Category Archives: Health and Wellbeing

Curiosity Inquiry Creativity, Health and Wellbeing, Literacy and English, Numeracy and Mathematics, Sciences

Time to Tinker

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Got access to a dead old computer or keyboard?
Whatever it is, tinkering with real-life tech is a fabulous
thing for your curious children. When you allow your child to take something apart, put items back together and figure out how things work it encourages them to problem solve, try another strategy or use different materials or tools.

What you need: 

• An old computer
• Different kinds of screwdrivers is the best
thing for your curious preschoolers.

What to do:

1. For children of this age, an adult will most
likely need to remove the larger components
from the computer.
2. Once you’ve got some smaller components
out, allow your children a bit of free
reign with the screwdrivers.
3. The focus that you’ll see in children with
tasks like this is like nothing else, and
there’s nothing more fascinating for a
curious tinkerer than to get to see the
inside workings of a giant computer.

 

 

Curiosity Inquiry Creativity, Health and Wellbeing, Religious and Moral Education, Social Studies

Wildlife Woodpile Wonders

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Create a simple woodpile in order to attract more wildlife
to the garden. Centipedes, ground and rove beetles are great visitors. If you would prefer not to have animals making your woodpile their home, you will need to raise the pile on a log rack or a foot or so off the ground.

What you need:

• Wood cuttings
• A shady spot outdoors
• A bucket (optional)

What to do:

1. Take some wood cuttings and sticks from
trees, shrubs or other herbaceous plants.
Logs about an adult fist-wide with the
bark still on are perfect.
2. Find a shady spot and pile the wood up.
You don’t want the spot to be too cold,
but the shade will help keep everything
damp.
3. Over time, the decaying wood will start
to attract insects and other wildlife into
your garden, a great way for your little
ones to explore nature in any space.
4. If you’re particularly short on space, a
bucket with holes in can be loaded up
with small twigs and leaves and it’ll do a
good job of attracting insects too.

Curiosity Inquiry Creativity, Health and Wellbeing, Social Studies

Composting with Children

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The magic of watching food leftovers turn into soil is the
perfect way to encourage curiosity amongst your little ones
about the outside world.

What you need:

• Leftover food waste
• A compost container
• A drill

What you do:

1. Take a bin or large container and drill some
holes into the side of it.
2. After lunches and snacks, help the
children to separate out their food waste
from their non-biodegradable containers
and other bits. This helps to teach the
children some self-care but also the difference
between food waste and other
types of waste.
3. Get the children to carry the waste out
to the compost bin. If you want to speed
up the process then you can also add
some soil. It should work better in the
warmer summer months.
4. It might take a while for the compost to
develop, but it should be a good lesson
in patience for the children too. Once it’s
ready you can use the compost to plant
some plants, flowers or vegetables with
the children to bring the lesson full cycle.

Health and Wellbeing, Literacy and English, Social Studies

Making Memories

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Collect some photos in your home and prepare a little memory
box to help your wee ones understand their place in the world.

What you need:

• Photos from family members
• A box or wall display

 

What to do:

1. Start by asking family members to send
photographs of the children’s relatives,
favourite things, and other close attachment
objects such as pets.
2. Create a memory box with the photographs
in, which you can share with your
little ones throughout the day.
3. Got a bit more time on your hands? Why
not create a family tree display which
children can use to start recognising
other families too?
4. The photographs can help comfort younger
children and give them some understanding
of their place in the world. As
they grow, the pictures can be useful to
give them an understanding of the differences
between their own home environment
and that of their little friends.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curiosity Inquiry Creativity, Expressive Arts, Health and Wellbeing, Literacy and English, Numeracy and Mathematics, Sciences

How to make Bartholomew’s Oobleck (Dr.Suess)

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Make this fascinating substance that is both liquid and
solid all at once and you’ll have yourself endless hours of
multi-sensory messy play.

What you need:

• Corn flour
• Water
• Food colouring

What to do:

1. Mix together 2 parts corn flour to one
part water with a few drops of food
colouring. Here your children can learn about
colour mixing, counting and measuring,
using tools, collaboration, and more.

2. You’ll now have a slimy substance that
goes solid when you apply hard pressure
and is more liquid when you apply less.

3. The children can explore the way the goo
feels and moves, and understand ideas
like cause and effect. For example, when
they hit the goo fast it will be hard while
it will turn to liquid when they move
more slowly.

4. You can also practice language skills as
they describe the texture, look, and smell
of the goo, and you can develop fine motor
skills by hiding objects in it.

5. CLEAN UP ADVICE – You don’t want to
just pour everything down the sink and
clog up your drains. Wash little hands
and tools in a big bowl and then leave
overnight. Eventually, the corn flour will
settle to the bottom and you can pour
the water from the top down the sink
and the corn flour straight into the bin.