Mud glorious Mud! (Monday)

After the rainy weekend the bairns got stuck in to the muddy hole in the nursery garden! All types of messy play offer a wealth of benefits for young children’s development, including sensory stimulation, fine motor skill development, creativity, cognitive growth, language development, emotional regulation, social skills, self-confidence, and a deeper connection to the natural world. I have added a link below that describes more of the benefits and gives some ideas and activities you may like to try out at home with mud!

https://couopencities.blob.core.windows.net/couwebsitearchive/community%20and%20culture/Events/Mud-Play-Benefits-and-Activities.pdf

Creativity and imagination in all areas of the setting (Mon – Fri)

An open ended environment offering resources like natural materials, loose parts and blocks encourage exploration.   Each bairn’s individual responses to materials, experiences and ideas inspire their creativity and imagination. This enables them to solve problems, develop empathy, strengthen communication, and foster flexible thinking, enriching their learning and development in all areas. Creativity is a unique response to everything that they see, hear, feel and experience.  As you can see from the pictures they have been very busy working on their creations.

Childsmile Visit (Tuesday)

Nikki came along to get the new bairns started into their nursery tooth brushing routines and check in on our returners to see how they are doing. While in the setting Nikki was happy to see our snack menu and commented on the bairn’s healthy choices. I have added a link for the childsmile snacks for healthy teeth which you may find interesting.

Food and drinks for healthy teeth – Childsmile

Everyone loves a slide! (Tuesday)

The bairns learn valuable life skills such as communication, problem-solving, and building relationships through activities like cooperative play and shared tasks. Deciding to make a slide and finding ways to do this together through various ways extended this experience. The staff built on these skills by modelling language, providing opportunities for shared experiences, and facilitating discussions about what worked well and how to build on their ideas as a group. What a great fun, especially when the water and washing up liquid got added!

‘We have to pull it out so it’s not bumpy.’

‘If you pit your feet up you’ll go even faster.’

Sewing (Wednesday and Thursday)

Sewing promotes fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, focus, creativity and patience. Using some cardboard box sheets the bairns found different ways to make holes using the drill, screwdriver and pens. Different yarns, string and ribbons were found and threaded through the holes, following them along the holes in the cardboard, in and out and up and down.

A delivery! (Wednesday and Thursday)

It was all hands on deck when Trevor arrived with two half tonne bags of sand we had ordered for topping up the outdoor room and outside sand pits. The bairns all mucked in to transport the sand, finding buckets, pots and containers to fill.

Welcome  (Thursday)

We were delighted to welcome Kayla into the setting this week, she will be with us on Thursdays as part of her UHI course  Childcare NC. As always the bairns love when we have a visitor and they were very helpful showing Kayla around the different areas of the nursery and letting her know all their names.

Library Van and Early Literacy (Tuesday)

We had our first visit from the Library Van this term and the bairns were keen to find a pirate book to follow their interest.  They also chose books about feelings, bugs, space and giant machines.  Early literacy supports social connection, language development and critical thinking.

Schemas (Monday-Friday)

Bairns learn by repeating actions over time, called schemas, and there are a number of recognised types of play that are often revisited, such as trajectory (throwing), enclosing, transporting and aligning.  We set up a hula hoop filled with sticky tape in the outdoor room to support the trajectory schema.  The bairns tested what would stick, what happens when the door is open and if they could get more than one item to stick at the same time.

Learning through Landscapes (Thursday)

On the way to the burn, we spotted vehicles in our favourite colours.  We set up a wind-break when we arrived at the burn and then it was time to make rivers from tinfoil.  There were long winding rivers and even a rainbow-shaped one. The bairns used the burn water to pour into their rivers and watch what happened.  They also added stones to see what that changed about the water flow.

Outdoor Play (Monday-Friday)

The bairns have been busy in the mud kitchen, doing DIY to install a new number line inside the den, painting and pouring on Perspex and role-playing cops and robbers.  “I’m da bad guy, muhahahaha!”

Pirates and a Stay & Play (Tuesday-Friday)

Aaaarrrr!!!  Shiver me timbers!!!  It was lovely having our families for a Stay and Play on International Talk Like a Pirate Day.  The bairns have been busy making pirate hats, eye patches, shiny doubloons from salt dough and treasure maps all week.  They used tea bags to make their maps look old and weathered.

Play and Learning (Monday-Friday)

Here is a selection of our play and learning from the remainder of the week.  The bairns have been exploring seeds by looking at them with a magnifying glass and opening them up using the saw at the workbench.  They have discussed their texture, smell and size.  “It’s bubbly on da outside.”

Outdoor Play (Monday-Friday)

We have enjoyed varied outdoor play this week including a trip to the playpark, setting up the slide, bug hotels, building bridges in the sandpit, painting, climbing, watering the polycrub and resting in the tree seat.

Learning through Landscapes (Thursday)

On our way to the burn, we took rubbish bags and collected litter.  We learned about the two kinds of rubbish – biodegradable and non-biodegradable.  We found cans, paper, plastic and more.  One of our families did a litter pick-up under their decking when they went home.

