Tag Archives: child-led

Early Years Week 5 – 12.09.22

September 16, 2022 Mrs Malcolmson Leave a comment

(6 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

It was time to order another delivery from Tesco for snack. The bairns chose which foods they would like to have for snack and then added them to our basket on the Tesco website. When the delivery arrived, the bairns loaded the items onto the trolley and took them into nursery where they sorted them based on where they would be stored – fridge, cupboard or fruit bowl and then put them away.

One of the bairns asked to do yoga and we found an underwater themed video from Cosmic Kids. The bairns swam with mermaids, took a look around a shipwreck and swam away fast when the shark came near! The gross motor skill development continued with the musical statues and various hula hoop moves.

The bairns made raspberry and apple jam this week by preparing and boiling fruit. When the apple was cut open, there was a sprouting seed inside. The bairns took the seed to the polycrub and planted it in a pot. They added a label and will keep a close eye to watch for changes.

The bairns have been using technology to take photos of different areas around the setting. They have also had fun taking photos of themselves and their friends, including the new additions to the fish tank.

All the families in the school received a book called Queen Elizabeth – A Platinum Jubilee Celebration. The book contains information about Queen Elizabeth’s life and interests. It has sparked conversation in the setting about the Queen and her passing.

Early Years Week 4 – 05.09.22

September 9, 2022 Mrs Malcolmson Leave a comment

(7 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

During music this week, the bairns used instruments to accompany their singing for Hickory Dickory Dock. We learned about the sounds made by a glockenspiel, xylophone and wood block. The bairns took turns to make the sounds listening for their part of the rhyme. Then we learned about the sounds and speed of different musical notes, from sit down, don’t move; walk, walk and one step, one step. The bairns listened to the tune played by Mrs Garrick on the piano and then moved to the corresponding area for the right note.

Mrs Meadows kindly brought in a couple of really big cardboard boxes this week. The bairns have been mark making on the boxes developing their early literacy skills. There was great co-operative problem solving to get into the box. The bairns tried several options by building steps with the wooden blocks, using the large red cushion and piling up small donut cushions to get inside. Then there was the task of getting out again which they worked on together until they found a solution. There were lots of opportunities for fine motor skill development when the bairns decided to cut the boxes up. “This is a bit tricky.”

We had a lot of bug encounters this week! Our first was when one of the bairns spotted a poorly bumblebee. To make the bee feel better the bairns give it some sugary water. When we came back outside after lunch, the bee had been revived and flown away. We also found a slug and a spider’s web. There was also discussion about what the bee is doing when it’s hovering next to the flowers. We learned about how bees look for pollen and nectar which gets stuck to the hairs on their legs and carried to new parts of the garden and beyond. During some deadheading work, the barins found a seed head and decided it should have a new life with the cheese plant inside nursery.

It’s safety first the work bench and the bairns are always keen to remind their friends about wearing their safety glasses. This week the bairns have been honing their woodwork skills by hammering, clamping, sawing, connecting and drilling. Not only does this promote their fine motor skills but it also encourages problem solving with a natural material.

There is nothing more fun than a muddy puddle! The bairns often spend time jumping in the water on the sand tray lid and this week’s weather provided ample opportunities. However, on the dry days the barins came up with their own way to make a puddle by working together to collect water and mud for their fun activity.

Early Years Week 3 – 29.08.2022

September 2, 2022 Mrs Malcolmson Leave a comment

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

We had a lovely visit to the Salvation Army polycrub and garden. The bairns helped to dig up the tatties, adding them to a bucket to take back to nursery. We had a look around the polycrub and saw tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, herbs and marrows, the bairns did a lot of touching and smelling the different plants. The Salvation Army kindly donated a large bucket of tatties and a big bag of mixed vegetables including cauliflower, tomatoes, cabbage and broccoli for our honesty cupboard. The bairns were also able to take home tatties, a cherry tomato and a strawberry plant.

One of our hens had disappeared but upon inspection we discovered that she was broody and sitting on 10 eggs. After a failed attempt at rescuing the eggs, we called on Trevor the janitor, who successfully retrieved them. The bairns were keen to test their freshness using a bowl of water, watching if they sunk or floated and which direction the eggs faced. Only one egg floated so we knew it was rotten. The rest of the eggs were used during the week for various recipes including pear & banana loaf, savoury biscuits, homemade pizza and pancakes.

After finding a recipe for a chocolate cake in one of our nursery books, the bairns decided to made chocolate playdoh. There was lots of interest and the playdoh was formed into cakes, volcanos and sausages. The smell of the new playdoh also proved to be a hot topic!