Working with Nature in the Cartmill Garden 🪴

The last few weeks in the garden have been so busy and very exciting. We had the pleasure of a visit from Carolside Primary 7 pupils who brought some bird houses to paint with our children. They also spent time playing with our boys and girls and were shown round our lovely new garden.

The girls and boys were also busy building a bug 🐛 hotel using their construction and problem solving skills. The best part is looking everyday to see who may have checked in.

Another visitor to the nursery was a teacher from Williamwood High School . She spoke to the children about the bees 🐝 that they keep and spoke about different types of bees , how they gather pollen and make honey. She kindly brought a bee suit and smoker for us to see and we even got to try on a bee suit which keeps you safe when working with the bees 🐝.

In the garden we have been  we have been working with our willow sticks. We had some help to cut up the branches then used them for the bug hotel, painting and weaving  sticks to hang on our “fairy tree”.

When  playing in the garden we are alway looking out for signs of nature.  Very exciting was a wasps nest being built in one of our bird house we had a careful look then removed it to a safe space.

Finally we are continuing to care for our plants 🌱 and vegetables 🥕 and watching them grow.

The girls and boys have really enjoyed the last few weeks in the garden and we are looking forward to celebrating National Bee Day on the 20th May.

Article -Children have a right to be outdoors and explore.

Spend a week with us in the STEAM room

Welcome to our STEAM room!

This week we have been being super creative in the block area, creating our own designs and then having a go at building them with the blocks. Block play nurtures problem-solving and critical thinking.

Children learn through trial and error—figuring out how to make structures stable, how to recreate designs, or how to adapt when something collapses. This process builds resilience and persistence. Socially, when children build together, they practice communication, collaboration, and negotiation, sharing ideas and working towards common goals.

Also, in the science area we have been exploring the magnets. Magnet play supports language development as children describe what they notice, ask questions, and explain their discoveries. Fine motor skills are strengthened as they manipulate objects, while problem-solving skills grow as they figure out how to move items, build with magnetic pieces, or complete challenges.

Article 31 – I have the right to play

Earth Day 2026

Wednesday marked Earth Day 2026 so within the STEAM room we have spent this week learning more about our planet. We started by making the planet in a variety of creative ways- playdough, gloop and collage.

We also created the earth by colouring in the sea on a paper plate then planting cress seeds on the cotton wool to represent the countries. We had lots of chat about the different countries everyone has visited on their holidays.

Then we made something to help look after our planet. We cut the paper from the recycling bin and soaked it in green and blue water for two days before draining the water away. We took a small amount of paper and created a well to place some wild flower seeds inside then we squeezed any excess water away and rolled it into a ball so it looked just like Earth. The boys and girls are very excited to plant the seed bombs in their gardens or plant pots at home.

UNCRC Article 13- You have the right to find out things and say what you think through making art, speaking and writing.