Tag Archives: Effective Contributors

Early Years 2023-24 Term 1 Weeks 7 & 8

October 6, 2023 Mrs Malcolmson Leave a comment

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Another busy couple of weeks to finish off the term!

Our last week of African drumming with Joy and we certainly went out with a bang! We all joined in with a fun call and answer song where the bairns showed off their dance moves then the others copied.

We had a fantastic harvest from the nursery raised bed at the Salvation Army Community Polycrub. The bairns took up all the remaining tatties and a row of carrots. We delivered some vegetable parcels around the sheltered housing residents using beautifully decorated paper bags the bairns made using a mix of drawings, leaf prints using leaves from the garden and some added writing to give ideas of what they could cook with the vegetables.

It was lovely to see so many of our families at the stay and play, the bairns always love having their parents in to see where they spend their days and showing them favourite resources and areas in the setting.

Childsmile visited this week to apply flouride varnish. We gathered in the quiet room to learn about what would happen. Dougan the Dog demonstrated how to lie down, put on the sunglasses and the bairns had the opportunity to feel the cotton wood and tiny brush. We headed through to the library in small groups to have the varnish applied. The bairns listened to the instructions and had varied things to say about the taste of the varnish!

Have a great October break and we will look forward to hearing all your news next term. If you are heading away or having a holiday at home please send a postcard so we can see where everyone has been.

Early Years 2023-24 Term 1 Week 6

September 22, 2023 Mrs Malcolmson Leave a comment

(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

We made our way to the Village Club for another African drumming session, revisiting the names of the drums as we got started. We practiced the name song with everybody listening for their turn and shouting out their name as we moved around the room. We learned a new call and response rhythm using our voices and the drums together. Then it was time to go bananas! When we returned to the school hall, the bairns were keen to move around and this gave us the opportunity to move our bodies in time with the music while listening the changing beat. There were some interesting freeze poses! We learned the words and action for a call and response song about weather, listening the loud bangs of thunder and the soft tinkling rain. Finally, Mrs Garrick brought in her Singing Bowl for our zen finish.

Mud, mud, glorious mud! The bairns are still keen to explore the wonders of our muddy garden, especially at the mud kitchen. They have added various vehicles for imaginary play turning the puddle in to a construction site. The bairns used small strips of sticky tape to make garden bracelets, collecting up leaves, stones, flowers and sticks. We extended this interest by setting up a printing station. The bairns found lots of garden texture to make pictures, including leaves, flowers, handprints and a boot footprint.

We’ve been discussing ways to show kindness this week. The bairns had lots of great ideas that showed in their play – using our listening lugs, making someone a picture, working together to tidy up, giving someone a hug, being kind to animals, helping the younger bairns find things, taking turns in games, making someone laugh, having a dance party and making cakes, cookies and sausages for friends at the playdough station. We also encourage the bairns to use kind hands and kind words.

The bairns noticed that we had lots of very ripe pears in the fruit bowl and asked to make a cake. After searching for the right recipe we found a yoghurt and pear cake. The pears would be perfect to add some sweetness. We used eggs from our nursery hens and the bairns added and mixed the ingredients together. When they were discussing a pattern for the top, the most popular suggestion was a sunshine with a smiley face because the cake batter was yellow.

Early Years 2023-24 Term 1 Week 5

September 15, 2023 Mrs Malcolmson Leave a comment

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

There was much excitement when the bairns noticed a tractor in the field next to the playground picking up bales and moving them out of the park. We went to get a closer look, using the style at the bottom of the playground as a view point. There was lots of discussion about what was happening when the tractor picked up one bale and moved it closer to another before picking them up together and taking them out of the park. The bairns gave a big wave and were excited to hear the tractor’s horn.

We continued our drumming sessions with Joy this week, revisiting the names of the drums, how to take turns while listening to the beat. As we were learning how to use different parts of our hands to make different sounds on the drum, we also played a name game. At the end it was time to “go bananas”.

We have enjoyed to many different activities that have engaged the bairns’ curiosity and development. We also had a delivery from Tesco which the bairns emptied onto the table in the kitchen before putting the items away in fridge and cupboards. We had a whole nursery dance break after lunch one day with everyone joining in with their own dance moves, facial expressions and song choices.

We hosted another Bookbug session this week, staring with our welcome song. The bairns listened to a book called You Can’t Take an Elephant on a Bus which included a tiger on a train, monkeys on a trolley and seal driving a taxi. It all worked out in the end when all the animals could fit on the rollercoaster together. Following the bairns’ interest in vehicles, we sang a song to the tune of Pizza Hut, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken and a Pizza Hut but using the names of different kinds of transport. The bairns were keen to finish up with the Pea Pod Press game using a stretchy blanket.

The bairns have been engaged in many different self-directed activities outside this week. These have included blowing bubbles, jumping in a large muddy puddle, chasing with a monster game, ascending and descending on the climbing wall, building dens, visiting the playground and putting out fire with spray bottles.