“That is one good thing about this world…there are always sure to be more springs.” – Anne Of Avonlea by L M Montgomery
May we take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy and peaceful Easter. We look forward to seeing you again on the 8th April when we return.
Oaks 2
What an exciting Easter extravaganza Oak 2 have had this week. It has been such fun; we have done so many Easter themed arts and crafts ranging from making Easter baskets to Easter bunting. The children have all excelled and shown such a creative flare. The Easter baskets required significant accuracy and precision but the children did not disappoint, we had to measure our card and then fold, cut and stick down each piece into just the right place, with a little help from Zoe. Once completed the children absolutely loved taking part in an egg hunt, this was a wonderful opportunity for the children to practice their counting skills, to make it fair each child took home 3 eggs, what a treat.
To finish off the week we joined Oaks 1 for our Easter bonnet parade. Despite the awful weather this did not thwart our fun and we had a marvellous celebration of Easter fun. The children took part in dancing, singing and most importantly parading their glorious bonnets, we were ever so impressed with all their efforts and can’t thank the parents enough for their participation in making that happen. The smiles on the children’s faces were priceless. On that note, I would like to say a particular thank you for such generosity from you parents who kindly gifted chocolate eggs to the Oaks 2 staff, it is always so touching to be thought off during times such as these.
On a final note, I would like to take this opportunity to wish Oli all the success in the world on his new adventure as he sadly leaves Broughton Cottage. We know you are going to be a special big brother to your new baby sister.
Have a wonderful Easter weekend and enjoy some special time with loved ones, we look forward to welcoming everyone back in April.
Star Of The Week:
Everyone for their amazing Easter bonnets.
Oaks 1
Oaks 1 were so busy prepping for what would have been one of our year’s main social events for all the family… but unfortunately the weather had other ideas so whilst we couldn’t invite everyone, we took the fun indoors instead and the children had a ball.
We asked the children what Easter means to them and of course they all said ‘chocolate!’. We decided to research the occasion in more detail and Oaks 1 learnt that at this time of year, lots of baby animals are born. We tasked the children with making homes for the newcomers from recycling and Rosie really wowed us with her chicken coop. Ralph inventively made a flying chair that he said could whizz around the world, gathering up animals to bring back to Broughton Cottage.
Oaks 1 were thrilled to have the chance to see our two baby chicks who were born on Wednesday evening, just in time for a meet and greet before we all head off for our Easter break. We’ll choose names for our fluffy little friends when we get back.
We ended our week with a fantastic party and the children proudly wore the hats they’d so carefully crafted for our competition. Oscar impressed us by making his hat from recycled materials, while Freddie, Thomas and Xander’s creations were cleverly made too.
Star Of The Week:
Kiyan for trying lots of new foods.
Forest School
Our Tuesday group were delighted to be back in the woods again and were lucky to be rewarded with lovely balmy weather (a rare treat!)
They soon set about building dens and foraging for natural resources which they manipulated and ‘changed’ into other things allowing their imaginations drive their reasoning using tools such as saws, hammers and drills. Before they could start though we revisited all the safety rules we must follow to keep safe in the woods.
We ventured a short distance from basecamp and played pooh sticks in the little stream which runs parallel with the site. The children were a little competitive but soon appreciated that we can’t always win!
Until next week …………………………………
Seedlings:
This week, the Seedlings continued to look at Easter and the colour yellow.
The children got crafty making chicks out of tubes covered in yellow feathers. Lyra told her friend that the feathers felt soft as she stuck them to the tube. Googly eyes were added as a finishing touch. The Seedlings were ever so fascinated by the way the feathers fell out of their hands to the ground at different speeds.
Another craft activity saw the children make yellow sun catchers by adding different textures to sticky back plastic. The Seedlings giggled as they put their hands onto the sticky plastic surface. The finished creations look wonderful hanging in our window, catching the light in a similar way that stain glass windows do.
Colour mixing proved to be popular with the Seedlings too this week. A table was covered with tin foil before yellow, green and purple paint were added. The children loved exploring the paint with a paintbrush and then their hands, seemingly mesmerised by the way the colours spread over the foil.
While playing with yellow gloop, Daneyal said ‘wow’ while manipulating the substance with a spoon. Avery lifted up a spoonful of gloop and tipped it out, saying: ‘Tower’.
Star Of the Week:
Annabelle – For showing kindness towards her peers.
Saplings:
Easter is fast approaching, and the Saplings have had a very busy four days.
We kickstarted the week by making our own Easter mosaic frames. The children help cut the pieces of tape using scissors and had fun choosing various Easter craft materials such as bright tissue paper, foam stickers and coloured feathers. Alex was so intrigued with the stickers – she learned to peel the backs of them and stick them down herself!
The Saplings also did a fine job of scooping soil into flowerpots. Lowri made space for her chosen seeds by pressing the soil down.
Egg and spoon race was certainly a hit, and the children adored hunting for eggs in the forest area of our garden.
Star Of The Week:
All the Saplings – For their enthusiasm and individual ideas when playing or crafting.
Acorns:
The Acorns have continued to explore different textures this week.
While mark-making with a variety of tools including toothbrushes, sponges, paintbrushes, rollers and even their fingers, the Acorns had ever so much fun. The youngsters remained engaged throughout and thoroughly enjoyed getting creative.
During a second mark-making activity, the children worked with natural resources such as pinecones. The children enjoyed rolling them around on the paper and marvelled at the marks they made.
The Acorns were also delighted to have the chance to create their own sensory board made up of rough, soft, bumpy, hard and smooth materials.
Star of The Week:
Teddy – For settling into the room so well.
Yours sincerely
The Broughton Team