(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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We were delighted to welcome our families for a learning breakfast this week.  The bairns were keen to show off their setting, chat with their peers and have some delicious breakfast food.  Thank you to everyone who could make it along.

Our music session this week included 10 fat sausages where the bairns had to line up in a row of 10 until the sausages went bang and pop.  We learned a new song – I Do Like To Be Beside The Seaside.  The bairns moved their bodies around the hall for Bananas in Pajamas.  They sat on the mats and used their hands in time with the music for Johnny has a Hammer.  Mrs Garrick played the fastest Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes ever before we found our zen with the Sound Bowl.

During transition this week, the bairns explored more of the playground, with a few of them taking a look at the area outside the Primary 1/2 classroom.  They took part in group games and chatted with their buddies.

The bairns have spent time in the garden working co-operatively in the sand pit to build a road, creating imaginative play involving a bus trip and revisiting the motion of rolling the hula hoops down the hill.  The bairns used large loose parts to create boats and sail along in the stormy seas.

Since Easter is fast approaching, the bairns have created bunny bags with each so different from the last.  The bairns have been using the playdough to create eggs, adding this into their imaginative play.  We have also watched Easter stories on the smart board.  The Easter bunny visited nursery and the bairns found more than 30 eggs all over the nursery.

The bairns used their paintings to create Easter cards for the sheltered housing residents.  They also wrote an Easter greeting inside.  We went for a walk around the houses to deliver some Easter cheer and drop off the cards.  Afterwards we visited the staff in the school to wish them a Happy Easter.

We split up the hall and had one half for ball and hoop games and the other for bikes.  The bairns created their own games including throwing into the hoops, tag, throwing the ball between friends and trying to make the basketball hoop.  They waited for their turn on the bikes and then maneuvered around the hall.

We have had lots of fun with a few different games to finish off our week after the bairns had been discussing their favourites and requested Pie Face at nursery.  Pie Face was hilarious!  The bairns choose the size of squirty cream and some choose a very small blob while others were keen to have a large blob.

Here is a selection of the rest of our learning and play this week.  The bairns have been getting creative at the message centre and work bench, molding the playdough, engaging in role play and having fun with their friends.

We hope you have a lovely Easter break.  Whether you are home or away, we would love to receive a postcard.  It’ll be exciting to see if any have arrived by the time we are back on Monday 15 April.

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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We had a slightly different music session this week!  The bairns performed at the Shetland Music Festival on the big stage at Mareel and did brilliantly singing their favourite Up Helly Aa songs.  Once our performance was over we headed up Market Street, past the Town Hall and along the Hillhead to the library.  The bairns explored the books, selecting some to read alone, with friends or with an adult.  They chose to colour in printed pictures and played with the toys and wooden tile game.  The tent was also a popular spot for relaxing with a book.  We headed back down to the Viking Bus Station and caught the service bus back to Cunningsburgh just in time for lunch.

We are continuing with our transition activities and the bairns’ confidence in the playground is growing.  Their buddies are supporting them to make the most of their time during break.  The bairns explored the equipment, played chasing games and chatted with their buddies.

The preschoolers P.E. lesson this week focused on listening.  They had to listen to a song which described the actions they had to copy.  The got their bodies moving and their minds concentrating.  The bairns also played with bean bags, balancing them on their heads, kicking and catching.  There was some time at the end for free play and lots of running.

Our outdoor room activities have been as varied as ever with the bairns engaging in block play, making models at the work bench, practicing their aim by throwing at a target, imaginative play with farmers and dogs, water play, climbing, reading, measuring and looking after their babies.

The bairns have used a mixture of loose parts to create all kinds of structures.  These have promoted fine and gross motor skill development.  The large wooden blocks in the outdoor room have been used as a den, house, jail, car, jumping platform, spaceship and more.  The smaller loose parts inside, including the marble run, train tracks, small wooden blocks and Lego have been used in co-operation with the bairns working together to create their vision.

The bairns have been making the most of the “Spring” weather!  They have splashed in puddles, dug in the sand pit, sunbathed, cloud watched, made mud cakes, rolled hula hoops down the hill, sold ice cream, drawn pictures and charged up their jet packs.  We also had a quick trip the playground.  The bairns explored the space, testing out the equipment and creating their own games.

