Nursery Trip (Monday)

Our magical mystery tour began by catching the bus at the top of the road.  We headed south and the bairns wondered if we were going to the Salvation Army polycrubs!  But the bus driver made a quick turn and then we headed north.  The bairns guessed that we might be going to Michaelswood, Voe Soft Play or Lanzarote!  When we reached our destination, it was time to explore the Voxter trees.  It wasn’t long before we were enveloped by the trees’ canopy.  We set up a snack area and there was time for free play, before the bairns were given a Scavenger Hunt challenge.  Each pair received a bag with images of items to look for in the forest.   The bairns also built an impressive den with Miss Baillie.  We listened to Stick Man and then searched the forest for the right kind of stick.  Then we stopped for lunch of sandwiches, apples and biscuits from the canteen.  Then we made our way out of the forest and headed to the walled garden.  The bairns made good use of the tyre swings and tree climbing opportunities.  There were many sleepy heads on the bus back down to the nursery after all that fresh air!

Some of the bairns’ highlights included “being on da horsies” “da climbing” “building da den” “I liked picking feathers and making a stick man” “when we went in da big big woods.  A friend helped me climb dat trees.” “the swings” “everything – climbing and making the den” “climbing up a tree with my photo taken” “going on da swing in da trees” “doing da scavenger hunt”.

Cars (Weeks 11 and 12)

We were very fortunate that one of our grandads donated lots of old car parts.  The bairns have been using them in imaginative play, problem solving how to put the car back together and hiding under the bumpers during Hide and Seek.

School Picnic (Friday)

We were invited into the school hall for a picnic lunch.  The bairns sat on two mats and waited patiently.  There were trays of sandwiches, pizza and sausage rolls.  The canteen ladies also had a surprise for pudding – not one but two!  A decorated queen cake and an ice cream cone.  What a treat!

Sheltered Housing Delivery (Friday)

The bairns thought it would be nice to deliver some seasonal treats to the sheltered housing residents next to nursery.  After a ponder, they settled on flower pots.  They decorated flower sticks, potted the plants and wrapped them up ready to deliver.

Summer Party (Thursday)

We asked the bairns what kind of games they would like to play during our summer party and see if you can spot any!  We got the party started with a good dance and then it was time for Musical Ice Lollies.  Next, we had Pass the Crab and then Floor is Lava.  Suddenly, there was a mysterious voice from the kitchen “It’s me!” and who should appear but Mario and Luigi!  They also brought Yoshi, Toad, buzzy bee and Wally!  Not only that, but they had set up an ice cream station for all the bairns.  It was very popular!  After snack we moved to the hall for Sun Sun Ice Cream (Duck Duck Goose) and finished up there with Mario Corners.  The bairns gathered in the quiet room to receive their summer gift from the staff and then it was time for our last game – a butterfly scavenger hunt.  The bairns added their butterflies to the rainbow, matching up the colours.

Play and Learning (Tuesday-Friday)

Here is a selection of the rest of our play and learning from the week.  The bairns have spent time outside making pressed flower art, using the slide, taking out the ripe veggies from the polycrub, building obstacle courses, playing in a pot and pan band, making bug hotels, rescuing mermaids and recreating the Princess and the Pea with donut cushions and a green plastic crab.

Primary Concert (Tuesday)

The nursery bairns were invited to attend the Primary Music Concert in the hall this week.  The bairns that choose to go through listened to piano recitals, fiddle music and group ensembles that the school bairns performed at the music festival.

Sports Day (Thursday)

It was great to see so many of our nursery families at Sports Day.  The bairns gave it their all with every race.  “I like da poon and egg game.”

Beach (Monday)

We took another group to the Mail beach this week.  We caught the service bus from nursery for the short trip down the road.  After a peerie walk, we made it down to the beach.  We had a safety briefing so that everyone knew the rules.  The bairns got straight into throwing stones into the water, looking for treasure and mark-making in the sand.  After a while, we moved closer to the burn and the porta-potty!  Mrs Meadows had some activities planned related to her outdoor training.  The bairns were tasked with building a city of sandcastles and adding a moat around it, filled with water.  They also collected interesting finds from the beach onto a tray and compared them.  The bairns played a shark game, starting with one person being the shark the rest playing minnows.  The shark had to catch as many as possible and then they turned into sharks for the next round of catching.  It was very heartwarming to see the sharks get together in a circle with their arms around each other’s shoulders to discuss tactics.  To finish up, Mrs Meadows lit the fire pit and we had snack, while watching two seagulls bobbing along on the sea.

