This week was Book Week Scotland! Book Week Scotland is an annual celebration of books and reading, where we build upon our existing reading culture and make reading fun for everyone. The theme this year was Friendship. We had lots of exciting experiences planned throughout the week which included Bookbug sessions, discussions around friendships, as well as trips out to the library and local bookshop. Here are some pictures of a few of our outings below!
In the malleable area this week the children have been following their spark of ‘the weather’, we have been keeping track of the ever changing weather. We have been able to see and describe outside as ‘frosty’, ‘rainy’, ‘cold’, ‘wet’ and ’icy’. From this the children have been exploring the concept of change, specifically the transformation from ice to liquid. They excitedly observed the frozen water melting in their hands and bowls, discussing how the ‘hard, cold’ ice turned into ‘soft, wet’ water.
Later in the week, the children’s curiosity extended into a sensory exploration using shaving foam to mimic snow. Using their senses to investigate the texture, scent, and visual appearance of the ‘snow’. They were able to manipulate the foam, successfully creating their own unique snowmen by using loose parts to create different parts of the ‘snowman’ and other snowy creatures. The children were working on their social skills and developing on their communication and vocabulary with their peers and with a supporting adult.
“It feels like snow” OH
“Look, two christmas trees, I need to decorate it” YK
“It is kind of cold” CS
“Smushy, smushy, smush” AL
“It’s so soft” RM
“I’m making a snowy mountain” GMcL
“No it’s cookies for Santa” SD
We have been learning about the sun and sources of light and exploring shadows. The children always amaze us with their knowledge and theories.
“Your shadow moves when you move.”
“The sun follows you around.”
“Mercury is the fastest planet.”
This week in the block area the children have been creating ball runs using different sized pipes and balls. These started off as simple one piece structures and progressed into more complex runs which needed multiple pipes with blocks and chairs used to support and make them higher. This activity is an early introduction to forces, problem solving and mathematical language such as higher, lower, faster, slower.
In the small world the children wanted to race cars so we used tape to mark out a start line, they chose a ‘ready, steady, go’ person to start the race and decided that there was room for 5 racers at a time. This supports children to work collaboratively, develop listening and waiting skills and also introduces forces.
In the tuff tray we have been using different measuring tools to see how tall the animals and dinosaurs are. This also introduces mathematical language and shows the children the many ways we can measure.
This week was the start of our East Ren football taster sessions within Crookfur Family Centre, these can be followed by a one-off taster session at a Mini Kickers session within their community programme. The children enjoyed working on their football skills. Here are some pictures below!
In the sewing area the children demonstrated creativity as they worked collaboratively to design and make clothes for the smartest giant in town.
They they drew around Mr McIntosh to create a life-sized outline and named him Mr McGiant
They used mathematical language and problem solving skills whilst using measuring tapes and rulers to measure, compare sizes to find the right lengths of fabric for the giant’s shirt and trousers and developed fine motor skills and hand-eye co-ordination whilst cutting the fabric, threading the needles and sewing buttons and ribbon to decorate the clothes.
They created and copied patterns using the book as a reference point and many were able to recall large parts of the story
Children demonstrated perseverance as they took part over several days . confidently communicating their ideas, negotiating roles, and supporting each other throughout.
This week, the children have been discussing the qualities of a good friend. The children decided to draw their friends and reflected on ways that their friends made them happy. Whilst doing so, the children described the characteristics of their friends. They discovered that everyone is different and unique. Throughout our discussions, the children took turns of talking and listening and also shared strategies that they can use if they are feeling sad or frustrated.
In addition, the children shared ideas, relating to shape and detail. They decided that circular and oval shapes were best for drawing a head and a body. Some children included triangular shapes for dresses and clothing. Throughout the week, we have also been investigating the differences between the properties of a square and a rectangle. We identified that both shapes have 4 sides.
The children recognised that it was important to write their names on their art work. We discussed each letter shape, its sound and words that begin with each initial sound. Furthermore, we explored the letters, in our name, during printing activities and whilst searching for our letters, in our alphabet soup (waterplay) activity. The children were developing their fine motor skills, whilst using the tweezers, to transport the letters and whilst painting with various non standard mark makers. This type of activity helps to develop the hand muscles required for effective pen control and handwriting.
