This month the children have had a fantastic time with their learning opportunities provided through their current interests. Lots of time has been spent outside enjoying the varied weather from basking in the sun to splashing in the puddles.
The nature gardens and forests have been explored focusing on the story called ‘Ben plants a butterfly garden’. The children have been looking at the life cycles of caterpillars and how they become butterflies. They made their own versions of caterpillars and butterflies using salt dough and clay in the garden. The children enjoyed investigating the different colours each butterfly had by discussing this with their peers showing good identification of colours.
The children’s plants have been regularly watered to keep them healthy and growing in the warmer weather. As part of child safety week, the children also looked at what was safe to eat in the garden. Some of the children took part in an out and about trip to the park and had a visit to a local supermarket to purchase ingredients for a cooking activity.
The older Pre-School children have been focusing on becoming school ready and they have been looking at letters and numbers. They have been able to identify letters and link these with objects within their environments. Many of the children have also enjoyed recognising and writing their own names.
Personal, Social and Emotional
Become more outgoing with unfamiliar people, in the safe context of their setting.
Understanding the World
Plant seeds and care for growing plants
Expressive Arts and Design
Start to make marks intentionally
Communication and Language
Use sentences of four to six words
Baby Unit
Our babies have focused on the topic, step inside our favourite stories and looking at Winnie the Pooh and the very Hungry Caterpillar. They have been exploring the different characters in Winnie the Pooh, mark making on pigs for Piglet, creating their own Winnie’s using yellow and brown paint and making tiger footprints for Tigger. While looking through the books the have been identifying the different animals and trying to name these. They also made their own caterpillars using green and red paint and loved diving into shredded paper to find the pretend food from the Hungry Caterpillar story.
Our babies have also enjoyed the topic of Marvellous Minibeasts, exploring and experimenting with different textures and objects. While outside in the garden the children have looked for different types of insects and they have listened to their core story of where does snail live.
Lots of nursery rhymes have been sung and new songs have been learnt throughout the month, which has developed the children’s communication and language skills and their vocabulary. Some of the favourites have been row, row, row your boat and tiny Tim, especially when they had bubbles to pop.
Communication and Language
Constantly babble and use single words during play
Physical Development
Reach out for objects as co-ordination develops
Personal, Social and Emotional
Express preferences and decisions Try new things and start to establish their anatomy
Toddler Unit
Our Toddlers have looked at the books Three Little Pigs and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. They created their own pigs, built their own houses using the wooden blocks, explored pink gloop with the small world pigs and become involved in the story. Clay butterflies have been made and natural resources added from the nature garden as well as making butterfly apple prints dipping the apple into the paint.
While learning about their favourite fairytales, such as Goldilocks and Elmer, the children learnt how to move like animals and took part in music and movement sessions.
The outdoor areas have been accessed and the lovely weather enjoyed while splashing in the paddling pool and painting outside on cling film. Physical and mathematical skills have been developed by building towers and then counting how tall they have made them.
Literacy
Enjoys sharing books with an adult
Physical Development
Explore different materials and tools
Communication and Language
Develop gestures and words
Personal, Social and Emotional
Establish sense of self
Pre-School Unit
Our Pre-School children started off the month looking at the book Rainbow Fish, where they developed their imaginations creating their own rainbow fish using mixed media. Other stories shared were The Tiger, Who came to Tea and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The children enjoyed creating their own tea parties, using tea pots, cups, tea bags, milk, and sugar. They explored different ways of making tea and how it changes. Different flavoured tea bags were available, and they used their senses to explore these, looking at the colours, smelling them and tasting them. Striped tiger biscuits were made with orange and black icing.
The children have also been watching the life cycle of a butterfly, which has been very exciting and really kept the interest of the children, looking at how they develop from caterpillars, to cocoons, then into butterflies.
This has then led to some lovely nature hunts taking place looking for insects. After they have then drawn these insects and looked at the story Norman the Slug. The children have been developing their mathematical skills learning about shapes, sizes and symmetry which then extended their learning to make colourful symmetric butterflies.
Physical Development
Use large and small motor skills to do things independently, for example manage buttons and zips
Literacy
Develop play around favourite stories
Understanding the World
Use all their senses in hands-on exploration of natural materials
Mathematics
Talk about and identify the patterns around them For example, stripes on clothes, designs on rigs and wallpaper. Use informal language like ‘pointy’ ‘spotty’ ‘blobs’
Personal, Social and Emotional
Select and use activities and resources with help when needed
