Fine Motor Skills (Monday-Friday)

The bairns have explored lots of activities relating to fine motor skills this week, including model building, baking, drawing, playdough, hammering, Lego and painting.

Multicourt (Monday)

The bairns visited the multicourt this week for some gross motor activities.  They played ball games and a Christmas version of Duck Duck Goose which they renamed as Snowman Snowman Santa.

Party and Gifts (Wednesday)

The bairns played lots of party games which they had chosen earlier in the week – Pass the Bauble, Musical Ice Statues, Christmas Corners, Snowman Snowman Santa, Christmas Floor is Lava and Musical Snowflakes.  After a party snack, we gathered around the fire in the quiet room and the bairns received their Christmas gift from the staff.

Delivering Christmas Cheer (Thursday)

The bairns have been busy making 2026 calendars for the sheltered housing residents next to the nursery.  They used pictures from their lightbox designs to create their calendars.  We dressed up in festive gear and headed around the houses with our jingle bells and fine voices!

Kirk Visit (Friday)

We visited the local kirk and heard the Christmas story told using Pass the Parcel.  The bairns listened to the story, joining in by clapping along to the music and passing the parcel along to their friends.

Advent Calendar

We’ve continued opening our Advent Calendar using the first letter to find out the person of the day.

Polycrub Visit

We were delighted to be invited down to the Salvation Army polycrub.  The bairns started with a nativity story which they brought to life using a stable background and decorative stickers. Even the adults joined in by dressing up like Mary, Joseph, a shepherd, an angel and a wise man.  We split into the two groups, with one going to the playcrub and the other having snack, before switching over.  The bairns were loving the ball pit and tried out lots of the sit-on vehicles.

Bookbug

Claire and Bookbug were back this week.  The bairns joined in with nursery rhymes, songs and a Christmas-themed story.  We sat together using the stretchy blanket and it was a super stretchy version of Five Fat Peas, with lots of giggles on the pop!

Tiny Visitor

The bairns had a tiny visitor this week when one our nursery bairns brought in their brand new baby sister.  The bairns took turns to hold the baby, using gentle hands and quiet voices.  They commented on her tiny hands, comparing them to their own hands.

Christmas Lunch

The canteen provided an excellent Christmas denner of turkey and all the trimmings.  We gathered around one large table and asked our friends to help pull our festive crackers.  There were jokes, paper hats and lots of lovely chat about the cracker toys.

Concert

The bairns did us all proud at our Christmas concert.  Thank you to everyone who could make it along to support them.  Don’t forget your fly swatters!

Winter Stay and Play

The bairns have been looking forward to the stay and play all week, asking “Is it today?” “Is it today?”  “Is it today?”

Playpark

We took a trip to the playpark after our busy festive morning.  The bairns loved chasing each other, twirling and taking turns on the zip line.

Enterprise Event

The bairns have been busy preparing for the enterprise event and we can certainly say it was a success.  The bairns decided that they wanted to raise money to buy a cardboard cutter.  With that target in mind, the bairns made jam, chutney, fire starters, Christmas decorations, wrapping paper and beetle drive game packs.  We were also delighted to receive a batch of homebakes including mince pies and shortbread from a nursery granny as a thank you for the food for her hens which comes from the leftover scraps at snack and lunch.  Thank you to everyone who came and supported us – we are please to say we raised enough money for the cardboard cutter and it has been ordered.

***The small amount of leftover items from the stall will be available in our honesty cupboard from today.  Get them now, before they’re gone!***

Big Blocks

The bairns have been working together to build large structures from the big blocks.  These have included pirate ships, houses and houseboats.  They have used the loose parts such as hats and cushions as props.  They travelled on their pirate ship to a treasure island.  Their journey was a success because they found “treasure and a potato!”

Germ Experiment

The bairns engaged in a science experiment about germs and how we use soap as a forcefield to protect our skin.  The bairns took turns to shake pepper (germs) onto a plate of water.  They placed a finger into the water to see what would happen.  “Da germs are on me!”  Then they used a different finger to dip into soap and then into the germs to see the reaction.  When they dipped their soapy finger into the pepper, it quickly dispersed in a circle to outer edges of the plate. “Look, it’s moving away.”

Advent Calendar

We started opening our Advent Calendar this week causing great excitement.  When a name is picked, the bairns have to figure out the name using just the first letter.

