#earlyyears | Cart Mill Family Centre

Watching the Cart Mill children taking part in todays Mini Kickers session it was easy to see that they were having so much fun!. The boundless energy our children have helps to develop essential skills, and one of the most exciting skills to nurture at this stage is ball control. Ball games can help develop coordination, confidence, team work and physical development. Take a look at some of the activities “the coach” set us today to help develop these skills.

Using our feet to dribble the ball practicing control. This helps children improve hand-eye and foot-eye coordination, which are essential life skills. We were dribbling the ball round the room using little kicks. Picking the ball up and placing it back down ready to kick.

Mastering the ball can boost a child’s self-esteem, helping them feel capable and proud of their accomplishments. Todays group did amazing taking part in all the activities. They responded well to praise and were proud of their achievements. Well done team!

Football is a team sport, taking part in the activities with their peers and working together to build relationships. We were in 2 different teams today. The blue team and the red team. We played a game of trying to score goals in the other teams net. “If you get the ball in the net you win”

As you can see it’s never too early to start nurturing ball control in young children. Mini kickers can develop this skill while having fun a blast with our peers. By making the learning process fun, playful, and supportive, we can help these little athletes embark on a journey filled with confidence, teamwork, and physical development. So, grab a football and let these mini kickers enjoy the magic of ball control.

Article 31 (leisure, play and culture) Every child has the right to relax, play and take part in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities.

Numeracy is all around us, and for our young children at Cartmill, developing our numeracy skills can be an exciting adventure, especially when taken outside into the garden. In Scotland, we celebrate the importance of numeracy and outdoor learning with Math Week Scotland. Take a look at a snapshot of the activities going on this week in the Cartmill garden.

Creating Patterns

Exploring patterns using natural resources in early numeracy involves using items like shells, pebbles, or branches to create and expand patterns. This hands-on approach not only enhances understanding of early numeracy but also encourages an appreciation for the natural world. By taking part in these activities, children develop problem-solving skills, boost their creativity, and gain a deeper understanding of numeracy in the early years. Take a look at some of the pictures below and the patterns that were created.

Measuring

Measuring with our hands and feet is a practical and fun way to introduce children to the concept of measurement. They can use their hands or feet to gauge the size and length of everyday objects. We explored different objets in the garden which you can see in the photos below. This interactive activity not only helps them develop an understanding of measurement but also enhances their fine motor skills and gross motor skills.

One of the children used their hands to measure two separate pieces of wood, and then combined them, exploring addition. He said “this is 11 and 4 together” and then counted out 15 with support.

Measuring using our feet “It’s 10” showing 10 fingers.

Shape Hunt

An outdoor shape hunt is a amazing adventure where our children explored their natural surroundings to discover shapes in the world around them. Together with curiosity the children of Cartmill embarked on a quest to find circles in tree trunks, squares in windows, triangles in buidings, and countless other shapes. Take a look at the shapes we found on our shape hunt.