Play and Learning (Monday-Friday)

Here is a selection of our play and learning from the reminder of the week.  The bairns have continued to enjoy yoga, building structures with the coloured blocks, making creations at the workbench and searching for slugs and bugs in the garden.

Expressive Arts (Monday-Friday)

This cohort of bairns are incredibly creative.  They have explored painting, drawing, model-making, woodwork and more, just this week.  “Can we do statues?”  The bairns have been practising yoga with Mario, unicorns and Huntrx.

Makaton (Thursday)

We had our second Makaton session this week.  The bairns remembered some of the signs, especially for We’re Going on a Bear Hunt and Down in the Jungle.  They also learned some new signs for Five Little Sandcastles.

Sea Creatures (Thursday)

We were delighted when a nursery grandad dropped off some sea creatures for the bairns.  There was lots of discussion about the texture and size of the creatures.  “It’s rough.”  Mrs Malcolmson shared more information about the sunfish, highlighting that their mouths are underneath and their eyes are on the ends of their arms.  We wondered about the kind of water they need – “salty”.  The lobster was a popular creature and we learned about it’s feelers and where they keep their eggs.  The velvet crab had it’s back rubbed many times.  There were two octopuses who made a valiant attempt to escape from their enclosure.  The bairns talked about how they can change colour and their tentacles “dat stick on”.

Parent Lunch (Thursday)

Thank you to everyone who came in for the parent lunch.  The bairns were very keen to show you all the steps they had been learning already in the canteen.

Beach Trip (Thursday)

A group of bairns went to the beach at Mail.  They used a pop-up tent for shelter and searched the area for treasures, collecting them onto a white tray.  There was also time for throwing stones into the water, building sandcastles and a snack on the beach.  While they were building sandcastles, the bairns discovered that the wet sand was more effective.

Gym and Sports Day Practice (Thursday and Friday)

The bairns played three kinds of catchy games – Toilet Tag, Stick in the Mud and ET Go Home.  Then it was time to practice for Sports Day.  They took part in an egg and spoon race, being careful to keep their egg balanced on the spoon.  They placed bean bags on their heads to test their body’s balance.

We can’t wait to see everyone there on Thursday 25 June.

Moving Up Day (Friday)

As part of moving up day, the bairns read The Three Little Pigs.  Afterwards, “you needed to make a house with loads of stuff.”  Then they tested how strong their houses were using a hairdryer and a spray bottle of water.  “It got weet but it didna faa doon.”

World Cup (Monday)

Primary 4/5 invited the bairns to come through to their classroom to do some voting in their World Cup data handling activity.  The categories included favourite foods from different countries, favourite football kit, footballer, footballs and animals, to name a few.  The bairns went around the tables in peerie groups, pointing to their favourites and the P4/5s would add their votes to a tally chart.

Stay and Play Prep (Monday-Thursday)

The bairns have been busy painting a rainbow of stones for our Stay and Play scavenger hunt.  “We did red, yellow, green, blue, purple and orange.  We did some outside.”

Salvation Army Polycrub (Thursday)

The week at the polycrub, the bairns learned about growing peppers.  They repotted some into larger pots.  Then they had a taste test with red and green peppers.  “Me no like dat een.”  The bairns completed a colouring game using the colours of the peppers as traffic lights.  They had a quick play in the ball pit and sand pit before it was time to feed the hungry goats.

Makaton (Thursday)

We have a Makaton user visiting who will be delivering four sessions over the coming weeks to familiarise the bairns with signs that can be used during popular nursery rhymes and songs like Wind the Bobbin Up, Incy Wincy, Miss Polly Had a Dolly, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Five Speckled Frogs, Reach (S Club) and Peter Rabbit.  “I liked the Bear Hunt one.”

