Feed the birds!

The preschool children have been making bird feeders this week. They were full of questions as to what birds eat and where they get their food. Peter said "Birds need food to be strong and fly!" Ezra said "They eat worms from the ground and gobble them up!" They mixed the seeds into a bowl of melted lard, observing them as they stuck together. They found it interesting to touch with their fingers, feeling the texture of the lard. Ella said "Its all sticky on my hand!". They placed the mixture into cupcakes cases. Once they had set, the children made their way around the garden to deliver the bird feeders. Elodie said "I can't wait to see the birds eat them!" Olivia replied "The mummy birds will take some to their babies!" 

The children have also been looking at the letter A. They made the sound brilliantly and thought of their own words with the letter 'A'. The children also discussed the letter 'M' which they learnt last week. They had very good memories shouting out 'Mmmm!"

This week toddlers have loved being involved in lots of messy and sensory activities! They used dinosaurs to make marks with paint, stomping their feet through the different colours and looking at the footprints left behind! While doing this Jack said “Raaahhh”, Ada said “Dinosaur messy” and Bertie said “Dinosaurs in the paint”. Some children enjoyed mixing all of the colours together whereas others chose to use their fingers to swirl the paint across the paper. Another activity the toddlers loved this week was splashing in the water tray! They used colour changing bubbles bath to make the water go from red to blue. This children loved splashing around and seeing what they could find hidden in the water, such as counting dinosaurs and bears hidden below, and some used crocodile pincers to help fish them in the water. Mostly the children enjoyed splashing around in the bubbles like Millie and Oscar. They have been singing and using musical instruments, shaking rattles and maracas and other percussion instruments. Rowan, Elena, and Jasper particularly enjoyed this and laughed excitedly as they made music.

This week in babies they have enjoyed dancing to the Beatles, spinning in circles, bouncing on staff knees and holding hands, moving our body's freely. Oliver enjoyed opening and closing his hands as he span around laughing. They took a trip to the playground on the site, and were gently pushed on the swings laughing as they swung into the sky. The little ones have been making some winter pictures, using glue and different materials to make jumpers, gloves, ice skates and hats. They explored the different textures, feeling the glue on their fingers squeezing their hands into fists to feel the glue drip between their fingers. The new paint rollers were also a popular mark making activity.