Tesco (Tuesday)

To prepare for our delivery to the sheltered houses next week, a small group of bairns went to Tesco to buy vegetables for our harvest bags.  On the way they spotted environmental print and commented on the numbers in the price of a pizza.  They used the self-service scanner, found the barcodes and added their items to the trolley.  The bairns had a quick look at all the toys.  At checkout, they bagged up their shopping, ready to head back on the bus to nursery.

Exploring Forces – Wind (Weeks 6 and 7)

The bairns have been exploring the force of the wind during the last couple of weeks.  They used plastic bags and string to make kites.  They went around the garden, flying their kites and noticed the wind direction so that their kite could keep flying.  They moved the string low and high to see what would happen to their kite.  We went to the playpark for a larger space and less shelter.  The bairns were able to make their kites fly even higher.

Family Portraits (Tuesday-Wednesday)

Following on from the bairns’ interest in large drawings and family trees, they began to draw their family portraits for our wall at nursery.  They proudly drew the people and pets who live with them, adding in details like beards for the dads and jewellery for the mams.

Police (Wednesday)

Our local Police Officer, Liam Brannan, visited the nursery this week.  The bairns learned that catching bad guys is only a small part of being a police officer.  He spoke to the bairns about what police officers do – paperwork, keeping people safe and making sure everyone follows the law.  He showed the bairns the devices on his vest, including a radio, handcuffs, baton, printer and camera.  The bairns asked lots of questions and we found out that there are no police cats, the police help keep people off the road during Up Helly Aa, police dogs are used to find dangerous things using their sense of smell, police use special tools to measure the speed of cars, the police cars go nee naw to let other vehicles know they are going to an emergency.  We all headed outside to take a closer look at the police van.  PC Brannan showed us the front where there were lots of coloured buttons and another radio.  At the back of the van, the bairns sat in the cage and noticed that it wasn’t very big.  They tried on some of the police uniform – a female officer’s hat, a cap and a vest.  After a group photo, PC Brannan offered lots of high fives and the bairns thanked him for coming to nursery.

Kittens (Wednesday)

One of our nursery parents brought in their kittens.  The bairns used gentle hands to hold them and learned about their sharp claws.

Expressive Arts (Monday-Friday)

The bairns have been using the spinning chair in the outdoor room daily.  We wondered what would happen if we tried spin drawing.  The bairns fetched two large pieces of paper and we placed them under the spinning chair in the middle of the outdoor room.  The first bairn to have a go, took off her shoes and socks, placed a pen between her toes and spun around trying to draw with her foot.  Soon there was a line of bairns who all wanted a turn too.  The bairns have also been engaged in making maps and family trees on large pieces of paper.  The bairns made new playdough this week and have been exploring its properties by rolling balls, flattening it out and creating sausages.

Hoops (Tuesday)

The bairns often chat about building their muscles.  We collected some hoops from the PE equipment and laid them out in a circle with a hoop in the middle.  The bairns used their core to balance while moving around by placing their hands or feet in the hoops and moving round.  They made numbers for the hoops and then called out to each other to find them.  Following on from the numbers, a few of the bairns sang nursery rhymes featuring numbers – Hickory Dickory Dock, 1 2 3 4 5 Once I Caught a Fish Alive and Baa Baa Black Sheep.  Afterwards, the bairns helped to carry the hoops back to the hall.

Handwashing and Hygiene (Monday-Friday)

We have been focusing on good handwashing technique and making sure that the bairns follow the steps in the poster shown below.  They wet their hands, get one pump of soap, make bubbles all over their hands, rinse and dry.  It’s especially important that they dry their hands properly now that we are coming into the colder weather.  We also had a visit from NHS Shetland who administered the flu spray.  “I got my nose tickled.”

Pepper Experiment (Tuesday)

In order to extend the bairns knowledge of why we have to wash our hands and what keeps us safe, we tried a science experiment.  The bairns started with a plate of clear water, we shook germs (pepper) into the water and they placed their finger onto the plate to see what happened.  “The germs is on my finger.”  Next they applied  liquid soap to their finger tip and placed that onto the plate with the germs.  As soon as the soap touched the the water, the germs moved away to the edge of the plate.  “What, I didn’t think that would happen!”  “Woah, the germs all moved.”  We also read a story about a princess who was learning about germs and when she should wash her hands.