Here is a selection of the remainder of our learning from this week.  The bairns found an exciting discovery in the hen house – not one but two eggs.  Hopefully there will be lots more to come.

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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During our music lesson this week we practiced for our performance at the Music Festival, counted speckled frogs on a speckled log, sang around the piano and then relaxed with the zen bowl.

For our Bookbug session, the bairns sang the Hello Song, rhymed along to Baa Baa Black Sheep and joined in with actions for Jelly on a Plate.  We listened to a story called Dave about a cat who got stuck in the cat flap.  Be sure to ask you bairns about how he escaped!  We used the stretchy blanket for 5 Fat Peas which go pop.  We rhymed again with Hickory Dickory Dock and then it was time to sing the Goodbye Song.

The bairns have been busy outside this week – cooking in the mud kitchen, testing out their theories of motion with hula hoops, climbing, chasing, imaginary play, role play, digging, flying a plastic bag kite, water play and having snack.

We had a successful trip to Lerwick to check out the venue for our performance next week.  After we gathered at Mareel, we headed through to the big stage and practiced our singing.  We had a quick look in the empty cinema where we might have to wait for our turn on Monday.  Once we had finished at Mareel we headed to the peerie beach at the museum.  The bairns threw stones into the water, looked for shells and noticed how some of the rocks were slippery.  We had a quick snack on the benches outside and voted on where to go next – inside the museum or back on the bus to nursery.  The museum won the vote.  Once inside, we split up into groups to explore the artefacts and exhibitions. The bairns were fascinated about the fact that in the ‘olden days’ people couldn’t just go to the shop or order  online for items they needed like food or clothes.

After a discussion about lunches, we decided to make some bread to go along with our lamb stew.  The bairns used an easy to follow flip recipe book that sets out each step of the bread making process using pictures and a few words, over time and practice they will become more confident and independent doing this. They weighed the ingredients, mixed up the dough and then the hard work of kneading the dough began.  We used the push, pull, fold method but it was also fun to slap the dough on the table to try to activate the yeast.  After proving, the dough was baked in the oven at 220C for 30 minutes.  The bairns set the timer so we would know when the bread was ready.

We received some information about British Science Week and the tried out some experiments.  The bairns cut up an apple to extract the seeds before placing into plastic pockets with cotton wool and water.  The pockets were sealed up and placed onto the window.  The experiment will take place over several weeks with the bairns tracking how the seeds change.  We also used apples for a comparison experiment.  We collected six varieties of apples and the bairns compared their size, texture, smell and colour before cutting them open to have a taste.  We kept the apple cores and placed them into plastic pockets to attach to the window.  The bairns will track the changes each apples produces as it rots.

Our preschoolers teamed up with their P6 buddies for transition and headed out to the playground. It was lovely to see them revisiting play from the previous week and chatting with some of the other school bairns. The bairns remembered to listen out for the bell, knowing that it lets them know it’s time to return to nursery.

The preschoolers had another P.E. transition session this week which focused on aiming.  There were different stations set up around the hall including aiming for colour on a target, throwing a ball in a hoop and boccia.  The bairns also played a game of catchy with hula hoops so that if you were caught you had to stand in the hula hoop for three seconds before being set free.  The bairns had to listen to the instructions for each station and take turns. The lesson finished with time for  freestyle play with the hula hoops.

As part of Red Nose Day, the bairns added red noses to their snack using raspberries.  They used their imagination to create funny faces with apples, raspberries, raisins and breadsticks.

Here is a selection of the rest of our learning and play this week.

 

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Our SMUHA preparations began a few weeks ago with making the templates for our shields.  The bairns used a plate to draw a circle onto cardboard and then cut it out.  “This is tricky.”  The bairns could decorate their shield using loose parts from the craft area and there were many varied designs.  Then it was onto making our torches.  We use strong cardboard tubes and added tissue paper fire in orange, red and yellow.  Our Viking helmets were made using black paper to contrast the colourful stickers.  Some of the bairns added feathers by drawing around the hand and cutting them out and practiced pattern making.