Outdoor Play (Monday-Friday)

There has been many bug hunts and the bairns managed to find over 25 slugs in just one morning.  Although, the slugs have been renamed as “stinky doodahs”.  With the warmer weather, the bairns wondered if we could have a paddling pool in the garden.  We began filling a tuff tray with water but it was on a slant.  The bairns problem solved to find pieces of wood and propped up the lower side to make it flatter.  There was lots of peerie toes, splashing and giggles.

Graduation Assembly (Friday)

We had a whole group of superstars performing in our graduation assembly.  They started in good form with The SAMBA! and then welcomed everyone with the Good Morning song, along with actions.  The Planting Song was next and our grand finale was Golden, the most played song on our nursery playlist.  Each of our graduates was presented with a gold medal, mortar board and certificate.

Stay and Play (Friday)

We were delighted to welcome so many families for our Term 4 stay and play.  The whole setting was buzzing with excitement for our rainbow scavenger hunt.  Thank you to everyone who came along.

Wir Ain Peerie Bodies (Monday-Friday)

On Monday we learned the proper names for our body parts, including private parts.  We read the ‘Who Has What’ book and then chose two bairns to draw around on large pieces of paper so we could add the body part names for a girl and a boy.  Day Two built on our discussion from day one, as we talked more about our bodies and the concept of private parts.  The bairns decorated pants using coloring mediums.  On Wednesday, we introduced Pantosaurus, a singing dinosaur who teaches us how to say “NO!” when we don’t feel safe.  Next, we discussed emotions and how they make our bodies feel.  We also introduced the idea of safe and trusted adults that you can talk to if something makes you feel uncomfortable.  “My Mam makes me feel safe.”  On the final day, the bairns were supported to know the difference between good and bad secrets and we revisited the messages from earlier in the week about saying NO and telling someone if they feel unsafe or worried.

This is a link to the Pantosaurus video on YouTube (it might just get stuck in your head!).

(8) Talk PANTS with Pantosaurus and his PANTS song #TalkPANTS – YouTube

Salvation Army Polycrub Visit (Thursday)

The bairns created marigolds with plasticine during their visit to the Salvation Army polycrub this week.  Then, it was time to plant the real thing.  They also fed the goats and got up close to the lambs.

Preschoolers Transition (Tuesday and Thursday)

Our preschoolers visit with Mrs Johnson focused on The Three Billy Goats Gruff.  After listening to the story, the bairns had to use small loose parts to build a bridge.  They also had time for free-play to explore the classroom.  Thursday was another chance to experience lunch in the canteen and familiarise themselves with the routines.  The bairns had a visit to the school bathrooms and noticed that they don’t have any magic taps there.

During their first gym lesson, the preschoolers learned about staying safe by being aware of the doors and who might be passing through.  The bairns listened about how the equipment was stored and that today they would be using balls.  They practiced rolling, throwing, catching and passing, either on their own or with a friend.  Then they had two games – I See and Mr Men & Little Miss Movements.  The I See game was a listening challenge involving different movements like walking, skipping, marching, running, tiptoeing and hopping.  The Mr Men & Little Miss game had the bairns acting out how they thought different characters would move.  They stretch up like Mr Tall, crouched down like Mr Small, froze for Mr Quiet and did star jumps for Little Miss Star.

Play and Learning (Monday-Friday)

Here is a selection of our play and learning from the week.  The bairns have been busy taking their fishing boat out, creating masterpieces at the workbench and dancing to The Flight of the Bumblebee on Alexa, matching their movements to the tempo of the music.  We were very lucky to receive a donation of plasterboard scraps and the bairns took these out into the garden and used spray bottles filled with paint to colour them.  They noticed how the paint dripped down the upright panels and how the colours mixed together.

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.

