“I’ve learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.”
Seedlings:
This week in Seedlings, we enjoyed some wintry crafts.
The children had so much fun creating snowflakes by carefully dipping sponges into blue and white paint then stamping down in every direction resulting in a lovely blurred, wispy effect.
Our Seedlings were thrilled to have the chance to get messy in an engaging Tuff Tray activity too. They stirred ice and shaving foam together, marvelling at the way the cubes melted down to make a gloopy solution to swish and swirl.
We gave the children the chance to let their imaginations run wild in our winter wonderland as they added complementary resources such as white tissue paper which they scrunched and rolled, cotton wool, arctic animals and the Polar Express!
Star Of the Week:
Devon – For her lovely singing skills.
Saplings:
The Saplings worked on boosting their fine motor skills with different stimulating activities this week.
Firstly, they all giggled as they made marks with cars and animals. This activity was brilliant for improving hand/ eye coordination and colour recognition.
Otis set a fine example during a Christmas picture matching challenge. He proudly told his peers that ‘Santa is red’.
Julia Donaldson’s book Superworm was a firm favourite among the Saplings this week. The children repeatedly asked for it to be read aloud at Storytime.
The Saplings had a blast while taking part in a baby yoga session too. Penelope showed good concentration and appeared very focused, following instructions beautifully.
Star Of the Week:
Robin – For always being kind towards others and being so helpful when it comes to tidying up.
Acorns:
We contributed to our window display, adding a snowman, snowflakes and snowballs. Using sponges to dab and different shades of blue paint they brought on the essence of winter. The Acorns then added eyes, a nose and mouth to the snowman. As they stuck them on, we chatted to the children about where these parts are on our own bodies.
Later in the week, the children thoroughly enjoyed exploring an Arctic-themed Tuff Tray. The youngsters had so much fun mixing baking soda and shaving foam together to create ‘snow’. Next, the children added different animals that might live in a cold climate. Finley was particularly fascinated by the texture of the ‘snow’ beneath his fingertips.
To end the week, we tasked the children with making baubles creating an array of patterns using paint and Lego blocks.
Star Of the Week:
Harvey – For becoming a confident walker and mastering moving about in his new shoes.
Oaks:
This week has been very busy, with the children learning all about hibernation. They were extremely fascinated to discover which animals hibernate and the reasons why.
The Oaks also set about transforming the shoe boxes that you all kindly donated. They carefully crafted clay hedgehogs too and waited ever so patiently for them to dry. We hope they can find a warm corner in your home.
Our Christmas Presentation.
What a performance, the children were amazing, it was very humbling to watch with everyone making a huge effort with their nativity outfits. The children remembered their lines and enjoyed singing to all their parents. Practising hard and working together created a lovely start to the festive season, and what a lovely surprise to have a visit from Santa and for the children to meet him in the grotto created by the children themselves, our special helpers were Dylan, Amelie K, Alex and Finneas, who helped decorate the area and make sure it was ready for the big man, not forgetting to use our recycled materials as decorations.
Not only were the children the stars of the show they were also mini chefs creating home cooked shortbread biscuits and cupcakes for all to enjoy.
Star Of the Week:
Every superstar of the show
Forest School:
The children took a vote and to take the right or left path and overwhelmingly chose right. They traversed the frosty fields and headed for the swinging tree and an old fallen oak which they delight in climbing. Or at least they did in the past because what greeted them this week was now diminished; we feel probably sawn into logs to provide fuel or warmth. We love to gather around the fire as it provides an ideal opportunity to discuss our session after some exploration. But hey ho, each week delivers new encounters and always provides a wealth of thought-provoking questions.
The farmer’s chickens came over to greet us all and the children threw in some grain for them to eat. They are positioned next to a lovely little stream which provided the perfect opportunity to play pooh sticks, with Finneas taking the lead in a bid to be the first to reach the other side.
Next week we may just turn left……..
Yours sincerely
The Broughton Team