Braidbar Nursery Blog

ਸਤ ਸੀ੍ ਅਕਾਲ
Sat sri akaal!

Did you visit your new P1 classroom yesterday and meet your teacher? How do you feel today? It was wonderful to see so many of you and your families.

This week we noticed that the strawberry plants in the Little Garden are growing well. I also ate some delicious Scottish strawberries yesterday. Can you guess today’s theme?!

1. Where do strawberries come from? How do they grow? Do you know that strawberries and other plants have a life cycle? This is the story of how they grow and change and make new plants.

2. Take a really close look at a strawberry. Like a scientist would do. Look at the outside. What can you see/smell/feel? Use a knife and cut it in half. What can you see now? How does it smell? Do the same with another fruit and compare them.

3. Keep cutting different fruits to make a fruit salad, kebabs or a smoothie.

4. ‘Strawberry’ is one of my favourite words to say in Polish – truskawka! Do you know the name for strawberries or other fruits in another language? Look here for a few that might be fun to say together:

https://www.indifferentlanguages.com/words/strawberry

 

5. Why don’t you try to grow your own strawberry plant from seeds or buy little plants that you can look after?

 

6. Which sound does STRAWBERRY start with? Can you play a version of I spy and come up with other ‘s’ words from around the house or on your walk? To make it even trickier, can you think of any other words that begin with ‘st’?

Watch the Alphablocks where s and t make an appearance:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/alphablocks-taps

 

7. Watch this video to find information. What new words or facts did you learn? Tell your adult.

 

8. The video mentions some months of the year when strawberries grow here. Do you remember which months? Which month is it now? Which month was before this one? Which will come next? Can you say the twelve months of the year in order?

 

9. Most strawberries are red, though some varieties are different colours. How many red things can you find in two minutes? Can you lay them out on a table or the floor in an interesting way? Take a photo. Please return the items to where they belong when you are finished.

 

 

10. Why don’t you eat some delicious strawberries on their own or in a recipe? Try to use as many words as you can to describe the taste, smell and feel.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/strawberryicelollies_89303

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/search?q=strawberry&page=3

 

 

Take- a – Minute Tuesday

Life at home can be busy. Lots of fantastic things going on, sometimes all at once!

We have over fifty children leaving us soon to move onto school. Each one of whom we will miss greatly. As we welcome some of them to Braidbar today and support others elsewhere this week we thought today might be a good time to pause and reflect.

Here are today’s suggestions

1. Talk about you and what makes you special. What are you like? What are you good at?

2. You are loved. Can you think of all the people in your family and at nursery/school who love and care for you? How do you feel when you are with them?

3. Think about when you were a baby and compare it to now. How have you grown? What can you do now that you couldn’t do then. What about during our time apart? Have you learned new skills, tried new foods, played better with a sibling? We would love you to share some more of these achievements on our Team!

4. Look back at the blog and try some new activities or revisit those you really enjoyed.

5. Look reeeeally far back in the blog (before March 23rd) to see photos of you and your friends. Use them to talk about what you think/hope it will be like when we go back to nursery or start school.

6. Practise some yoga or mindfulness with Jaime on Cosmic Kids on YouTube

 

 

 

Good morning!

Today’s post is all about hands!

1. Look closely at your hands. What do you see? Describe them to someone. Think about lines, colours, bumps, scratches, spots… Do you know words like knuckle, palm, pinky and fist? Why don’t you look at your adults hands now? What’s the same and what’s different?

2.  Do you have some finger or hand puppets you haven’t played with for a while? Perhaps you made a sock puppet last week. Why don’t you get them out for some imaginative play or action rhymes like this one?

 

3. Your adults will have told you that we have not been at nursery as usual because of Corona Virus, something that can make people ill when germs are spread. One of the best ways to stop germs, and one that we always practise at nursery, is handwashing. Sometimes we are in a rush to play or have something to eat and we don’t really wash our hands properly. Do you know how to wash your hands well? Watch this video as a reminder.

