It is always so exciting once the plants start to appear! The bairns are doing a great job of looking after them and thankfully the weather is improving and there is a bit of warmth and sunshine.
Poly Crub
Tag Archives: outdoor learning
Finding tadpoles
It is always great to get outdoors, especially when the sun shines.
We all went for a walk in Strom Road noticing differences around us with the changing Seasons.
There was great excitement when the children spotted lots of tadpoles all along the ditches.
We had a look in the school pond and found lots of frogspawn there so hoping to spot tadpoles soon.
Polycrub update
A huge thankyou to the parents who helped to water the plants throughout the Easter holidays. They have fairly shot up. The sunflowers were ready to be re-potted into bigger pots so the children have been busy doing that and lots of watering this week.
As part of their literacy this term the children have been learning how to write instructions. Lucy-Jo was very clear on how to plant a seed.
The Eco-Committee
The primary 1/2 class are the Eco-Committee for this term. They shared their plan in assembly last week of how they were going to involve the whole school in planting and growing their own food in the Polycrub this year.
Each class have been given a section of the polycrub to be responsible for planting in. There is also a rota for watering and looking after the plants throughout the term.
There have been lots planted already – tatties, peas, radishes, carrots, lettuce, beetroot, to name a few.
The children have also planted sunflower seeds and tomatoes in little pots which will need careful looking after and re-potting oncce they grow a little bit.
Each class is responsible for not only looking after the plants but keeping the polycrub tidy and organised for the next class or group of children who come in.
it is also a great space outdoors at Whiteness Primary to play. The children took a break from planting to work on their teamwork skills and have a lot of fun on the hill.
First Day of Term 3
The children had a great time today exploring and playing with the new resources ready for them in the classroom.
The vets area was really popular and the children worked together to plan out what they would need in the vets to look after the animals.
They collaborated and worked well together to build the train set. It was great to listen to their conversations and how they shared their ideas. The children also loved investigating the snow and ice in the water tray.
Lots of great vocabulary and science going on.
They spent part of the day outdoors, making the most of the snow. It was amazing to see the friendships, teamwork, problem solving and creativity going on. They had so much fun.
Just before they headed back indoors it was time for a photo with their igloo and snowman.
2D and 3D shapes
The children have had great fun learning about 2D and 3D shapes this term. They have had lots of opportunities to familiarise themselves with the shapes through practical activities both indoors and outdoors.
There have been lots of conversations about the faces, corners and names of the new shapes. They have enjoyed finding examples of these shapes in the environment.
New Term
The children arrived back at school today and were delighted with a bit of Halloween fun in and around the classroom.
Many of the children loved the dressing up and Witch’s kitchen area.
During art they followed instructions well and made little pumpkin collages.
It was such a nice morning that the class went out and did a scavenger hunt for spooky images hidden around the school grounds.
In the afternoon they listened to a story and all took part in Drawing Club.
In between times there was practical maths lessons and reading activities so a very busy first day back.
Voxter and Soft Play
The children were so excited heading out on the bus to Voxter Woods for the morning.
Being in the trees was so much fun. There were swings, balancing ropes, a saddle swing and a zip line to play on. The children were really good at taking turns and helping each other on these.
There were trees to climb, dens to build or add to, bugs to investigate and lots of places to explore. What a fantastic place for children to exxperience.
They had snack in amongst the trees.
We all went to the top of the hill and got a class photo before heading back to the bus.
By the time we got to the Soft Play in Voe it was time for lunch. The children enjoyed their packed lunches which the school had provided.
The children spent the afternoon playing with their friends in the Soft play. There was so much to do and they never stopped.
There were some very tired bairns on the way back to school on the bus, but what a great day out.
Strom Beach
P1/2 are making the most of the fine weather and getting outdoors to explore the local environment. On Friday we all headed along the road and down the hill to the beach in the Strom Road.
The children were so engaged and really enjoyed themselves. There was so much to do. Lots of digging, making dams, finding treasure and great excitement finding little creatures that live in and out of the water.
The children brought their snack to the beach with them to allow more time there for exploring and playing.
There were opportunities to develop those gross motor skills by climbing and balancing safely on the rocks.
Most of the children managed to go over the top of their wellies at the edge of the water so there were lots of soggy socks and trousers by the end of the morning. To be fair to them their wellies aren’t very tall.
These three had a great idea and took off the soggy socks to go for a paddle.
None of them complained though.
The sun stayed out for the whole morning and the children had a great time. The sheep were very entertained by the children on the walk back.
We hung out some washing to dry for a bit back at school.
Go Furt Fridays
The children get a focused loose parts and outdoor play session on Friday mornings. The water trays with pipes, half pipes, containers and connecting parts are always popular. The skills the children demonstrate here are fantastic.
They also learn how to climb and play safely in the trees together.
Imaginative play outdoors creates so many opportunities for developing social skills. it is particularly important for developing and establishing new friendships amongst the children.
First Day
What a busy and fantastic first day you the children have had. Here are some activities captured on camera today for you to see.
……….building, problem solving, co-operation
…….fine motor skills, focus and concentration, patterns
Counting, number bonds , creating Penguin One for number formations,
outdoor fun, collaboration, mark making, following instructions
Imaginary play, dinosaurs, curiosity, interactions, communication
Routines, structure and lots of listening
The children also had a music lesson today and the activities in the photos just show some of what the children were doing during their first day of school this session. They are a busy bunch.