Gym Hall Fun

We explored the gym hall equipment again for our final session, with the bairns’ confidence growing.  They tried climbing higher and lots of them climbed across the horizontal ladder on large climbing frame.  Their independence was on full show – “No, I do it by myself.”

 

 

Childsmile – Tuesday

Nikki came for a visit to check in on our brushing skills and also to gift everyone toothbrush and toothpaste packs for taking home.

Snowy day – Tuesday and Wednesday

There was great excitement on Tuesday when the snow started to fall! We caught some snowflakes and had a look through the magnifier to get a detailed view. Wednesday morning the bairns were very quick to get kitted out with suits, boots, scarves, hats and gloves, all eager to get outside for fun in the snow.

Fundraising Makes – All week

The bairns have been finishing off and making more items for their  tabletop sale. We have had some visitors this week, the bairns were keen to let them know what they were making and what the money was going to be used for.

Polycrub – Tuesday

At this time of year it is time to have a clear out of the polycrub, pulling out old plants, tidying up the raised beds and leaving everything neat for the spring of the year when the planting season will start again. The bairns are still looking after some beetroot and some brussel sprouts.

PE – Thursday

Mrs Ritchie has offered us time in the hall over the next few weeks so the bairns can build on their confidence using the equipment. Before heading through we had a quick challenge to see who could remember the ‘keep safe rules’, lots of them were remembered. Mrs Ritchie also went over them once we were in the hall as there was a new station, the ropes. This was a popular activity with the bairns supporting each other to find ways to use them.

‘Just jump on, it’s like da zip line at da park.’

‘You can put your legs up lik dis n swing on it.’

Shape – All week

A shape provocation on the loose parts table has been well visited. This has given the opportunity to chat about shape names, corners and sides, which led on to sorting and matching. Other resources being used have sparked conversations about shapes too.

 

Fundraising makes (Monday -Thursday)

We have had another busy week making and decorating items for the nursery sales table. The bairns have been making bird food hangers, firepit starters and cutting fabric for the tops of the jams and chutneys. It has been a production line with lots of willing helpers. Some of the bairns have been discussing what they will make using the cardboard cutter when we buy it.

‘I’m going to build a tower, a big tower.’

‘I will be able to cut out all the bits for a galley.’

‘Yeah, we could mak da shields too.’

Childsmile visit (Wednesday)

The Childsmile ladies came for a visit to apply the flouride varnish to the bairns teeth. They commented on their manners as when each group had finished they all said ‘thankyou’.

Bookbug (Thursday)

We were all delighted to have Claire and Bookbug along to nursery on Thursday for a session of rhymes and a story. Claire hopes to visit on Thursdays fortnightly so we will all look forward to that. The book we listened to was, Doodle and Dot – Squiggles on the Loose, Doodle and Dot are best friends. They love to draw together and experiment with art. But their drawings have a  habit of coming to life and causing chaos. The book introduces line drawing styles to the bairns which they can then use to explore independently.

Gym Hall Visit (Thursday)

Mrs Ritchie the PE teacher invited us through to the hall to explore the BIG climbing frame and gymnastics equipment! We were all really excited to get started but Mrs Ritchie said we had to listen to some ‘rules’ first to keep us all safe. She showed us all how to do each station and come of safely, how to move around each station safely, no running, waiting for your turn if there was a queue and using hands and feet to climb.

‘That was so much fun.’

‘I geed right up to da top o da ladder n doon da idder side.’

‘We had to land on our feet on the mat.’

(Monday -Friday)

Some of the other fun and games from the week, including the playpark, ice and……………. the Christmas Tree!

 

Monday -Thursday

The bairns have been VERY busy this week!

Nursery will be having a table at the P4-7’s shopping evening in the Cunningsburgh Hall on Friday 28th November 6.30 – 8pm. The bairns have been using their creative skills to make beautiful Christmas decorations, they have picked tomatoes from the polycrub and received more from Dave at the Community Polycrub to make chutney and using donations of rhubarb to make jam.  The bairns are hoping to raise funds to buy a cardboard cutting machine in time for their SMUHA creations. There will be more items in the making over the next few weeks and we hope you will come along to the event and support their enterprise.

 

Here are some more photos from the week!