 

4. Play some number games with your fingers:

• Say ‘Show me…’ and state number of fingers the other person has to show. See if they can make the same number but with their fingers in a different pattern
• Show your fingers and the other person has to say how many
• Use number cards, a dice or dominoes and match the number of fingers you show to the number displayed
• Make it tricky by showing one more/less than a given number

5. Use your hands and imagination for some art activities.

 

6. Many of you love stories (such as Supertato) by the author Sue Hendra. One of her books is called Barry, The Fish with Fingers. If you have it at home why don’t you read it together?  In the video below Sue Hendra reads her own story.

 

7. Do you like to eat fish fingers? Why do you think they are called that? Could you help to make some fish fingers for dinner this week?

Sometimes adults call little snacks that you can pop into your mouth finger food. Why don’t you make some?

 

8. Develop the muscles in your hands and fine motor skills by doing some things from the list below.

• Build a Lego model
• Thread beads or pasta onto straws or laces
• Manipulate some playdough or clay
• Pick out small items using tongs or tweezers

9. Play some throwing, bouncing, rolling and catching games with a big ball. What if you try to to the same with a small ball?

10. Make a list of all the amazing things you can do with your hands. How many did you find?

Buongiorno!

Today is Friday and the end of another nursery week. As usual we invite you to join us at assembly via our Team. We hope you enjoy seeing some of the wonderful STEM learning that is happening at home.

You will also find a link to special Sports Day challenges on our Team. This has been created by Mr Gordon for the whole school and you can decide if and how you would like to join in. In the school each child is a member of a ‘house’ which is a little bit like belonging to one of our coloured groups in nursery. On Sports Day each ‘house’ wins points and the team with the most points gets the trophy for that year.

Although you are not in houses, some of you will be soon when you join Primary 1 at Braidbar or other schools. Next week many of you will visit your new school and meet your new teacher. I am sure you will feel a little nervous or shy but I hope that mostly you are feeling excited to meet a friendly and kind teacher and some friends, old and new. Some of the nursery adults will be there too to help you in this unfamiliar situation. We can’t wait to hear how you get on!

For now, today’s suggestions are inspired by Sports Day.

Have a lovely weekend.

1. Log onto our Team and join in with some of the fun suggested by Mr Gordon.

2.  Watch and listen to this story. Did you take part in nursery Sports Day last year? Do you remember what it was like? Was it the same/different to Nadiya’s? Did you enjoy it?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/storytime-sport-relief

3. Try some of the challenges below

 

4. Walking is also good exercise and can be full of interest. Why don’t you try some of these ideas on your next walk? Maybe you could walk to your new school before you go for a visit next week?

5. Find out about a sport that your parents or other family members enjoy doing or watching. Can you have a go?

 

6. Make up your own obstacle course, game or challenge that involves being physically active. You might think about balance, speed, throwing, catching or different ways to move. We’d love to see your ideas on our Team.

 

 

Buenos dias!

Today’s post is all about feet, legs and how they move!

1. Here are some ideas to try on your next walk.

2. Turn on some music and move! How many different ways can you dance, travel and move around with your feet? Maybe you could go outdoors and race.  Walk, run, jump, skip, hop, gallop, stomp, tiptoe…

 

3. How far? How long? Think about the length of your bedroom or garden or maybe the distance to the end of your street. How many steps long or far do you think it is? Estimate first then check. How long is your foot? Can you estimate an measure with blocks or other items?

 

4. Does your adult have a fitness tracker or an app on their phone to count steps? How many steps can you walk today? 100? 200? 1000? More?! Record your number today and for the next few days. What was the most steps you recorded in one day? Do you think that’s a big number?

5. How many feet can you spot altogether? How many straight legs? How many bent legs? How many legs altogether?

 

6. Sort some socks into given categories and those of your own.

 

7. Make a sock puppet

 

8. Design a pair of super shoes that you might wear to nursery, your new school or on a special occasion.

 

9. How many legs do these animals have? Can you write or draw your ideas? What about other animals you know?

AN ANT…A SPIDER…A CATERPILLAR…

 

10. Make some creature feet

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/search?q=feet&page=1

 

11. Read an information book and a story

 

11.  Get ready for Sports Day!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/playlist-sports-day

 

Good morning!

Today and tomorrow will be our usual nursery posts but Friday will look a little different. Although our nursery Sports Day should have been on May 1st, the school’s was planned for this Friday. For that reason we will share some sporty ideas on Friday for you to join in with siblings and the rest of the school community.

