Category Archives: Celebrations

Winter Play

Our provision changes with the seasons and the interests of the children in nursery. Through the winter months play and learning was often based around the weather and different conditions we had, exploring ice, frost and snow. Play often revolved around the gritter and making different machines like a snow plough out of loose parts.

Children spent time exploring shapes relating to Christmas, decorations and food around this celebration, we held a winter themed stay and play where many families joined us for some crafting and snacks.

Later we celebrated the Fire Festival with a visit from the Jarl Squad, lots of rich learning took place related to what children knew and wanted to find out. Crafting of shields, axes, costumes and galleys continued all year! Lots of children joined in with singing sessions of the Up Helly Aa songs and squad special songs. We found out about Chinese New Year and saw lots of people dressed up and having a parade, just like we have for the Fire Festival and Up Helly Aa.

Fire Festival and Up Helly Aa 2025

We loved seeing the Jarl Squad and the galley. We sang songs, marched around, dressed up, made torches, axes and hats and watched videos of the galley burning too. Then we used the interactive whiteboard to watch what happened in Lerwick. We saw some of our friends in the Jarl Squad there too, it was so exciting!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Thank you to those of you who were able to join us for our Stay and Play Christmas sessions. We were able to share snack and make Christmas biscuits and crafts. Grown ups joined in with play around the setting to see what we do everyday.

There will be another Stay and Play in the summer which we hope some of you will be able to join us for.

We have been on some Christmas walks to see the decorations around the village. We have heard lots of Christmas stories and songs and made lots of Christmas crafts.

Happy Christmas Everyone!

Welcome back!

We have had a very busy start to the term at Scalloway Early Years, here is a snapshot of all the things we have been doing in the first few weeks back.

A time for getting to know new friends and catching up with old ones, learning all about nursery and everyone here.