Independence – Jackets (Wednesday)

We are encouraging the bairns to get their jackets on themselves out in the corridor at home time and then they can sit at the table in the kitchen and chat about their day.  This helps with transition from nursery to home, fine motor skills and builds confidence that they can do things for themselves.

Library Trip (Thursday)

We took another group of bairns to the library this week.  They spotted numbers in the road signs, travelled on the service bus and returned some of our borrowed books.  Inside the library, the bairns explored the books and games on offer.  There was time for a few stories and then everybody was ready for snack.  The bairns also took part in a drawing activity and the made their way back to the Viking Bus Station to catch the No 6 back to Cunningsburgh.

Obstacle Course (Friday)

Mrs Garrick wasn’t available for our usual Friday session, so we set up an obstacle course in the hall.  The bairns listened to the instructions on how to keep themselves and their friends safe and then it was their turn.  They threw hoops onto a cone, hula-hooped, walked the plank, climbed the mountain, hopped across to the mat crawl, wiggled around the cones and celebrated at the finish line!  There was also a few bairns who wanted to shoot hoops and one even managed to score!  With only one ball, there was lots of discussion and negotiation about who’s turn it was next.

Childsmile (Wednesday)

Childsmile came for their termly visit.  The bairns found their toothbrushes using the matching pictures.  They listened to the instructions for good toothbrushing techniques and were delighted to receive a Bluey sticker afterwards.

Skeleton (Monday-Tuesday)

The bairns were exploring the human body using our nursery skeleton.  “When did she use to be alive and walking?” They shared what they knew about the skeleton’s anatomy.  The bairns revisited a song from music and sang “Everybody Do This” copying moves from the skeleton.

Library Visit (Thursday)

We took another group of bairns up to the library this week.  On the walk there, the bairns spotted a Scottish flag and a hazard sign for electricity. In the library, we shared stories – dinosaurs and Bluey were favourites.  After snack, the bairns built with Lego and did some colouring-in.  Then it was time to get back on the bus for lunch at nursery.

Play and Learning (Monday-Friday)

Here is a selection of our play and learning from the remainder of the week.  The bairns have been putting up hazard signs in the garden to warn about the nettles in the old hen run area, climbing on Trevor’s new climbing wall, playing doctors in the outdoor room, finding their houses on Google Maps, playing number games on the smartboard and jumping in our epic muddy puddle!

Technology (Monday-Friday)

The bairns have been making creative models at the workbench, using real tools and problem solving to develop their critical thinking skills.  We have also been finding our houses on Google maps by staring at nursery and using the street view to travel along the road.  Topmarks is a numeracy and literacy site with lots of games for bairns – they often revisit counting and shape games.

Learning to Count with these fun Counting Games – Topmarks

Outdoor Play (Monday-Friday)

The bairns have been sorting out the garden this week.  They have helped to clear out the cupboards, organise the resources into labelled baskets and filled in a muddy puddle on the way to the mud kitchen using the stones from the stone pit.  We also spent some time at the playpark so that Trevor could use his ripsnorter saw in the garden.  He has removed our broken climbing wall and is building us a new one.  Mr and Mrs Malcolmson built a new music wall, using ideas from the bairns.  “Jingle bells!”  “Something to bang on.”  “We could use bits like we use at music.”  “Something bumpy like dat pipe.”  They have been exploring the sounds, using different utensils and materials.

Trip to the Lerwick Library (Thursday)

We took a small group up on the service bus to Lerwick to visit the library.  The bairns played I Spy while we waited for the bus.  Once we were in Lerwick, we made the short walk from King Harald Street to the library.  We stopped to look at the leaves falling from the trees and discussed what happens when the seasons change.  We heard the Town Hall clock striking and talked about the different sounds it makes at every 15 minutes.  When we arrived at the library, we returned three books we had borrowed from the library van.  Then we headed inside, straight to the bairns’ books.  Everybody explored the books and toys, before selecting a book to read and a couple to take back to nursery.  We read stories together and noticed what was outside from our high vantage point.  Soon, it was time for snack and play in the activities room.  The bairns made jigsaws, played matching games and counted rainbow caterpillars.  On our way back to the bus, we wondered what the bairns though about their trip to the library – “it’s good”  “fun”  “awesome”.