Chicks (Monday-Tuesday)

We had a very exciting arrival on Monday morning.  It started out with a small crack in one of the eggshells, until eventually a beak popped out.  The bairns were checking to see how the chick managed to escape from the eggshell.  Then, after a while, the shell broke apart and a chick emerged.  “It was pecking all night.”  Later in the week, we had a visit from more chicks.  The bairns listened to the instructions about holding the chicks with one hand underneath and one hand on top.  Some of the bairns were a little unsure about holding them but were happy to feel their fluffy backs.  We put all the bairns’ name suggestions into a tub and pulled out three.  The chosen names are Latey, Koopa Troopa and Sports.  Certainly a variety!

Cardboard House (Monday-Friday)

Our cardboard house has been many different things over the week – a troll’s kitchen, a fairy house, Elsa’s castle and a fishing boat.

Buddies (Wednesday)

Our preschoolers were out again in the playground this week with their buddies.  Their confidence is growing each week and they are happy to play and chase the older bairns.

Outdoor Play and Bugs (Monday-Friday)

Our outdoor play this week has focused on loose parts play in the sand pit, painting and exploring the jungle (formerly known as the hen house).  The bairns are also getting more adventurous with the slide and many like crashing into the large padded seat that bottom.  Mrs Smith served snack from the Ice Cream shop.

We have been growing chrysalis in a small tub.  This week it was time to transfer to their larger net enclosure so that they can turn into butterflies and emerge.  Trevor removed one of our wooden cable drums and the bairns were keen to find out what was lurking underneath.  They brought out magnifying glasses and binoculars to get a better look.  They spoke about the different bugs they found, their texture and where they might like to live now that the cable drum had been removed.

Play and Learning

Here is a snippet of the reminder of our play and learning from the week.  The bairns have been busy mixing their own colours for painting, testing if apples float or sink and finding shapes inside kaleidoscopes.

P1 Transition Visit (Tuesday)

As part of transition this week Mrs Johnson took the group of pupils who will be moving up to P1 through to the Primary 1/2 classroom for a visit. While we were there, Mrs Johnson gathered the group to sit on the mat for a peerie chat to share some news. She asked the boys and girls what they thought she would like them to do if they wanted to ask a question or answer. ‘I pit up my hand.’ Mrs Johnson then read the story of Rumpelstiltskin before asking everyone to join her at the table to write their names on their piece of paper, before drawing a character from the story. The bairns then had time to explore the classroom and resources.

Pattern (Monday-Friday)

The bairns have been exploring patterns and sequencing this week.  They have created their own patterns using loose parts, completed sequences on the smart board and used fruit to relate to everyday experiences.  Being able to identify, repeat, create and extend patterns supports numeracy, literacy and logical thinking development.

Batty! (Thursday)

To say thanks to Mrs Smith for inviting the bairns to collaborate with her and her student colleagues at the UHI on their bat project, we presented her with a bat necklace. The necklace was made by a talented school pupil who has been selling their cast items at craft fairs around Shetland. Mrs Smith got her necklace on straight away to show it off to everyone and popped out to the playground to show the creator.

Salvation Army Polycrub Visit (Thursday)

On our trip to the Salvation Army polycrub this week, the bairns decorated polystyrene cups with faces so that their cress seeds could grow to become hair.  They planted the seeds into cotton wool and made sure they had plenty of moisture using a spray bottle filled with water.  Then, the bairns planted a variety of flowers including poppies.  Before we left, there was just time to feed the goats and the hens.

Happy Birthday Sir David Attenborough (Friday)

We celebrated Sir David Attenborough’s 100th birthday today by watching an animated documentary showcasing his life’s work.  The bairns learned that he is a real life superhero (although he doesn’t have wings!) protecting the Earth through conservation of natural habitats, plants and wildlife.  Afterwards, the bairns created a collaborative drawing featuring the animals they had seen in the documentary, along with a Sir David Attenborough portrait.

Play, Talk, Read Pathways (Monday)

We were delighted to welcome the Play Talk Read initiative back to Cunningsburgh.  The bairns listened to a story called Balloon’s Big Adventure and then engaged in balloon activities and more.  Thank you to all the families that were able to make it along.  The bairns love sharing experiences with their favourite people.

