Videos
Five Speckled Frogs
Exploration of Coffee Beans and Water
What’s Missing Guessing Game
Doctors
The children are playing at being doctors and looking after patients. They are exploring what they know about going to the doctors and possibly using this as an opportunity to share thoughts on their experience of the pandemic.
Making Jam Tarts
Cooking and baking are a wonderful opportunity for children to learn. There is maths in the weighing and measuring, science in watching the ingredients combine and change, and lots of opportunities to talk about what they are doing.
And then you can eat what you have made (and tidy up any mess).
Hello!
Isn’t it cold! There’s been some great outdoor learning this week with ice and frost – we had a big discussion around frozen sand. If you have access to sand at home or at a play area take a metal spade and see if you can dig! It’s a great “I wonder why…” activity.
Here’s this week’s activities!
Snowflake shapes
In Willow we have continues our exploration of shapes cutting paper like the photo above. We have been projecting them on the ceiling using an overhead projector but you could display them by sticking them on a window.
Key learning –
- Scissor control – beginning to cut in a curve as well as straight lines
- Exploring and naming shapes
- Noticing and creating pattern
- Talking about the weather, snow and frost
You will need –
- Scissors – one pair each
- Paper – best shape for snowflakes are circles but you will need to pre-cut these. Squares and rectangles are fine
Each paper needs to be folded twice. Your child could do this themselves if they want. Start by making snips along the edges then cutting a few rectangle and square shapes out of these snips. Point out to your child the differences eg ‘rectangle have 2 long sides and 2 short sides. Move on to triangles and lastly those tricky circles. Have fun making non standard shapes too, saying ‘It looks a bit like a square but this side is wiggly’.
When you have cut all around your paper you can open it out. Do they see any patterns? How many of the different shapes can they find?
For more maths activities have a look at these links:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/number-songs-from-numberblocks
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/joinin/numberblocks-help-your-child-with-maths
Story Mapping
Key learning –
- Understanding story
- Sequencing events, knowing what comes next
- Remembering characters, environments and details of story
- Mark making – pencil control, representing real objects
Following on from last week’s role play activity, this extends children’s learning by getting them to ‘imagine’ the story through drawing (and writing!).
You will need –
- Paper – if you want you could share a big sheet of paper – this really enhances collaboration and working together
- Crayons, felts, pencils etc
- Book and props from last week to remind children of the story
Remind your child of the story. Have a discussion about favourite parts or characters. Ask what they would like to draw. Join in with your favourite part. Talk about what they and you are drawing eg. ‘Your bear has really big ears. My baby bear is looking sad’.
You can extend by writing speech bubbles for your own drawing. This shows children the importance of writing and print. They may want to do their own.
If your child is really enthusiastic you could map out (eg. Draw) the whole story!
Remember to encourage and praise all mark making. Your child may be drawing just circles and lines (like the photo above) but to them it could be something very important. Don’t be worried about final pictures. Enjoy the process.
Chinese New Year
Happy new year to all of you especially Zoey and Eric. Celebrations start on February 12th and it’s the year of the Ox. Don’t forget you can make stir fry from Beech’s recipe from a few weeks ago and in Willow we are using tiny brushes with black paint to create our very own Chinese writing.
Children at nursery have been watching this https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/chinese-new-year
Shrove Tuesday
Tuesday is pancake day. Have fun cooking and eating together. We will be making playdough pancakes for a pancake race at nursery after the holidays. Watch out for a video!!
Lockdown
We continue to visit the children’s well-being. It is really important that you talk to your child about why they can’t come to school at the moment but that they will be back soon. Be upbeat and matter-of-fact eg. ‘We’re being really good and careful about not getting Coronovirus by not going to school or seeing anyone but we will be able to go back soon’. Listen to your child and watch for any mood changes, asking how they feel. Keep happy, busy and active and look after yourselves too. Above all stay connected. Check this website –
Beech and Acorns Update
Over the last week or two we have been making delicious vegetarian pizzas using pizza dough packs, peppers, mushrooms and sweetcorn along with some passata and cheese. The children have special plastic knives so that they can safely practise chopping.
We have also really enjoyed making our own slime using PVA glue some saline solution, colour and bicarbonate of soda. Just mix it up and see what happens.
It’s easy to make and amazing to play with!
We have also been thinking about the letters that start our name and what they sound like. We found letters hidden in the garden to help us connect the letters and sounds.