This week’s activities
Please see our website for photos of some of the activities this week.
In their arts and crafts, the children have explored the different marks they can make when they use items such as conkers, marbles and pompoms with paint. They chose their own colours, discovering that there are different shades of the same colour. They also learnt which ones rolled better and how they could influence the movement of the item by how they maneouvered the box.
Sensory play has involved creating and using playdough. They have used the scissors to cut the playdough, learning that soft textures cut easier than hard ones. They created different shapes with the playdough by manipulating it with their hands into balls and blocks – learning that 3D objects have their own names for describing their shape – sphere and cube. They had lots of fun making wiggly worms. Great for strengthening their hands as they roll them backwards and forwards to form the long shape. They compared the size of each worm, learning the maths terms long, longer, longest and short, shorter, shortest.
Alongside playdough, they got to explore ‘crackle bath’ in their waterplay. Crackle bath is a lovely sensory experience and even includes sound, as they explore the textures and properties of this exciting resource.
Making discoveries about the properties of things they find in their environment helps develop those early science skills. This week the children have used the large magnets to discover what is and isn’t magnetic. They learnt that wood, paper, cardboard and plastic are not magnetic and that metal is; or so they thought. On further investigation, they discovered that not all metal is magnetic. They also found out that magnets can either attract or repell, depending on which way round they are held, and that they have different strengths and some can hold quite heavy items, whilst others just fall off, even though they are magnetic.
In their outside play, they have used their large motor skills in lots of different ways, from racing and chasing, climbing on our climbing equipment, learning how to hop during hopscotch and using our trikes and scooters. Two of our trikes are new and everyone was very keen to have a go. Not having enough for everyone leads to lots of negotiation skills, following of rules, turn-taking and fair play. To develop their mark-making and mathematical skills, a chart listing whose go is next has been used. This gives the children a visual representation of when it is their go, allows them to see their name, to understand that once they have had their go, their name is crossed off and it is the next person on the list’s turn. All of these skills are needed as they negotiate life.
To help with their hand-eye co-ordination, as well as being good fun, the children played bat and ball with homemade bats (created using card and lolly sticks) and small balls (made from balloons). This also encouraged mathematical language around size and shape. The children also learnt about the properties of air – the air made the balloon change shape, it filled the empty space, but they couldn’t see it and it made a ball but it was really light. Lots of lovely early science.
Inspite of some of the heavy rainfall we have had this week, the children have continued to enjoy water play in all its forms; from discussing the weather – which colour clouds does rain come from and the cycle of water; what clothes they need to wear to keep dry – to developing those self-help skills by hanging up their own coats when they have finished; collecting water from the water butt and learning how the water gets into it; using different containers to transport and collect water – learning about volume and capacity, trial and error; watering the plants in Robin Garden – discussing what plants need to thrive and finally, highlighting the importance of preserving water and not wasting it, to ensure that the natural world is cared for and to ensure that everyone has access to clean, safe water into the future.
Thank you.
The Pre-school Team
