Dear Parents,

This week, the Oaks have been very busy preparing a volcano for our small world tuff spot of dinosaurs. Using a range of materials such as tin foil and cotton wool, the children added a mix of textures and layers to build up their volcano. They then took it in turns to paint different colours onto it, adding which colours they thought to be the best fit – after discussion they selected browns, reds, oranges and yellows. Evie was able to identify that when you mix red and yellow, it made an orangey-brown colour and interestingly, that any three colours will make brown. The children plan to further extend their understanding of Volcanoes and what happens when they erupt. They will do this by creating an experiment incorporating bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to see what reaction occurs.

The Oaks also enjoyed a large amount of role play this week. They worked together as a team to build a house to protect them from the ‘Big Bad Wolf’. Belle asked Bertie if he wanted to help her which gave him the confidence to work with her to help build the house. This then led to the children drawing their own representation of the wolf, where Humphrey drew a picture of himself with clear lines and clear features. The children particularly enjoyed doctor and chef role play using stethoscopes and bandages, patching up our staff to the best of their abilities – often pointing out that they had a fever or high blood pressure!

The Saplings have been busy this week developing their understanding of colours and shapes. Using pre-cut shapes, the children created their own ‘shapes’ collage, pointing to each one and attempting to identify the colour as well as the correct shape. James was able to correctly label a triangle and was very proud of this. As an extension the children will be continuing this theme by taking part in shape and colour activities, attempting to match various objects to corresponding coloured backgrounds.

The Saplings have been focusing on the ‘Going on a Bear Hunt’ story. In order to develop their gross and fine motor skills, the children created sponge paintings, used forks to create different textures and explored the sensation of cotton wool. Whilst reading the story, the children all joined in reciting the words, including “swishy swashy” and “splash splosh”. Thomas was very excited about reading the book and could almost repeat the entire text.

The Acorns and Saplings have been further exploring their senses. This time developing their sense of smell as well as touch and taste. Using frozen oranges, the children discovered how oranges smell sweet, feel sticky, taste juicy and are easily squeezed! They enjoyed trying this new experience and were fascinated by how cold the oranges were. Sophia and Joshua certainly didn’t want to let go of their oranges!

The children held their own mini football match, taking turns to score into our new goal. Some of the children found it easier to throw the ball as they aren’t quite as steady on their feet. Ava particularly enjoyed this and spent a long time running back and forth with balls, putting them (and herself) in the goal.

Finally, the Acorns and Saplings have been working on their self-care skills, practising independently feeding themselves. Children such as Ava, Sophia and Jasper have been using their fine motor skills to grasp their spoons and feed themselves. They were very proud of their achievements and fiercely independent, rejecting any offers of assistance.

Have a lovely weekend, stay safe.

The Team at Broughton.