Library Van (Tuesday)

The bairns visited the library van and chose 11 books, one more than last time.  They had an interesting discussion with Johnny about being the library van driver and what he does if nobody visits his van.

Transition (Tuesday and Wednesday)

Mrs Johnson (2026-27 P1 teacher) began her bi-weekly visits for the pre-schoolers.  The bairns listened to a story, Shark in the Park, joined in for a movement break and then had another story.

Salvation Army Polycrub Visit (Thursday)

We have started a session of visits to the Salvation Army polycrub.  This week the bairns decorated sunflower pots to plant their own seeds.  The dug trenches and planted peas and radishes.  To plant tatties, the bairns broke up the soil, dug trenches, planted seeds, covered them and made ridges.  The bairns also fed the hens and took some eggs back to nursery for the Honesty Cupboard.

Lerwick Play Park Trip (Friday)

The bairns confidently explored the apparatus in the big play park in Lerwick.  They also made sure Mr Bain had some exercise with a big chasing game and then settled into a quick snack before moving to the other end of play park.  They engaged in risky play, assessing their own level of comfort on the high bars.  “I did it!”

Folk Festival Concert (Friday)

After a short walk through Lerwick, we made it to Mareel and meet up with some more nursery friends.  We found a good spot near the stage and waited for the band.  It wasn’t long before Canadian band Jake Vaadeland and the Sturgeon River Boys took to the stage.  They were very lively and played folk festival versions of Old Macdonald and The Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly.  The bairns were up dancing from the first song.  The adults taking the photos were dancing too so they might be a little blurry!  “It was so fun.  My legs are tired.”

After the concert, we headed to the Viking Bus Station to catch the Number 6 back to nursery.  There were some sleepyheads on the bus!

Fluoride Varnish (Monday)

Childsmile applied fluoride varnish to the bairns’ teeth which helps to provide protection against decay and reduces sensitivity.  There was lots of discussion about tastebuds.  The bairns noticed that their mouths were producing more saliva and wondered why.  We spoke about the flavour of the fluoride varnish and how the brain thinks that it’s food so it produces more saliva to help break down the food for digestion.  “It’s yellow.”

Buddies for Breaktime (Wednesday)

The bairns met up with their P6 buddies in nursery and headed out to the playpark.  There was plenty of chasing, exploring and group play.  “It was so much fun!”

Erupting Volcano (Thursday)

The bairns continued their STEM experiment and erupted their volcano using a chemical reaction between vinegar and bicarbonate of soda.  There was rich discussion about the types of molten rock – magma inside the volcano and lava after an eruption.  The bairns spoke about the eruption of Mount Etna in Italy last year and how volcanoes can be active, dormant or extinct.  They also learned that many people who live near Mount Etna had to be moved to a safe place.  Our volcano was on a slant and the bairns correctly identified that the lava would flow down the mountain which wasn’t safe.

The Batman (Thursday)

We were delighted to welcome Peter Gulliver, a bat expert, to share more information about bats in Shetland.  This followed on from Mrs Smith’s collaborative project through UHI Shetland.  The bairns listened to a presentation about bats and found out many facts.  Bats mostly eat insects and have sharp teeth.  There was also an opportunity for them to ask questions.  “Do they like to be hot or cold?”  “Do bats eat spiders?”

There are bats in Mid Yell, Nesting, Kergord and Quarff.  Mr Gulliver explained how he cares for poorly bats and how they are tracked with a numbered ring on their arm.  The bairns had a look at some of the equipment used to care for the bats.  Mr Gulliver measured their fingers with calipers and described how these are used to measure the length of a bat’s arm.  Mrs Smith showed them a large mealworm – a bat’s favourite snack!

Outdoor Play (Monday-Friday)

The bairns have been engaged for extended periods of outdoor play this week.  They have been creative with chalk and paint, travelled very fast down the slide, chased each other during role play, had a tea party, practiced using hula hoops and dug in the topped-up sand pit.  They share ideas and the play evolves over time.  There has been a lot of fishing boat construction using the large hollow blocks in the outdoor room.  This week, the bairns used the outdoor climbing wall as the side of a boat, saving people who had fallen into the ocean.