There were many options for the colour of the galley so we took a vote with pink and blue being the winning combo.  The bairns set about painting their galley, making the head and tail and adding their own signs.  Once the galley was finished, the bairns were asked what roles they would like to take on for the procession and burning.  The meant another vote was needed to decide who would be the Guizer Jarl with six in the running.  In the end three of the bairns tied for Jarl so we had three on the day.  The bairns were in good singing voices for the procession and then lined up to throw their torches into the galley once it was set on fire.

We were delighted to welcome Leigh Smith and his Squad for SMUHA.  The bairns were seated in the hall and gave an enthusiastic rendition of the Up Helly Aa song along with the Vikings, their school peers and visitors.  Afterwards, we had a visit from a few members of the Jarl Squad and the bairns were keen to look at their axes, helmets and shields.  They noticed the patterns on the axes and commented on the wolf.  When trying out the shields and helmets, the bairns agreed “that was heavy”.

We celebrated World Book Day all week, starting with a trip to the library van to find some Viking books.  We took our selection back to nursery and the bairns took no time in added them to our bookcase.  We used story stones to create Viking stories and here is one as told by one of the nursery bairns – “Once upon a time der was a Viking n he was gettin his Viking ship n he found treasure n he bringed it back to his island.”  We listened to a story on the smart board about Hiccup and what it takes to be a Viking.  The bairns also had stories at snack.  For our transition P.E. lesson, Mrs Ritchie read The Burpee Bears by Joe Wicks.  The bairns had to copy the actions of the bears, from running, jumping, hopping and crawling.  Then we took out the hoops and had a shot at making them move in different ways.

We set up a provocation for Mother’s Day using a vase of flowers and provided pots of paint.  The bairns chose how to paint their pictures using the flowers for inspiration.

The preschoolers had their first transition activity to the playground this week.  They were paired up with a buddy from Primary 6 and headed out into the playground.  There were lots of chasing games and the nursery bairns gave their buddies some job trying to catch them.  “I was so fast.”  “All of it was my favourite!”

 

 

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Childsmile visited and the bairns took turn to brush their teeth after snack.  The bairns listened to the instructions, following along with the directions for brushing.

Our loose parts table has been used for a number of activities this week.  The bairns have been exploring the wooden frames and how they can make towers of differing heights and shapes.  The table was also used to sort out all our toy cars before they were used for racing.  We added a wooden block with padlocks and we hid the keys around the setting.  As the keys were discovered the bairns matched up the dots on the padlocks to the numbers on the keys to find which key would open the locks.

After our snack order arrived last week and the fruit had ripened, the bairns explored the properties of a passionfruit.  They discussed the colours, seeds, texture, taste and smell.  We found some passionfruit fans and some that were not so keen.  Following the bairns’ interest in Lunar New Year and in particular fortune cookies, we tasted some and read our fortunes.

Our Bookbug session this week was full of fun songs and rhymes, starting with the Hello Song.  Our rhymes were Baa Baa Black Sheep and Hickory Dickory Dock.  The bairns recognised the book, The Dinosaur that Lost His Roar, as we have a mini version in our bookcase.  They listened to the words, joining in with their own roars.  The bairns were keen to have another game with the sparkly green blanket from the last session.  We played Jelly on a Plate with Bookbug and then watched the pea pod pop.  Next, the staff held the blanket over the bairns huddled together while we sang Grand Old Duke of York.  We finished with the Goodbye song.

We make playdough regularly and the bairns are usually keen to help with the measuring and mixing.  There creations afterwards are always varied and imaginative, from meatballs to castles to elaborate cakes.

The bairns’ were interested in making our own bread.  We found a recipe and gathered the ingredients before measuring them out, taking turns to mix.  We divided the dough into sections so that the bairns could knead a portion each.  After putting it all back together and adding the dough to a bowl, the bairns watched for changes in the bread and how much it would rise. It was enjoyed by all for afternoon snack with our own raspberry jam!

Here is a selection of the remainder of our learning and development from this week, with lots of games, building our friendships and imaginative play.

(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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Our music lesson this week revisited what we had covered the previous week starting with moving our bodies to the piano music, stretching, one potato two potato, Dinosaur Roar, the banana song, heads shoulders knees and toes and finishing with zen relaxation.