Stay and Play (Friday)

Thank you to everyone who attended our Term 1 Stay and Play.  The bairns were very excited to show their grown-ups their favourite parts of nursery.

Muddy Puddle Fun (Thursday-Friday)

The wet weather played in our favour this week.  The bairns explored cause and effect jumping in the giant muddy puddle in the garden.  They added run ups to see if they could make a bigger splash.  “Yun is deep.  It’s covering my boots.”  They also noticed the patterns in the water from the raindrops.

Library Van (Tuesday)

The new Library Van came by for a visit and we learned that its name is ‘Tammy Stories’.  The bairns selected books about animals, being kind and Halloween.  They have frequently chosen to read these books throughout the week.

Numeracy (Monday-Friday)

There are numeracy invitations and opportunities across all the areas of the setting.  The bairns have been using clay sprinkles to fill number shapes.  They have built shapes with the Kapla sticks and the magnetic blocks, often creating farms for the magnetic animals.  They have explored height using towers made from blocks and cups.  The bairns often ask for counting games on the smart board.  Our numeracy table has featured ten frames, loose parts and numbered tiles to promote counting, ordering and quantity recognition.

Circuits and Electricity (Monday-Friday)

The bairns have been interested in learning about electricity.  We found some interactive games on the internet related to electricity, hazards and energy.  The bairns have also been testing the circuit boards, making the fans spin and lights shine.  This also supports numeracy development in relation to number, placement and shape.

Sensory Jars (Tuesday-Wednesday)

One of the bairns wondered how to make bubbles in a sensory timer so we made our own.  The bairns added oil, water, food colouring and confetti stars to their jars, before gently swirling the ingredients together.  The bairns discussed when they would use their jars.  “It helps you, the way you feel.  It made me feel happy.”

Story Dough (Tuesday)

The bairns made a big batch of green playdough to use for Story Dough.  The dough was placed on the centre of the table and the bairns marched around it, singing the wake up song.  Once the story dough had woken up, it was time to divide it up and create our own characters, and use our imagination to invent stories about them.  Mrs Malcolmson sprinkled in many unique describing words to add a bit of nonsense and fun to support language development.

Welcome to our weekly blog!  The posts here will cover the bairns’ learning and development each week.  Grab a cuppa and enjoy!

Outdoor Learning (Weeks 1 & 2)

The bairns have spent time exploring the playground, created chalk drawings, discovered huge mushrooms, mixed paint colours and looked after slugs.  They have also tested the slide many times and it’s still a lot of fun!

Gross Motor Skills (Weeks 1 & 2)

Gross motor skill development is essential for sustaining healthy bodies by building core strength, increasing self-esteem and even aiding social interactions.  The bairns often use the large hollow blocks to create jumping platforms.  This can also evolve into imaginative play with doctors/nurses looking after the person who has jumped.  Another popular early morning activity is yoga, especially if Mario or HuntrX are involved.

Music (Week 1 Friday)

We were delighted to welcome Mrs Garrick back for music sessions on Friday mornings.  She also brought her grand-daughter who demonstrated all the actions.  The bairns started with the Welcome Song and Incy Wincy Spider.  They used instruments to make sounds in time with the music.  They split into groups for Ring-A-Ring-A-Roses, going round in circles to the music.  It was a nursery favourite next with Tiny Tim the Turtle and then we revisited Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes to make sure we could remember the actions.  Mrs Garrick had us all lie down while she moved around the room with the Zen Bowl for a relaxing finish.

Imaginative Play (Weeks 1 & 2)

The bairns have engaged in a range of imaginative play this term.  There has been lots of of family play, looking after babies in the home corner and giving them a bath at the water trays.  The bairns have also revisited their doctor role play game in the outdoor room from last term.  There have been many detectives looking for clues with magnifying glasses.  The bairns have created lots of potions with our new coloured bottles at the water trays, including turning us into Elsa and Anna from Frozen, taking us to visit the dinosaurs and also up to space.

Routines (Weeks 1 & 2)

After the summer break, we have focused on re-embedding our routines, like handwashing, snack and lunch.  The returning bairns have undertaken these routines naturally and our new starts have shown increased independence even after only a short time.