For now, here are today’s suggestions. They are inspired by the photos many of you have taken on visits to local ponds and rivers.

1. Watch and listen to this story. Go back to the start again and watch slowly, discussing the details in each picture and some of the interesting words.

 

2. Find a long piece of paper or stick a few A4 pieces together. Draw, paint, collage or model your own river. Just like Marc Martin did, I want you to use your imagination to think of all the things you might see and meet on your way along the river. Add them to your picture. Maybe your adult can help you label some of the things you draw.

 

3. Can you find bits and pieces outdoors for interesting water play and investigation? How could you dig, build or make your own flowing river? Can you make a waterfall, pool or pond?

 

4. Join in with this river song

 

5. Can you pretend that there is a river in your house or garden? How will you cross it without getting your feet wet? What interesting ideas will you come up with?

 

6.  Use a piece of fabric as a river. How can your toy animals/cars/dolls cross it safely? Maybe you could build a bridge? What about a boat or raft?

 

7. What animals do you know that live on or near rivers? I am very lucky because a river passes less than five minutes’ walk from my house. It is called the White Cart. I have seen ducks and fish there but recently my neighbours spotted a heron and an otter! Do you know what these animals look like?

 

Justin, I thought you and others might like these!

 

8.  Try these water challenges:

 

9. What do we use water for in our daily lives? Is water important to us? Does everyone in the world have access to the clean water they need? What can we do so we don’t waste water?

 

10. Join Jaime to think about your feelings and how you might manage them.

 

11. Use water in some interesting and fun creations!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/makes/the-lets-go-club-water-xylophone

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/makes/my-story-water-squirter

 

12. Relax

Dober dan!

Today’s post doesn’t have a central theme but pulls together a range of ideas for indoor and outdoor play.

https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/features/home-where-art-creative-curriculum-kids

https://www.nationaltheatrescotland.com/events/play-dates

https://www.readysetride.co.uk/activities.php

 

Hola!

Have you noticed that all the recent sunshine, along with some rain, means that there is lots of greenery around? I have. That is what inspires today’s post.

1. Go around the house and collect as many green items as you can find. Can you lay them out on the floor or table in an interesting way? How many did you find altogether? Are they all the same shade of green?

 

2. Look for shades of green on your walk and take photos. You may see leaves on trees or other plants; street signs; cars; front doors… How many green things did you spot?

3. Use some natural green  treasures you have found to make pictures outdoors.

 

4. How many green foods can you name in two minutes? Can your adult think of any more? Why don’t you make something green to eat in the next few days?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/makes/dotf-pea-and-mint-soup

https://www.healthylittlefoodies.com/pea-fritters/

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/pea-feta-toasts

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/cheesy-broccoli-pasta-bake

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/asparagus-risotto

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/green-burgers

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/green-bean-minestrone

5. Why don’t you experiment with paints or food colouring to find out which two primary colours (red, yellow, blue) mix to make green? Can you make different shades of green? Why don’t you use your different greens to paint a picture – dino, jungle etc – or to ice biscuits if you are using food colouring?

 

6. Practise listening skills and learn some words in German, including the word for ‘green’.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/radio/lingo-show-german-green

 

7. Join the Numberblocks with their ten green bottles. Maybe you can use plastic bottles from the recycling bin to set up, number and play your own games with, including ‘ten pin bowling’. You make up the rules and record any scores next to players’ names.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b08r41qb/numberblocks-series-2-ten-green-bottles

8. Do you recognise all of the green things in this song?

9. Do you have a book with lots of green on the cover? It may be a story or information book. Why don’t you read it together?

Here is a short rhyming story. Can you hear the rhyming words?

 

10. On traffic lights, green means ‘go’. Can you play the traffic light game in your garden or at the park?

GREEN – run

AMBER – jog on the spot

RED – stop

ROUNDABOUT – go round in a circle

LEFT/RIGHT TURN – support you child to turn in the right direction

SPEED BUMP – jump

 

Please see below for information on this year’s Summer Reading Challenge

 

Ni hao!

Did you think about the seven days of the week yesterday? Today is Friday, the last day of the school and nursery week and assembly day. Please look on our Team for this week’s assembly focusing on achievements.

