Robin  

 

This week the children have been learning and talking a lot about people who help us – very appropriate in the current circumstances. Children need repetition of activities to really embed knowledge. We achieve this in a variety of ways; through puzzles, drawing, role play, discussion, songs, rhymes, block play, to name but a few. We love it when a child says to us, ‘but why?’ That way we know that they are really thinking at a deep level.  

 

As the weather is very cold at the moment, it is a perfect opportunity for the children to discover the wonders of the natural world. When outside they can see their breath; nothing special to us, but if you’ve never seen your breath before, imagine how wondrous that is! They have explored ice – where does it come from? How is it formed? What happens if we stand on it? Is it slippy? If I touch it my hands get cold but then it starts to turn into water. Why does that happen? Children very often lead their own learning. You just need a responsive, inquisitive, co-learner – child or adult - to help them along.  

 

Linking to our Education for Sustainable Development Award, the children have been exploring alternative energy sources, in particular, solar panels. This helps them consider where our energy comes from and how we can reduce our impact on the world through alternative means. One child commented, when he saw the solar panels, “they’re on the roof and Santa trips over them!”.  

 

Wren  

 

Many of the children who have been in this week love trains. They have built some fantastic tracks, many extending all around the room. They have talked about the places they would go and what they would need, eg a ticket, their suitcase, etc.  

They have been enhancing their own environment by making things to go on the display boards, including their very own ‘art gallery’.  A simple frame has been made which can be updated regularly to include all children’s art, acknowledging the effort, creativity and thought processes that go into all of their craft.  

 

In our Education for Sustainable Development endeavours, we have been helping the children to think beyond their home and the Pre-school and to consider how they get here. They have drawn maps of their journeys and considered what they see along the way. This helps children with distance, interconnectedness of places and communities.  

 

As it is freezing, there has been lots of talk about the weather. They have explored the properties of ice and frost, similar to the children in Robin Room. They have also considered how wind turbines work, again linking into our Education for Sustainable Development Award.  

 

There has been lots of music and movement, both indoors and out. Games have included musical statues and musical chairs, as well as the freedom that comes from just dancing and moving their bodies to the rhythm of the music. Lots of children wanted to be the ‘music maestro’, controlling the CD player. This helped with turn-taking and learning about technology. A very important one was how to control the volume!