Block Play & Lose Parts exploration!

This week in the block area, the children have been investigating various different ways to create models & use their problem solving skills, self expression and imagination to create their own models.

The most popular creation this week has been building bridges of various shapes, sizes, length and height. The children have been developing their social and emotional skills by learning to take turns and share materials with their peers.

Block play helps children to become more confident in social situations and create friendships through communication and taking turns. Some of our children used the blocks and included some of our lose parts to create a ”tea party” where they made ”chicken nuggets” for their friends and shared them out one at a time. Very imaginative!

In the lose parts area, some of the children have showed that they are able to confidently match and sort objects using their own criteria such as colour or shape. The children were able to collect specified groups of objects and are beginning to organise objects.

”All the circles together”

”Orange”

Article 28: You have the right to education

Article 31: You have the right to play

The Joy of Story Telling

In our story corner we have been enjoying listening to and creating our own stories. In this area we can relax and look at books either alone or with our friends.

We enjoy sharing information,  we point out familiar places, animals and everyday items and ask questions .

We have story bags in this area which are very popular with the children .This enables the girls and boys to help tell the story and interact with the characters.

The children enjoy self selecting their own story and are able to use the characters within the context of the story. This will also help them recognise the stories have a beginning, middle and end.

This week we have been using our hand puppets to tell stories, the children have added in other items to enhance their story telling which will help develop their imagination and language skills.

Our own stories  : “ My puppets are going to the swimming and we have to go in the car on the motorway we have to be careful because it’s fast driving”.  “ When we were out we found a sick teddy bear and he couldn’t swallow his medicine so we gave him a drink to help”.
“ When we take my baby out she needs a drink and we use a bottle because she is too wee for a cup”.

We have a variety of books and some of the younger  children enjoy  books that they can help turn the pages, lift up the flaps to reveal a surprise this also helps their fine motor skills and adds to the excitement of story telling.

Article 13 – You have a right to find out things and share with others.