Here are today’s suggestions for learning by helping at home:

1. Practise maths concepts of sorting, grouping and organising by sorting the laundry, going through a mixed up box of toys or by clearing out the cutlery tray and returning everything to its place. Perhaps you could count how many items are in each group. Maybe you could count back as you return each one to its place.

2. Help to prepare a simple meal or snack. Develop fine motor control by spreading, cutting, slicing or mixing. Can you cut some things into two equal parts? Cut them in half?

3. Plan a menu for next week by talking about the things you would like to eat. Why don’t you try to eat at least three new things next week? One new fruit, one new vegetable and one new meal. Write and draw your plan and help to write a shopping list.

 

4. One of the things we need to do to stay healthy is wash our hands and body but we also need to make sure that our homes are clean. Can you help your adult to clean a room at home?

5. Even when we are thinking about being safe and healthy we can sometimes have an accident. How do your adults at home and nursery help you if you have a fall or a bump? What would they do if it was a very deep cut or a big bump? Who might they call for help? Do you know how to get help for you or your adult if you need to? What do you do in an emergency? Talk about this together.

6. Do you have any pets at home? What do they need humans to do to look after them? Can you help with some of those jobs today? Maybe you could look online or in a book to find out more about your animal. I hope Tessa and Rocco enjoyed learning a bit more about caterpillars yesterday!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/shows/my-pet-and-me

 

7. Parents are often very busy working and looking after you. They can be very tired but they also need time to do things they like. Your parents might not play the same games as you but they will have their favourite things to do. Why don’t you find out something that your parent really likes to do and try it together? Maybe they know about cars and can show you under the bonnet, or perhaps there is a special place they have visited that they can show you in photos or a video. Maybe they are really good at drawing and could show you or perhaps you could go on a short run with them if that is something they like doing. Why don’t you draw a picture of your adult doing their special thing?

 

8. If you have a garden there may be jobs to be done there. Can you help to rake up grass once it has been cut or maybe you can look carefully to identify weeds and pull them up. Lots of you are great at washing and sweeping up in the Little Garden so maybe you could do that at home. Why don’t you build a den to relax in after all that helping around the house?

 

9. Being busy and active helps us to feel good about ourselves. Having some things that we do every day – a routine – also helps most of us. Recently we have had to change or routines or maybe we have lost them altogether. Why don’t you take some time to agree a plan for things your child will do each day, either independently or with your help. This will help now but also for their return to nursery/school.

 

 

 

 

Good morning!

It has been wonderful to see some of  you (who will soon be starting school)  on your Bear Hunt adventures. Please keep sharing with us on our Team or elsewhere as we’d love to see more.

Today’s suggestions are inspired by something from our Team…

1. Read The Very Hungry Caterpillar or watch it here:

 

 

2. Find creative ways to make your own caterpillar

 

3. The caterpillar eats lots of different foods. What do you like to eat? Can you draw a picture of your favourite foods? Maybe you can say and write the starting sound or the whole name next to each picture.

 

4. Each day the caterpillar eats something different. Do you remember all of the days of the week in order? Monday, Tuesday….

 

5. What did the caterpillar eat each day? Can you remember without looking at the book again? Can you challenge your adult?! Could you record it somehow?

6. Have you tasted all of the foods that the caterpillar eats? Are they all good for your body? Are some more/less healthy? Why?

Why don’t you pick one or two that are new or that you haven’t eaten in a while and write them on a shopping list? Once you have bought them you could do a tasting session and describe the look, smell, feel and taste of each fruit.

Perhaps you could make a smoothie with some of the fruits.

7. Can you find out about where the different foods come from? Do the fruits grow form small plants or trees? What do these plants look like? Can they be grown in our country or do they only grow in other countries with different climates? What could you grow to eat in your garden? Even if you don’t grow from seed you could perhaps look after a supermarket herb or strawberry plant.

8. In the story the caterpillar becomes a butterfly. What do you know about this in real life? Watch and listen for facts here or read online or in a book. What interesting words did you learn to describe the life cycle of a butterfly?

9. If you could change into something else what would it be? A butterfly? Another animal? A superhero? Tell your adult about it. Draw a picture to show the transformation. Maybe you could write a story about you in your new form.

10. Look closely at butterflies and explore the concept of symmetry with your child.