Diwali, Fireworks & Space!
The preschool children have been observing the changes of the trees in the garden over the past couple of weeks, noticing that a few trees in particular have lost their leaves and that the leaves have started to change colour. Henry told his friends, “It’s strange, some of these leaves have turned red, some are orange and some are still very green”. Whilst doing some observational drawings of the trees and plants in the garden, Ezmie noticed a leaf falling from the tree and quickly got her friends attention, “Quick guys, look before you miss it, the wind has blown the leaf off the tree, that’s super cool”. The children collected the leaves that had fallen on to the ground and placed them all in to a tray and were very focused on describing the similarities and differences between the leaves.
The children have been learning all about Diwali over the past week. One of the staff was informing the children all about the festival and the celebrations that take place and had brought in some clothes for the children to try on. Ada had seen that one of the staff members had put one of the outfits on and said, “You look like you are going to get married, the dress is very beautiful”. The children were then discussing special outfits that they wear on special occasions. Maya told her friends, “When it was my birthday, I had a party and I wore a very special sparkly dress!”.
The toddlers have enjoyed going up to outer space in our new ‘climbing frame’ spaceship! Alastair ran to the top and shouted “3, 2, 1, Blast Off!” which he had learnt from a song at circle time. They made rockets where they blew air into the straw and watched their rockets fly off. Rowan said “Wow, flying!” as he watched his friends rockets shoot across the room. While in space, the toddlers saw some photographs of planets and tried to make their very own by using paint, pens and sparkly sequins. Florence took her time painting her planet and was very impressed when she saw it hanging up in toddler room for everyone to see, “Look, planet up there!”.
Outside they used paper telescopes to search for UFO’s and aliens. Isaac looked deeply into his telescope and said he saw an “elephant” in outer space. While in outer space, they came across some bonfires made of spaghetti which, due to the time difference, they had forgotten fireworks night was soon approaching. Sophie enjoyed breaking up the bonfire while Tommy and Sadie said “Fire hot!” and were trying to blow it out.
Towards the end of the week, the children returned from outer space just in time for fireworks night. They quickly got on their aprons, found some paintbrushes and flicked paint across their paper and the whole of toddler room to create some fireworks. Rafferty said “Do it again” to his friends as he watched paint fly past his face to shrieks of laughter. The toddlers listened to a firework video and were asked what they could hear. Blake answered “Bang! Bang!” and her friends copied by shouting and clapping their hands to represent the sound.
The under twos have been busy celebrating Diwali by making some beautiful firework pictures using cut out cardboard tubes. Esmé, Freddie and Kitty loved getting stuck in, dipping the tubes into the dishes of brightly coloured paint then stamping them onto the paper. Margot and Amélie had lots of fun hand painting and getting really messy, making different marks using their fingers and hands and sometimes their faces too!
Ada and Youcef concentrated really well when playing with the stacking toys. They took turns sharing the pieces and taking them off and putting them back on to the poles using good hand-eye coordination. Otto and Sebastian were role playing using the food and cooking utensils. They stood up at the table and were exploring the different items, mixing and banging the spoons with the pots and pans and sharing the food with each other, saying “Ta!”, babbling and laughing together.
Pumpkins & Potions
The children have been very busy exploring Halloween and taking wonderful walks to the woodlands where they explored fallen trees and dens. Ellis said that there may be a bear in in the den, just like the bear in the cave from the book We're Going on a Bear Hunt. Ellis encouraged his friends to join him on his own bear hunt as they walked back from the woodlands they recited it as a team. Charlie went through the long wavy grass and Emma went through the mud whilst saying “Squelch squelch”.
Whilst in the woodlands the children collected some sticks to make some spooky spiders. Alba and Isla counted how many sticks we had and how many legs the spiders have. Varun and Zayne helped to stick on the spiders legs and then acted like spiders with their hands. Sienna choose to help out her friends by singing Incy wincy spider to all of her friends with a big smile, which made them smile too. After collecting some pumpkins, they cut them open and started to empty them out. Abigail enjoyed this activity, laughing when she felt the gooey insides, and when Reuben tried to scoop the insides out they flicked every where making him and everyone else doing the activity laugh and laugh. On the messy tray the children decided they would make some potions, mixing together different materials and scents. Adam liked the couscous, gently pouring it into his potion whilst Cianna liked the shiny material which make her potion sparkle. Louis wanted to have a go too, and whilst Lyra was mixing the potion she had created, Louis had tipped the water and spilt it all over the tray and laughed alongside everyone else who then decided to do some splashing in the water tray.
