This week’s activities

Safeguarding acitivities

The team regularly carry out ‘safeguarding’ activities with the children. We promote how children can keep themselves safe in different scenarios in age appropriate ways.  This week they have watched the NSPCC ‘Pants’ video.  This video uses child friendly images and a catchy tune to give children the confidence to know that it is ok to say no to others when it comes to their own bodies.  The video can be found on YouTube if you would like to share it with your child at home.

They have also been learning simple techniques about how to keep safe online. We know that there is no getting away from technology and it is inevitably part of even the youngest of children’s lives. Whilst at the setting, children never have access to our tablets without adult supervision, however, we know that this may not be the case in every situation. We teach them how to deal with seeing something that they don’t like, or understand, by telling them to close the tablet or turn it over and tell an adult.

We have several books which cover safeguarding topics in age appropriate ways. The children have been enjoying reading ‘No means no’, with the teachers; helping them to understand that they have choices and rights over themselves and how they are treated by others.

We have some safeguarding books and story sacks available for parents to borrow to share with your child on a library-type system. Please just ask if you would like to borrow one.

Focus on mark-making

As you will know, some children adore mark-making and naturally turn to it in their play. For others, it just doesn’t interest or inspire them.  To support children with their mark-making we think of what will excite and intrigue them and therefore encourage them to take part in an activity that they may not naturally gravitate to. This week we have been coming up with ways of encouraging mark-making through some of the following activities: drawing treasure maps that will lead to the treasure – which they then get to dig up. Designing a plan of what they want to build in the construction area and labelling the parts, eg roof, door, window. Making tally charts of all sorts of things that they find, eg how many birds they have seen at the bird feeder; how many worms they have found in the soil. By going to where the child is engaged and turning it into a fun activity, children get the opportunity to practice these skills without making them come to a table, sit down and do their ‘work’.

Have a lovely weekend.

The Pre-school Team