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Early Years Term 3 2022/23 – Week 13

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We continued our transition for the preschool bairns with more trips to the school play park for break time.  The nursery bairns met up with their P6 buddies again.  There were many games of duck duck goose, flying high on the swings, catchy and a kick around in the multi-court.

On a hunt for Easter eggs, the bairns found a set of elastics “what are dese?”.  After a demonstration from Mrs Meadows, Mrs Smith and Miss Brannan, the bairns took turns to try their jumps.  They added rhymes using Alexa to jump in time with the words.

The bairns asked for some Easter books so we gathered a few from the library to add to our bookcase.  One of the bairns took in a goose egg.  We talked about where it came from and how it might taste, comparing it to our hen’s egg.  We prepared hard boiled eggs ready for decorating and rolling.  The bairns used paint pens to add their drawings and writing to the egg shells.  We headed out to the playpark and found a good hill for rolling.  Ready, Set, Go!

The bairns asked if we could visit the houses next to nursery soon.  They made Easter cards to deliver to each resident.  At each house with someone home, the bairns gave a loud ‘Happy Easter’.  It was break time when we came back to school so we headed into the staff room to give cards to Mrs Dade, Mrs Johnson and Miss Hunter.

We were invited, with the school, to the local kirk for an Easter service.  The bairns were asked lots of questions about what Easter means to them and what it means to Christians.  Then it was time to see who could balance an Easter egg on their head for the longest.  It’s almost as tricky as it sounds!  We listened to a song on the big screen called God’s Not Dead.  Afterwards one of the bairns asked if the kirk had a magic wall!  We ended with a short prayer.

We were delighted to have Miss Irvine in for a visit so that we could meet our latest addition to the nursery family.  The bairns were really keen to have a hold too.  There were lots of smiles and then it was time for a nap!

Early Years Term 3 2022/23 – Week 12

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Transition started this week with visits to the playpark during morning break time.  The nursery bairns buddied up with the Primary 6 pupils.  This gives them someone else to go to if they have a question or need help.  We’ve already seen great collaborative and imaginative play between the nursery bairns and upper primary bairns.

For the last few months, the bairns have been engaged in water play using baby dolls and imaginative play in the home corner caring for the babies.  “You look after the baby, I’m going to work.”  This led to a special visitor at nursery.  We were delighted to welcome one of our parents and their baby to the setting.  The bairns helped to bath and dry the baby and then it was time for snack.  The bairns also sang nursery rhymes to the baby.

Beads are a great resource for developing fine motor skills and can be used to support the trajectory schema with the pouring of beads from one vessel to another.  We’ve also been working on picking up the beads from the floor to keep it safe.  One of the bairns made a shaker instrument using a pot with some beads inside, sealed with a piece of paper which they cut to size before adhering with tape.

While our garden is still under renovation, we headed to the school playground one sunny afternoon.  The bairns explored all the equipment, trying new things, making up their own games, assessing their own risk and revisiting play from previous trips.  It was great to see the bairns helping their friends on the swings.

We are still immersed in Viking play and today it was the school galley burning for SMUHA.  We were lucky to have some of the South Mainland Up Helly Aa squad join us for the burning.  Earlier in the morning, the bairns had built a galley using the big blocks in the outdoor room.  When we returned to the setting, the bairns revisited this imaginative play by building and burning their galley several times.  They also added safety cones to keep everyone watching safe.  Three cheers for SMUHA!

Risky play encourages resilience and problem solving and gross motor development.  The wall of the outdoor room is often used as a climbing area.  The bairns are supported to climb within their limits, thinking ahead to assess how they will get down.

Early Years Term 3 2022-23 – Week 5

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We have been preparing for Up Helly Aa by learning the songs, practicing our marching and holding galley burnings in the quiet room!  The bairns have also been creative building their own galleys and making costumes.

The anticipation had been building for Up Helly Aa and finally it was time to get on the bus and head to Lerwick to see the Vikings.  We found a clear viewpoint from the balcony at the Great Wall.  The Vikings roared past, bringing along their galley, the pipe band and the brass band.  Then it was the turn of the Junior Jarl Squad.  We headed to the museum where we had snack, a Bookbug session, Viking activities and a Viking hunt.  Three cheers for Up Helly Aa!

After discussion at lunch about what Vikings eat, the bairns agreed that they would probably like butter on toast for breakfast.  We discussed how they couldn’t go to the supermarket for butter or bread, where food comes from and that Vikings had to make their own food.  The bairns poured cream into a jar, screwed the lid on tightly and shook it up until it turned into butter.  Next it was time to make Viking bread using the buttermilk from the butter.  The bairns weighed out the ingredients, all having a turn to mix the dough.  Then it was time to pop the bread into the oven.  The bairns had a taste of their baking at snack – “I love it!”

This is the recipe we followed:

Kids in the Kitchen: Viking Bread Recipe | Raising Lifelong Learners

 

Early Years 2022-23 Term 3 – Weeks 1 + 2

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We were delighted to have the bairns back after the Christmas break and hear all their exciting news.  Some of the bairns were keen to speak about things they had received for Christmas and decided to put on a Show and Tell.  The bairns listened to each of their friends, while taking turns to tell us about their own item.

The nursery is taking part in Jumpstart January which means we move our bodies for 15 minutes every day.  So far we have done this by playing the floor is lava, musical statues, king kong conga, ball play, yoga, Just Dance Kids and Joe Wicks Superheroes workout (“That was crazy!”).   The bairns have come up with their own ideas for each day and everyone has got involved.

We welcomed Mrs Garrick back for our first music lesson of the year this week.  The lesson started with a new song King Kong Conga which meant that the bairns could move around the hall in the conga style.  This provided opportunities for listening, movement, singing and being careful with the person in front.  Next we had a request from the bairns for the Wheels on the Bus.  This was paired up with actions for the wheels, wipers, horn, babies, mummies and people.  Then it was time to learn the Up Helly Aa song.  Finally, Mrs Garrick got our hearts pumping with a super fast version of heads, shoulders, knees and toes.

One of the bairns brought in their new puppy to visit the nursery.  We talked about how to care for a dog, what they like to eat and how much walking they need.  There was lots of discussion later in the day about how we can get a nursery dog!

We have added a lending library to the honesty cupboard.  You can take a book or leave a book and there is books available for all ages on a variety of topics.  We have a small red notebook and pencil in the box too and would be grateful if you could note your initials and the date when you take a book so we can see how many visitors there has been.  There is no hurry to return any of the books.  Happy reading!