The babies loved listening to ‘Room On The Broom’ where the witch made a potion using pine cones and sticks. This inspired the babies to fill up a cauldron with bright green water and creepy crawlies. Theo picked up a wooden spatula and began stirring the magic mixture. Carol pointed at the insects saying “Ooh ooh” and picked up a ladle ready to scoop them up. Agnes shouted “Bug!” and dipped her hand in to potion, not worrying about the insects hiding. Dora enjoyed splashing the water, “Green” she said as it splattered over her friends. Jamie trickled the water down into the cauldron like a waterfall, this made Rouxx giggle “Yeahhhh!” he said throwing the mixture around the messy tray, “Ah, all gone!” he said when the water had disappeared. Harriet helped to stir the mixture but decided her arm was more practical than the spoons.
The babies ventured outside into the garden where a pumpkin patch was waiting for them. Mabel ran up to the pumpkins stroking and tapping them all. Luca started a game of catch with the munchkin pumpkin, “Ball ball” he said. Rouxx sat himself inside the wheelbarrow, “Cheeeese” he said, posing like a model. Alex used the pumpkins like an obstacle course, weaving in and out of them, “Weeeee” he shouted as he dodged the pumpkins. Jamie gave the biggest pumpkin a big slobbery kiss goodbye!
Costumes, Cobwebs & Collecting!
During the last couple of weeks, the preschool children have been really excited for the build up to Halloween and have enjoyed taking part in many fun spooky activities. Riley told all her friends “It’s Halloween! I got my decorations at my home already.” The children have enjoyed coming into nursery dressed up as witches, wizards, cats and pumpkins. Shyla said “I’m a nice witch, not a wicked witch”. Vivienne replied “I love Halloween.” The children have had great fun creating smiley ghost pictures from the The Little Princess and the ghost book and using different shapes to make pumpkins ornaments to hang on the door. The children applied glue to their orange card and then used different shapes to make a face and create pumpkins. Sienna was very excited to show her pumpkin off to her friends, she began to laugh and said “My pumpkin has lots of eyes to see!”
During the last couple of weeks the children have enjoyed the transition into the Autumn season. The children have used the leaf sponges and paints and made autumn pictures using natural materials found on their daily walks such as leaves, twigs, acorns and pine cones. Maya chose a sponge and said “I’m going to make a red leaf like the one in my garden. It fell from the tree.”
Out in the garden they were really excited to race each other using the stilts and took it in turns to share the stilts whilst they had their races. Jack said “I’m going to win, I can walk fast on the stilts!” Joshua replied “I think I will win too, I got fast feet on my legs.” The children have also been on many walks around the grounds and splashing in several puddles. William said “Whoah that’s a big puddle” and ran over to jump into it. Ethan was very excited to see lots of Geese whilst out and walked over laughing and said “Ahh they going to get us!” as the geese walked over to get some bread.
As Halloween fast approaches, the toddlers have enjoyed coming into nursery dressed up as cats, scarecrows and spiders. Alastair and Florence loved making a giant spider web that was put up across the room for the children to look through and hide behind. Rowan shouted “Boo!” as he jumped up behind it. Blake and Sadie helped cut the pumpkin for messy play. Blake said that it “feels slimy” as she pulled the insides of the pumpkins out. Luna smelt the pumpkin and said “Yucky!” and threw it back into the tray.
Outside the toddlers have been collecting sticks and leaves on walks around the grounds as part of our autumn theme. Rafferty made a hedgehog using the broken up sticks from the walk and adding googley eyes. He then went round to all his friends showing them what he had made. Using the leaves collected on the walk the toddlers made leaf monsters using feathers, sequins, tissue paper and googley eyes. Ada said her leaf monster was “good” and counted how many eyes it had “One, two, three, four, five!”.
Back inside the toddlers have been hiding in their very own hedgehog den on the climbing frame. Tommy found the animal teddies and buried them under the blankets and said “Fox sleeping, shush!” when any of his friends went passed. To celebrate Diwali the toddlers used paper, dabber pens, feathers and more to create lanterns to take home to their families.
This week in the under two’s room, they have been having fun out in the garden enjoying the sunshine. Sebastian and Kitty were getting really excited exploring the wooden bridge, going over it and meeting each other the other side and laughing. Elsewhere in the the garden they played with the dinosaurs and wooden cars, and Freddie enjoyed finding the dinosaurs out of the sand tray.
Inside the boys had a lot of fun playing “peek a boo” standing on top of the climbing tower, which made Youcef and Sebastian laugh and squeal with delight. Over in the home corner Amélie and Margot were playing with the kitchen toys and making meals. Margot kept turning the cups upside down and banging them like they were drums, whilst Amélie used the wooden fork and the saucepan. All the children enjoyed doing the teabag printing using different coloured water to make wonderful artworks. Youcef especially had fun squeezing them so the colourful water went all over his hands.
