 1 have also been developing their literacy skills by experimenting with rhyming words. Outside, we came up with a water play word game where we asked the children to identify and match similar words. They asked if we could create a rhyming board to enable them to better communicate with peers those that they recognised.
The class have been busy getting ready for Father’s Day too. As well as making cards, we chatted as a group about what our dads like to do and what their favourite things are (beer was mentioned!) We also asked the children to tell us what their dads remind them of and how old they think they are.
Star of The Week:
Alba D – For continuous perseverance, being kind to her friends and always making everyone smile.
Oaks 2:
This week, we wrapped up our healthy lifestyles theme but noting that discussions on this subject forever continue.
During circle time, we talked about the importance of brushing our teeth and when this needs to be done each day. The children then made their own toothbrushes using different resources including lollipop sticks, paper, scissors, glue and glitter. There were plenty of chances for the class to strengthen decision-making skills during this task. Oaks 2 used fine motor skills too as they added small snips to the paper to create the look of a toothbrush head.
The children have also been learning about the importance of protecting their skin from the sun during the summer. With adult support, the children giggled as they attempted to apply sun cream to themselves. This encouraged independence and avoids learned helplessness.
We discussed Father’s Day a number of times this week to help children to remember that it’s on Sunday. To mark the occasion, the children made little monster pictures where they had their hands and feet painted. As Oaks 2 got creative, we discussed how the paint felt as it was brushed on. The children replied with words including cold, smooth, tickly and soft.
Finally, we cooled off from the warm weather by running through the garden hose. Although everyone got soaked, the children had a lovely time laughing and socialising with their friends. Turn-taking was encouraged which promoted personal, social and emotional development.
Star of The Week:
James MT – For settling into Oaks 2 fantastically and making new friends!
Saplings:
The Saplings have enjoyed various shape sorting activities this week.
We introduced the group to hexagons, semi-circles, diamonds and pentagons, as well as a number of other shapes they were unfamiliar with. Through repetitive games, we encouraged the children to count how many sides and points each shape has. By doing this, they learnt to distinguish between different formations quickly. Joshua cleverly worked out that a circle is made up of two semi-circles, while Emi correctly called out ‘diamond’ and ‘hexagon’ as shapes were held up. All the children enjoyed matching wooden shapes to corresponding pictures, with Felix even noting that the triangular shape was smaller than the one in the picture. This demonstrated his increasing knowledge of shapes, space and measure.
Another popular activity saw the children investigate sensory shapes in an array of different colours. Rory held one up to his face and looked through it, exclaiming that it made his peers look yellow. In another sensory activity, wooden shapes were put into foam. The Saplings’ knowledge was tested when they were asked to identify the different shapes through touch.
The Saplings have also been busy creating Father’s Day cards with a galactic twist, using their footprints and different shapes to create their own interpretations of rockets. Finally, the children have enjoyed the sunshine and made the most of water play – namely filling watering cans and buckets to keep the plants hydrated.
Star of The Week:
Rory – For joining in more with group activities and having the confidence to speak up when he wants to answer questions.
Seedlings:
We’ve looked at summer and self-care with the Seedlings this week.
As the weather has been so beautiful, we’ve been encouraging the children to find their own hats and help us to apply their sun cream. We’ve made use of the garden with a range of outdoor activities including a duck-themed water tray and watering flowers. The children have also had lots of fun on the climbing frame and slide.
Indoors, the Seedings simulated making ice creams with a Tuff Tray complete with cones, mouldable foam and spoons. We also set up a Tuff Tray aimed at educating the children on hygiene and brushing teeth. We provided laminated pictures of teeth that were drawn on with white board pens and toothbrushes with foam for the children to practice cleaning teeth. We used a range of vocabulary during these activities to promote the development of language and sounds.
We’ve enjoyed a range of seasonal activities too. During a game of summer bingo, the children were tasked with matching their card to the correct picture on their board. The Seedlings were able to say the key words throughout this activity. We also hid pictures of summery items such as a hat, sandals and a swimming costume in sand and encouraged the children to dig through it to find them.
In preparation for Father’s Day on Sunday, the children worked hard decorating cards using a range of coloured paint sticks.
Finally, we’ve been strongly promoting independence throughout each day and at meal times, supporting the children with finding their own cups and feeding themselves.
Star of The Week:
Freddie B – For his willingness to help peers and revealing his expanding vocabulary during activities.
Acorns:
The Acorns’ week started with baking healthy oat cookies. Alfie and Adrian were careful to ensure the ingredients were thoroughly combined, while Mia added in a sprinkle of raisins. The finished goods were a definite hit with the children at snack time, and were enjoyed with a glass of milk. We shared any leftover biscuits with our friends in Seedlings.
A number of our older Acorns are currently preparing to move up into the Seedlings’ room. To help ready them for this milestone, we created a range of ‘free flow’ activities, allowing the children to move between the two rooms as they wished. These included playing with modelling foam, making flags and playing at our water table. We were able to do this while the younger Acorns took their morning nap.
We’re continuing to look at nursery rhymes with the children and this week we focussed on Old Macdonald Had a Farm. After singing the popular song, the Acorns helped prepare a small world Tuff Try to represent the farm. There were plenty of different textures to explore including oats, coloured rice and gel-filled sensory bags. Archie cleverly placed ducks on top of blue shredded paper, proving that he understood it was supposed to represent the water in a pond.
Star of The Week:
Ophelia – For her increasing determination and problem-solving skills as she tries her hardest to walk around the room.
Enjoy your weekend.
The Broughton Team