“I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.” – L.M. Montgomery, Anne Of Green Gables
Seedlings
The Seedlings kicked off their week with a craft project that saw them turn shoeboxes into mini beach scenes.
They used different tools to paint the ocean and sky before sticking sand to the base. While painting, Genevieve remarked that the sky was blue before Theo informed his peers that he visits the beach with his grandparents to watch the waves and spot fish.
The children had so much fun whizzing up strawberries and bananas to make ice cream. Otis revealed that chocolate ice cream is his favourite. This activity presented the perfect opportunity to discuss healthy eating and different allergies our friends might have. We spoke about how we consume dairy, nut and soya free produce at Broughton Cottage. The children were so excited to taste the ice cream that they made after deciding whether to have it in a cone or bowl.
The Seedlings’ week ended with sand painting and the children were intrigued by the way the texture of the paint changed as grains were mixed in.
Star of The Week:
Genevieve – For showing such great independence when using the potty.
Saplings:
With the peacock eggs due to hatch next week, the Saplings have been learning about growing.
We chatted to the children about the lifecycle of a chicken while labelling different parts of a chick. During this activity, the Saplings had the chance to work on their scissor-handling skills.
We also got to work planting tomato seeds and Lyra was so excited to tell the practitioners that hers would grow very soon.
The Saplings have been comparing sizes and putting objects in a line, from smallest to biggest. We also found a family of snails and discussed which one was mummy, daddy and baby.
Star Of the Week:
Poppy – For her efforts with potty training. Keep up the good work!
Acorns:
The Acorns continued with their under the sea theme this week.
On Monday, the children made their own sensory bags complete with shells, sea animals, shaving foam and blue food colouring. The Acorns all loved getting to grips with the different textures.
Another creative activity saw the children take a trip to the beach with a special themed Tuff Tray. The Acorns adored building sand castles and splashing the different sea animals in the water. This seaside set-up presented an opportunity for the children to familiarise themselves with various natural resources such as sand, water and shells.
To finish the week off, the youngsters painted some brightly coloured starfish.
Star of the Week:
Arthur – For his communication skills.
Oaks 1:
It’s been an active week for Oaks 1, with the children gearing up for their upcoming sports day. We were really impressed with everyone’s efforts when it came to the sack race, egg and spoon race and relay preparations.
We also talked about different characters we love during circle time before we challenged the children to become and illustrator and author. The children were encouraged to develop a storyline and draw the characters while a practitioner scribed their words.
In a bid to help keep our local community tidy, Oaks 1 visited their local park and scoured the playground for rubbish. The children placed discarded bits of plastic in the bin using litter pickers.
We are delighted to tell you that the class walked to the park ever so sensibly and executed amazing listening skills throughout. We stopped at the village hall and war memorial on the way.
Star of the Week:
Oliver – For the empathy he showed towards his friends.
Dates For Your Diary:
14th June – Oaks 1 and Oaks 2 Father’s Day Breakfast (9.30 – 11.00am).
6th July – Leavers’ Party (10.00am – 12.30pm). We will kick off the event with our Sports Day and Graduation before we enjoy a BBQ and lots of other fun activities.
Forest School
Choosing to remain at basecamp for the entire session, the children naturally formed small groups and enjoyed the immediate surroundings, building forts and dens, working together cooperatively and carefully. Ralph, Freddie and George teamed up to climb and leap, Thomas and Ophelia set to work in the mud kitchen preparing a veritable feast for us all which included pizza and pudding.
Jamie, Ronnie, Sebbie and Kiyan made a new fire pit circle whilst Margot, Theo and Oscar helped to create a masterpiece from natural materials which now adorns a tree. It’s wonderful to observe friendships forming, teamwork growing and confidence building.
Oaks 2:
This week Oaks 2 have embraced the lovely sunny weather.
The children spent a lot of time outside and particularly enjoyed using different tools for a spot of mark-making. We tasked the children with using their feet to make marks, something they thoroughly enjoyed.
With Father’s Day fast approaching, we’ve been working hard on our cards. Oaks 2 thought about what their dads do and listed all the reasons why they love them.
The youngsters became bakers this week too and whipped up a number of delicious treats for our charity bake sale on Friday. As they rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in, we explained what a charity does.
One of this week’s highlights was an exciting ice painting activity involving frozen buckets and moulds. Oaks 2 chatted to one another about the way the ice moved around the silver tray. As they began to melt they soon discovered some animals lurking inside and set to task freeing them using hammers.
Star of the Week:
Emma – for being so helpful and kind to her friends.
Yours sincerely
The Broughton Team