Our outdoor room is a popular area with the bairns.  This week they have used their gross motor skills for climbing and jumping, explored the sand pit by turning it into a volcano, city and race track and built structures with the blocks including a ferry and a house site.  We’ve also had a few renditions of the Up Helly Aa song complete with Vikings and their torches marching around a galley.

How much fun can you have with a plastic bag and a piece of string on a windy day?!  The bairns used the bag and string to test the direction of the wind, noticing its strength and varying speed during gusts.  The bairns wondered if the wind was strong enough to lift something.  They chose to test their theory with tractors and tied these to the back.  There was much surprise when the tractors took flight over the garden.  We discussed the environmental impact of plastic and how we shouldn’t let go of our plastic bags in case a bird became tangled.  The bairns made up their own game called Don’t Get Caught By The Bag which involved them running all over the garden to escape the bag.

Here is a selection of the remaining learning and development from this week.  There has been lots of co-operative game play, creative building and helping our friends with the nursery routines.

 

(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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We had another energetic music session this week, starting with musical hoops.  The bairns moved around the hall using their bodies to match the tempo of the piano music and then when the music stopped they had to find a hoop to stand inside or they were out.  We stretched our bodies up the ceiling and down to the floor.  We practiced our gardening with a song about growing potatoes.  Then it was time to up the volume for the dinosaur roar song.  We also stomped around the hall with big movements just like gigantic dinosaurs.  Mrs Garrick had a new song for us with actions.  One person sat at the front with the left leg stretched out and then moved it according to the words of the song – up and down, side to side and round about.  The bairns also had fun trying to touch their knee to their nose.  When we heard the sound of the relaxation bowl we quietly made our way to the door to line up and head back to nursery.

Early in the week the bairns were speaking about pancake day so we checked what ingredients we would need so we were ready to bake on Tuesday.  The bairns measured out the ingredients and mixed up the batter.  After the first pancake was ready, the bairns took turns flipping the pancake in the air.  There was a lot of laughter when the pancake landed anywhere other then the pan!

We were delighted to welcome back Claire from Bookbug.  We sang our hello song and then gathered for an action song with jelly on a plate, sizzling sausages in a pan and twisting noodles with a fork.  The bairns listened to a story called My Mum has X-Ray Vision by Angela McAllister about a boy called Milo who tests out his theory that his mum has x-ray vision because she always knows what he is doing, especially when he is bouncing on the bed, using mum’s saucepans to make potions or fighting dragons in the bath.  The bairns were excited to see that Claire had brought her pea pod blanket.  We stretched and stretched until the peas popped when we let go of the material.  The bairns huddled under the blanket for Grand Old Duke of York and then we finished by singing the Goodbye song.

We extend the bairns’ development by incorporating numeracy into everyday play.  This week the bairns used the number line to see how far they could jump, shouting out the number when they landed.  Then they switched to see how high they could jump and if they could reach their chosen number.

We attended a school assembly that was run by the Primary 1-2 class.  The bairns learned facts about animals and their senses.

Here is a selection of the rest of the learning and development from this week.  The bairns have been getting creative at the message centre, building dens, exploring the loose parts resources outside and making snakes from the magnet sticks.

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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We started our music session this week by humming quietly and then loudly.  We moved our bodies in different ways to the music, matching the tempo.  The bairns ran, walked, tip-toed, hopped and  jumped.  We used our hands and voices together for the 1 potato, 2 potato song.  We made a large circle and sang the postie song with the bairns delivering letters to their friends, in a variation of Duck Duck Goose.  Moving back to the mat, we spoke about what we knew about dinosaurs.  The bairns roared and stomped their feet along with a new dinosaur song.  We ended the session with yoga relaxation.

The bairns have made good use of the varied weather this week.  We had a fire pit session and talked about the elements.  The bairns have loved playing in the snow and ice.  “This is the best day ever!”

The bairns have explored the loose parts resources in the outdoor room, inventing their own games, measuring, pouring and investigating the properties of snow and ice in the water trays.  Den building is always a favourite activity.

Here is a selection of the remainder of our learning from the week.  We have found out about pineapples, played musical instruments and made banana pancakes.