When we arrived at the burn we carried out our risk assessment and placed our ticks and crosses showing where it was safe or unsafe to go.  We set up our wind-break and then it was time to explore.  Our families searched for lots of rocks, looking for smooth, bumpy and smooth & bumpy formations.  The bairns found plenty of rocks for each category and placed them into the overlapping hula-hoops.  We also found rocks shaped like rectangles, squares, circles, triangles and even a diamond.  In line with the Learning through Landscapes ethos, we put the rocks back before we left.

Music (Friday)

Mrs Garrick had two new moves for our actions to the rhythm of the music – wiggly jellyfish and sit down on the floor.  We practiced our movements before moving around the hall and listening for the change of rhythm.  The bairns also had a turn of blowing a whistle.  Then we joined in for Everybody Do This which had some interesting and energetic moves.  Finally we relaxed to the sound of with the Zen Bowl.

Play and Learning (Monday-Friday)

Here is a selection of our play and learning from the week.  The bairns have been creating wonderful models at the workbench, built fishing boats with the large hollow blocks, made many pictures and supervised the electricians updating our internet connection points.

Outdoor Play (Monday-Friday)

During our outdoor play this week, the bairns have looked after the polycrub, created sandcastles, played What’s the Time Mr Wolf and Duck Duck Goose, made nature bracelets using masking tape, had a quick play at the playpark, said hello to their school friends, created their own ink using ground up items from the garden, threaded leaves and stalks through the wire at the old hen house, done lots of climbing and digging and built dens.

Music (Friday)

The bairns moved their bodies to the rhythm of the music, followed the beat using their hands, copied their friend’s moves in Everybody Do This and showed us how monsters dance.  There was also time for a quick Head Shoulders Knees and Toes before we lay down to listen for the Zen bowl.

Learning Through Landscapes (Friday)

We began our Learning Through Landscapes sessions this week and the weather was in our favour.  Before setting off, we gathered on the grass outside the school to go over the basics and explain a bit of the background to the programme, which was developed with deprived areas in mind to help parents explore the outdoors for free.  Our setting was chosen to deliver these sessions following the team’s engagement with In-Service training last year.

We made our explore sticks ready by wrapping sticks with masking tape to gather treasures that we found on our way.  When the group arrived at the burn, they began by setting out the markers showing the boundaries and where it was safe to play.  Everyone worked together to set up a shelter.  There was time for free play and an activity called Hapa Zome which comes from Japan and involves creating designs on fabric using natural materials and a mallet.  After snack it was time to pack up and head back to nursery to share about our adventure.  “I liked the thing with the hammers cos it was so beautiful.”  The bairns were keen to share what they learned with their peers.  They explained how to make the Hapa Zome prints and their friends had a turn at making their own too.

Play and Learning (Monday-Friday)

Here is a selection of our play and learning from the remainder of the week.  The bairns have been engaged in different forms of mark-making, finding out about bugs, reading stories and creating their own games.

Hello and welcome to the Cunningsburgh Early Years blog.  We will publish an update most Fridays and post the link to the Facebook page.  The blog is not able to be found by using a search engine.

Loose Parts Play (Weeks 1 & 2)

We have lots of loose parts throughout the nursery, from large blocks to household items and Duplo.  The bairns use these for a variety of games, play and learning.  This week, they have engaged in jumping from the large blocks, lining up items, creating structures and as part of their role play.

Outdoor Play (Weeks 1 & 2)

Our garden is always a popular place to play and learn.  The bairns have played What’s the Time Mr Wolf, counting their steps and running back to the start when it’s dinner time.  The bairns used some old cardboard boxes and made a slide.  There were lots of ways to get to the bottom and every one was tested.  The bairns used some old leaves from the polycrub in their mud kitchen play.

Expressive Arts (Weeks 1 & 2)

The bairns have explored many different ways to express their creativity this week.  There have been paint mixing, water painting, models being made at the workbench and powdered paint outside.  The message centre has also been popular with the bairns using this to draw pictures to take home and practice mark making.  The bairns have also used technology to express their creativity on the smartboard using the Paint app.

Routines (Weeks 1 & 2)

While the setting follows a child-led approach, there are some routines that happen each day.  For example, the bairns are supported to following good hand hygiene, make their own snack, clear away their dishes into the dishwasher and tidy up what they are using if they are finished.

Music (Weeks 1 & 2 Friday)

We were delighted to welcome Mrs Garrick back for music.  The bairns started with the Welcome Song.  “Dat was funny!”  The bairns moved around the hall, listening to the beat and changing their actions with the music.  They moved like butterflies, took big steps, skipped, tip-toed, marched and ran.  We gathered around the piano to learn the words of the Frankenstein Dance and then the bairns moved around the hall doing their best monster dance impressions.  The bairns also clapped and slapped their knees to the beat of the music, with some playing the triangle or a small drum.  During Week 2, the bairns each had an instrument, and Mrs Garrick conducted her orchestra, moving her hands to indicate quiet or loud notes.  Some of the bairns became the conductor too.  We finished off with Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes, before laying on the floor to listen for the Zen Bowl.

Play and Learning (Weeks 1 & 2)

Here is a selection of the play and learning from the last two weeks.  The bairns have engaged in pouring and transporting in the sand pit,  unloaded the Tesco shopping for snack, made playdough, listened to stories in the quiet room and explored the water trays.