This week’s activities

Step class

The children took part in a ‘step class’ this week. They followed instructions, whilst listening to the music and moving to the rhythm. They were able to co-ordinate their bodies to move up and down the steps, forwards, backwards, sideways, one foot and two feet. They also used their arms, moving them in a range of ways and crossing the mid-line (really important for children’s balance and co-ordination). Physical health is vital for all children. They are born to move. Without having been physically active children will find it difficult to sit and concentrate when necessary or hold a pencil and write.

Water play

Children naturally gravitate to water play. Water play has many benefits. It feels good from a sensory perspective. It helps develop gross and fine motor skills. Without having developed your gross motor skills through running, climbing, going through and over equipment and crossing the mid-line (where one arm goes diagonally across your body to the other side), the fine motor skills required to pour from a beaker to another container for example will be difficult. Repetition of these skills leads to strengthened muscles and development of fine motor skills, needed to be able to hold a pencil for mark-making.

Another aspect of water play can be to support understanding of mathematical concepts. Understanding how something can be heavier than something else, for example an empty beaker weighs less than one full of water. How far up the water goes in a beaker can be measured, bringing in concepts around height. Volume can be explained using water and containers. There are lots of lovely mathematical concepts that can be introduced whilst playing and having fun. You don’t need any special equipment, just a washing-up bowl of water, or when taking a bath, and some plastic containers – we used yoghurt pots, bottles, jugs, plastic fruit containers (great fun seeing how the water doesn’t stay in the container but pours through the holes in the bottom), to name but a few.

As always, there are photos on our website, anthonyroperpreschool.co.uk, and our Facebook page.

Thank you.

The Pre-school Team