Dear Parents,
We welcome Aaliyah to the Broughton team and hope that she will be very happy with us.
We have invited Kim to the nursery to demonstrate the Thermomix, an incredibly clever mixer, blender, cooker on Wednesday evening at 6.45pm. Our Cook, Annette has found it to be a very valuable addition to the kitchen using it for the first time this week. She will happily share her views with you. Kim will produce some healthy snacks for all to try. If you would like to join us, please let me know.
Oaks 1:
Excitement levels were high in Oaks 1 this week as the children’s stick insects started to hatch.
The group decided they’d feed ivy to their bugs because an abundance can be found in our garden. While foraging for it, the class made sure they’d found the right plant by comparing its leaves to others they came across. To extend Oaks 1’s learning about flora, they had a go at drawing their own interpretation and colouring in sunflowers. They then labelled each part, carefully considering where the stem, petals and pollen could be found. The children added complex words such as ‘sepal’ to their ever-growing vocabularies.
As well as taking responsibility for their stick insects, Oaks 1 have also been caring for caterpillars. Each day, the children examine the creepy-crawlies to monitor their growth and check whether or not they’ve turned into a chrysalis.
Oaks 1 took part in their first forest school session off site too – and it was hugely successful! Using their knowledge of how to build fires, the children used strikers to attempt to get a flame going, though sometimes needed a helping hand. We cooked meatballs in a rich pepper and tomato sauce which the children helped tom prepare noting that some vegetables were rather easier to cut than others! We then roasted marshmallows and also enjoyed some hot chocolate.
While traipsing through the undergrowth, the class became explorers. Physical development was strengthened as the class climbed over and under tree branches and roots. A number of the children pointed out where the boundaries of the woods were and stated that they must follow the rules to remain safe. Later on, the group reflected on their most enjoyable moments from the outing. A particular favourite seemed to be the excitement of using a toilet in a tent, very different to the one they are used to.
To prepare the children for going to school, we’ll be setting up a uniform shop to give nursery leavers the chance to try some on. Oaks 1 will start to look at rhyming words too, utilising their knowledge of similar sounding words from their favourite books. To extend this, the children will be playing word bingo, seeing if they can say the initial sound in each word before starting to segment and blend these sounds together.
Star of The Week:
James B – For demonstrating good concentration and listening well during activities and circle time.
Messages:
If any parents have spare uniform they no longer need or want, we’d love to use it in our special shop for Broughton Cottage leavers.
Oaks 2:
The Oaks 2 children are continuing to learn about healthy lifestyles.
They commenced the week by helping the adults cut up potatoes to use for a creative mark-making activity. Next, they used fine motor skills to dip the pieces into paint to create some eye-catching and colourful artwork.
During group circle time, we talked about all of our favourite fruits and vegetables. Each child successfully gave an answer and was excited to share which ones they eat at home. This was great for boosting self-confidence as it gave the class an opportunity to speak about their lives away from the nursery. Whilst outdoors the children were fascinated in watching the movement of their potatoes underground – the plants are being forced upwards, reminiscent of a volcano and they are excited for the final product, however a little more patience is required before we can harvest them.
We enjoyed linking our topic to literature too with Kjartan Poskitt’s book The Runaway Pea and Supertato by Paul Linnet and Sue Hendra, with both a huge hit. And by watching a selection of YouTube clips, the children learnt that some vegetables grow in the ground while others grow on bushes and trees. The footage also reinforced their understanding that plants need water and sunlight to flourish, supporting their understanding of the world.
When taking part in a taste test involving different vegetables and French toast served with fruit, Oaks 2 used some fabulous descriptive language. Words they offered included juicy, crunchy, soft and sour. Finally, to help the children feel refreshed we made ice lollies. They took turns whizzing up apple juice, blueberries and strawberries in the blender before helping a practitioner pour the mixture into moulds. We then explained that the lollies needed to go in the freezer in order to turn from a liquid to a solid state.
Star of The Week:
Theo J – For being helpful towards his friends. He kindly offered assistance to a peer who was struggling to put his shoes on and also helped hand out plates and cutlery.
Messages:
We love to help children feel comfortable within our setting, so we’re asking parents to provide us with different nursery rhymes/ songs they might sing at home.
Saplings:
Continuing with our construction theme, the Saplings enjoyed expressing their creativity through junk modelling this week.
The children used decision-making skills to determine what they wanted to create and select the materials they wanted to use. Joshua was extremely proud of the digger that he crafted. This activity also presented an opportunity for practitioners to discuss different shapes with the class, as we helped them identify the formation of the different objects used for the junk modelling.
In another activity that furthered the room’s understanding of shapes, the children were tasked with creating construction pictures. Fine motor skills and precision were also used when carefully gluing and sticking different shapes together. The children were thrilled with their finished collages.
Following on from this, the Saplings participated in a sensory activity with construction blocks where foam was used as ‘cement’. This enhanced physical development and fine motor skills, plus required the children to concentrate and persevere when they encountered stability issues. Rawdon loved using the foam to make marks and enjoyed telling peers what he was trying to represent.
Inspired by reading the Dig Dig Dig story, the Saplings helped staff assemble a sensory Tuff Tray where oats and cocoa powder resembled gravel and mud. Diggers were used to transport the ingredients. This small word play game was a wonderful way of seeing the children’s interpretations of construction in real life.
Star of The Week:
Ava – For leading a child-initiated circle time and encouraging her peers to dance and sing along with her.
Seedlings:
We’ve taken full advantage of the sunshine again this week.
The Seedlings have been ever so helpful watering our flowers and adored playing with ducks and other small world animals in the water. Splashing about proved to be the perfect way to cool off. While out in the garden, the Seedlings spent time looking through binoculars to see if they could spot any insects.
Our Tuff Trays have provided much entertainment, especially our spider-themed one that featured a web cleverly crafted from masking tape. The children also loved our Hungry Caterpillar tray decorated with coloured rice. In our sand and mud tray, the Seedlings used their palmar grasp to dig for insects. Some of the older children in the room also enjoyed playing a matching game, using pictures of creepy-crawlies.
Over the next two weeks, our focus will shift to the topics of summer and self-care.
Star of The Week:
Theo Mc B – For settling so well into our room.
Acorns:
The Acorns have loved spending time in our courtyard and garden this week. We’ve used the pool, sprinkler and water play to cool ourselves down. Adrian and Raul enjoyed splashing the water using their feet and hands.
All the children like singing nursery rhymes, so we have decided to focus on different songs throughout the next couple of weeks. Starting with ‘Three Little Ducks’, we created an interactive sensory Tuff Tray and the class adored exploring the pond. This activity proved to strengthen physical development too as Ophelia and Sebastian were able to pull themselves up and walk around the tray while holding the sides. A second sensory activity enjoyed by the Acorns involved natural materials and magnets.
The children have also been using their touch, taste and smell senses this week. When trying different fruits and vegetables, Ralph wasn’t convinced by the bitter taste of lemon. We also gave the Acorns the chance to make their own crumble. We placed all of the ingredients on a tray and allowed the children to sample the produce before it was combined and cooked. Adrian loved nibbling the apple, while Archie had lots of fun licking the spoon. We’re pleased to say the pudding was delicious and there were empty bowls all round.
Star of The Week:
Oscar F – For his amazing social skills, he came into the nursery happy and ready to explore.
Have a fabulous weekend.
The Broughton Team