To our children & families:

We’re sorry that things are different this year,
But we wish you lots of merriment and cheer.

Your children have had lots of seasonal fun,
We’ve tried to make this year the top one.

Lots of Christmas arts and crafts have been made,
And with your homemade dough, we know that you have played.

Christmas this year will be different we know,
But there’s still time for fun, before you all go.

We can be sure to have lots more cheer,
Before Flowerbank closes this year.

Share out your gifts and wish for some snow,
Watch Christmas trees sparkle and twinkle and glow.

Make lots of memories, enjoy all your treats,
Have the most magical couple of weeks.

We look forward to the stories when we get back,
All about Santa and what he had in his sack.

So leave out some cookies and snacks for the reindeer,
Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year.

From all the staff at Flowerbank ECC

Team Flowerbank made the decision this year to donate the money they would usually spend on Secret Santa to help create Rainbow Boxes. 🌈

We raised £270 which was spent on a variety of items to be used within the COVID wards at Crosshouse Hospital including phone chargers, lip balm and body lotion.

Thank you to all our wonderful staff for your contributions to this good cause. 🥰

It’s almost time for the Elf to return.
Here are some fun ideas for your Elf to try.

The final day of World Nursery Rhyme Week 2020 and we end the week with “Miss Polly Had A Dolly”. Very little is known about the origin of this nursery rhyme which is a fantastic action song and rich with imaginative role play ideas.
“Experts in literacy and child development have discovered that if children know 8 nursery rhymes by heart by the time they’re 4 years old, they’re usually among the best readers by the time they’re 8”. (Fox, M 2001, Reading Magic, Harcourt).

Welcome to the penultimate day of World Nursery Rhyme Week 2020! The first version of “Old MacDonald Had A Farm” appeared in 1917 and was originally called “Old MacDougal”. A very popular and engaging nursery rhyme, each verse tells the story about a farmer and the many different animals he looks after on his farm.

When children sing nursery rhymes, they explore:
The story structure of the verse (characters, plot, etc)
The fun of alliteration and rhyming
Listening to and memorisation of short verses
Language patterns
New vocabulary
Counting

We’re at the midway point of WNRW 2020 and it’s time for Hickory Dickory Dock. A childhood favourite that we have been singing with our children since 1744 which makes ‘Hickory’ 276 years old.

There are several schools of thought as to the possible origins of this nursery rhyme. Some believe that the rhyme is based on the astronomical clock at Exeter Cathedral. The cathedral clock has a small hole in the door below the clock face for the resident cat to hunt mice. This is a wonderful nursery rhyme for very young children as its easy to learn and retain with language boosting rhyming words and opportunities to practice counting.

Day 2 of World Nursery Rhyme Week 2020 and another popular nursery rhyme from the United States. Very little is known about the origin of “Five Little Speckled Frogs” which is amazing given its popularity.

Counting songs and finger play rhymes are brilliant for encouraging early numeracy skills and fine motor control. By introducing children to the concept of counting, you encourage a familiarity with number names, patterns and values. “When children learn rhythm, they are learning ratios, fractions and proportions.” (Professor Gordon Shaw, University of California).

Other popular counting nursery rhymes:
1-2-3-4-5 Once I Caught A Fish Alive
Five Currant Buns
One Two Buckle My Shoe
Ten Fat Sausages
Hickory Dickory Dock (more about our mouse later this week!)