This week’s activities – week of 08-12/02/2021 Unsurprisingly, snow has featured a lot in the activities carried out this week. Below is a brief summary of some of the things the children have been getting up to. The list is not exhaustive and many of the activities can easily be carried out at home with little specialist equipment or toys. This week, we are providing a joint summary, as many of the activities have been duplicated in both bubbles, as the majority of the activities have involved the outdoors and fun in the snowy conditions Of course, the children have had lots of fun in the snow! They have created ‘snow people’ and built houses for them to live in. They used the skills that they have learnt from using sand (making sandcastles) and transferred them to this new medium. They used flower pots, saucepans, etc. to create snowy structures. They have mixed snow with ‘jelly’ to see what happens when different substances mix together.
What happens to the snow when it’s brought inside? How long does it last? What happens to the jelly? They have had lots of discussions about where snow comes from and how it forms. This led to thinking about the temperature of the outside compared to the inside; how cold does it need to be to have snow and why does some of it turn to ice. They have thought about the ice and how it makes things slippy and this means we need to be careful when we are walking on pavements and our parents have to be careful when they are driving their cars. They have learnt about the extra clothing that needs to be worn to be able to go outside during the snow and ice. It takes quite a long time to get all of the clothes and accessories on that are necessary to keep safe and warm outside, but with perseverance and a can do attitude, many of them have been able to put on their own snowproof trousers, coats, hats, scarves, mittens and even gloves! No small task for such little people. Their exploration of the snow has led to lots of interest in why things are cold and what happens when heat is applied to them. If they touch the snow with their bare hand, it starts to melt. If they stick their tongue out and catch it, it turns to water. Some of the snowflakes were so big that the children were able to see their beautiful patterns. It is so magical to see the wonder in a child’s eyes and hear the excitement in their voices. One child was so excited by the perfect snowflake that he needed me to come and share the experience with him. Truly magical. Our thoughts also turned to the natural world and what is happening to our gardens; the plants, the birds and animals that visit the setting. The children have thought about how they can help them along by making sure they have unfrozen water to drink and food in our bird feeders to eat, to help them get through this challenging period for wildlife. Finally, a BIG THANK YOU to our lovely team of Early Years Educators for making it in to Preschool this week, in what have been challenging travel conditions, to be able to provide the care and education for the children attending.