Monthly Archives: June 2022

Outdoor Learning

We’re going on a bug hunt 🐞

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In the garden we are taking part in the 30 day wildlife experiences. The children chose day 23 which was a bug hunt, we searched for our favourite mini beasts.

We worked as a team, flipping over logs, checking under stones, looking through flowers, soil and the grass.


“I found a ladybug”     “Look there’s a worm”

There are so many benefits of going on a bug hunt;

Learn about insects
Observational skills
Social skills
Exercise and fresh air
Encourages children to explore

After searching for our mini beasts, we decided to make our very own butterfly feeding table. We gathered all the materials needed and got started. The children showed brilliant fine manipulative skills when cutting and gluing.


Once it was all glued down and ready to go we filled up the jam jar lids with sugar water and looked for the best place to put our table.

Now we wait for the butterfly’s to come visit our garden.

Expressive Arts, Literacy

Mark making with the Cars

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Today the children were showing an interest in the different cars ,trucks and trains in the Discovery room.  We decided to collect some items to see if there were different to do with the cars.

We collected:

  • “A big, massive piece of paper”
  • Scissors
  • sticky tape
  • Pens

We taped the paper to the floor but the children also wanted to tape the pens to the cars to see what would happen to them.

” The train drawed a line and then a circle”

They realised when they moved the trains and cars on the paper, the pens were leaving a trail behind them.

The children noticed that by using different sized pens that the marks were different sizes.

“It looks like my dads map of Scotland, with all the lines on it”

Mark making is an important step in a child’s journey in learning to write. This allows them to practice holding a pencil and learning to control their marks. This improves their fine motor skills and helps to develop their hand- eye coordination.

Mark making can also encourage creativity by giving the opportunity to communicate through drawing and using their marks to tell a story.

” My truck is going to follow the track to find the other cars”

 

Expressive Arts

Blocks Rock!

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We have been very busy in our block area today!

Using our excellent problem solving skills, we explored measurement and balance.  We were able to identify which blocks were “lighter” and “heavier” and discovered we needed to put some of the heavier blocks on the bottom of our towers so that they didn’t topple over!!

It was so much fun adding in our small world figures. We worked together to build stairs for them to climb into their houses and we even constructed a lego train which had a bed to sleep in!

Next we decided to use our larger blocks to build “somewhere to give money out”.  We decided we needed steps and a seat “so we can give the money out to people”.  Using our measuring skills, we were able to compare the size of each block and identify which were “bigger” and smaller” and discussed where we should place them so that it “would be safe to climb on”.  Placing the blocks together we discovered that 2 of our smaller “square” blocks were the same size as “the rectangle one”.


“this one is bigger”

Collecting lots of loose parts gave us lots of “money” and we took turns being “the person who gives the money to people”.  Everyone demonstrated excellent turn taking, counting and negotiating skills!

Block play enables us to explore logical and abstract thinking, use our imaginative and creative skills and develop our communication and negotiating skills, while having lots of fun!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outdoor Learning

Exploring our garden

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Today in our garden we have been exploring a variety of areas. We have been focussing on developing our fine and gross motor skills and practiced this by using our pincer grip to create a den. We also used our obstacle course and pieces of material to develop our den building skills.

We have also been making the most of the huge puddles the rain had left us overnight! We put on our puddle suits and wellies and had lots of fun jumping in the muddy puddles. We have also been practicing measurement by pouring and filling using different sized containers.

And finally, we have been developing our balancing skills on our obstacle course that we put together ourselves. Look at how high the children can jump and their excellent balancing

Expressive Arts, Literacy

Scribble while you wiggle.

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Today in the Studio Room we were scribbling while we wiggle. There is lots of activities we can do to help us on our journey to writing. The first step is ensuring  we have the gross and fine motor skills ready to hold our pencils.
We used material and scarfs and chose our song to wiggle to.

First we copied Emma’s actions moving the scarfs round and round, twisting and twirling. Then we listened to the rhythm of the music, and then we all used our own movements to control the scarfs.

Another activity we can scribble while you wiggle to is painting to music. We chose music from an orchestra and listened to the sound each instrument made and painted what we thought the sound would look like.


Was it a splash or bang, would the sound make us paint long strokes or short.

We used paint brushed but one of our children decided to use her hands to represent the sounds she heard.

Another scribble while you wiggle activity our children enjoy is using large paper and a wide range of mark making resources to mark make and use scribble streams. We chose the instrumental Encanto songs. This music was fast with an upbeat tempo and we used different movements with our pens/pencils to this music.

We enjoyed  working together and showing each other what we had created and what we each thought the music sounded like. We even used our turn taking and sharing skills. This is a great activity enjoyed by all our children from 2-5years old.

Why don’t you have a go at scribble while you wiggle at home? What do you think sound looks like?

Expressive Arts, Literacy

Animal themed songs 🐮🐔🐸🐻‍❄️

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Today the children were enjoying some songs with movement, puppets, rhymes help the children to join in and retain their interest. We all got to choose the songs we wanted to sing and used props if we could to make it even more fun.

Old Macdonald had a farm 🐷


Little bunnies see them sleeping, see them hopping 🐰

Incey wincey spider

The children were having a great time singing, dancing, rhyming and this can be done at home sharing songs and having a lovely time together 😀

Expressive Arts, Social Studies

Ready Steady Sew

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Today the children in the home room have been exploring the sewing area. We had a discussion about threading a needle and how it can be really difficult to do but once it is done we are able to create stitches on the sewing table. Together the children shared their thoughts and ideas on what to do next, as a group we decided they would like to try sewing something onto the hessian.


The children searched the sewing area and found a variety of different materials in different shapes, sizes, colours and patterns and they were able to choose what they would like to use.
Firstly they drew patterns on the material that they chose to sew on and, with a little support with they cut out shapes using the large scissors. We then used the hole punch to cut out holes in our material to make it easier to thread the two bits together, this needed a lot of concentration. The children used their hand and eye co- ordination while completing this task. At the end they talked to each other about their own creations.

“can we cut out love hearts?”

”I can thread my needle?”
We decided using the Hessain table was easier than an individual piece.


”I liked doing both”
“I cut mine all by myself”
“mine is stuck together”

The younger children have enjoyed threading the large buttons, they spend a lot of time doing this so we added some pine cones, sticks, pipe cleaners, ribbon and wool for them. The children needed a little guidance of what to do and before we knew it they were confidently picking materials to wrap, weave and twirl, all the time developing their fine motor skills and concentration.

Special Event

Today at Cart Mill family centre we celebrated the queen’s platinum jubilee

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Today was a day for celebration in Cart Mill as we had a ‘street party’ to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. The children and staff all made such an effort to dress up for the occasion. Thankfully the weather was kind and we were able to decorate the garden with red, white and blue flags and bunting. It looked fit for a queen!
The best bit is, we got to do it all again in the afternoon – a double party!

The children enjoyed Victoria Sponge Cake, scones with jam and cream – we had jam first, how do you have yours? We also had fresh fruit and a glass of chilled water to wash it all down. It was a fantastic party which was followed up with a Royal banquet at lunch.
We were very proud of the children – who, along with Iona made all the party food. Here are some pictures of them hard at word making their Victoria sponge cakes and their fruit scones. Maybe you could ask your star bakers to show you their skills at home because we can tell you, their baking is delicious!