Transition – P1 Visit (Week 6 Tuesday)

The bairns listened to Goldilocks and the Three Bears, followed by a colouring activity focusing on listening and adding the correct colour/design to their bear picture.  They also had time for free play and a little group time, practicing putting up their hand when asked a question.

Polycrub Visit (Week 6 & 7 Thursday)

The bairns made cuttings of geraniums and potted them.  They also created geranium pictures.  They planted tomatoes in hanging baskets and the raised beds.  There was discussion about how the tomatoes in the hanging baskets would grow down over the edge.  One of the bairns noticed “The tatties are growing now.” from a previous week’s planting.  Bev showed the bairns the inside a tomato and compared it to the chambers of our hearts.  The bairns agreed that tomatoes were good for your heart.  The bairns fed the caddy lambs, collected the hen’s eggs and fed the goats.

Outdoor Play ( Weeks 6 & 7)

The bairns have been tending to the polycrub, planting and watering.  They have also played Duck Duck Goose, chasing games and opened an ice cream shop.  The sand pit has been a very popular area, especially using the large loose parts and lots of water.  There has been woodwork out on the patio inspired by the TV show Gladiators.  The bairns used a long piece of wallpaper and attached it to the slide.  They experimented by pouring paint from the top and watching what happened.  They were also able to take prints using the paint that had pooled at the bottom of the slide.  One of the bairns thought it would be fun to see what kind of tracks a truck would make in the paint.  They tested vehicles with narrow and wide tyres.

Size, Weight and Symmetry (Week 6 Monday-Thursday)

We have been exploring size, weight and symmetry.  The bairns pressed the buzzer and Mrs Malcolmson’s voice wondered if they could sort the dolls from tallest to shortest.  Miss Irvine’s buzzer wondered if they could sort the tins (containing different amounts of shingle) from lightest to heaviest.  We also invited the bairns to discover the properties of symmetry using mirrors and counters.

We extended their interest in symmetry using paint and natural elements to create butterflies.

Lambs (Week 7 Wednesday)

We had a visit from two caddy lambs this week.  One of our bairns was very confident handling them and kept us right during their visit.  The bairns got a chance to feed the lambs their milk with a bottle.  We also had a discussion about keeping their feet clean and why they have a ring on their tail.

Transition Lunch (Week 7 Thursday)

Our preschoolers had their first transition lunch in the canteen this week.  They lined up at the hatch to get their tray, listened to the instructions for getting cutlery, visited the self-serve salad station and then chose a seat at the table.  They also cleared away their trays when they were finished.

Butterflies (Week 7 Wednesday)

We have been growing butterflies and this week was time to release them into the wild.  Over the long weekend, four out of five butterflies had emerged from their chrysalises.  The fifth butterfly waited until we were back on Tuesday morning.  We added some sugary water and slices of fruit inside the net so that the butterflies could build up their strength.  After a day or so, we took the net outside and opened the lid.  The butterflies seemed quite content to stay inside.  However, after a while the first two made a break for freedom.  Later that afternoon, all five butterflies had flown from the net.