Summer

Summer Term 2

This half term our topic is Seaside Adventures.

Our book for the next two weeks is 'Commotion in the Ocean'. Children have enjoyed looking at this book and finding out abou all the different sea creatures that live in the ocean. We have been busy learning new songs ready to sing to our parents at Rhyme time. 

We have been busy using different construction to make aquariums and hvae talked about what an aquarium is, some children told us abour their experiences of visiting one and what they enjoyed seeeing. We used different materials to make our own fish collage pictures. We have been doing dough gym which helps to build finger dexterity, hand strength and the muscle control required for writing and drawing. In the messy play area we had coloured shaving foam and mark making tools for the children to make their own patterns in the foam. The children enjoyed the magnetic fishing game, seeing how many they could catch, we then counted how many each had caught and found the matching number card to go with them.

Outside we made our hut into an aquarium. We placed different pictures of sea creatures around the playground and pretended we were deep sea divers and went to search for them. Children would then have a go at describing what the sea creatures looked like when they found one. We added fish and fishing nets in the water for the children to try to catch the fish.

This week we have continued to look at the book 'Commotion in the Ocean'. The children have made paper plate jelly fish this week. They painted a plate and once dry they stuck on some googly eyes, they painted bubble wrap and then stuck it to the plate for the tentacles. To help with their fine motor skills we made an octopus  out of a plate and pipe cleaners for its tentacles and then the children threaded pasta onto the pipe cleaners. We used the coloured sensory blocks to make a pool for the fish and some children made their own sea creature using the Duplo bricks.

Outside in the water tray we had a selection of different items to see if they would sink or float. We talked about if an item goes to the bottom of the water tray it sinks and if it stays on the top of the water it floats. Children chose which item they would like to put in the water and then made a prediction of whether it would sink or float. We have been practising our ball skills by throwing, catching or rolling to each other.

Our book for the next two weeks is 'Sharing a Shell'. We have been busy learning our new songs ready to sing to our parents at Rhyme Time.

We made our role play into a cafe by the sea and added our icecream role play items. It was lovely to hear the children talking to each other about the different  flavour icecreams they like. On the playdough table we put out pictures of sea coral and children used different coloured shapes of pasta and coloured pipe cleaners to stick in the playdough to make their own sea coral. In the messy play tray we had bran flakes and cake cases, spoons, bowls and rolling pins. children investigated what happens to the bran flakes when they used the rolling pin on them, some of the vocabulary that was used was 'squish', 'squash' and 'crunch'. We have been talking about positional language 'on' and 'under'. We used a tedddy bear and they would say where he was e.g on top of the chair/under the chair.

Outside in the sand pit we created a role play beach area by adding beach balls, palm trees and bucket and spades to make sand castles.

This week we have continued reading 'Sharing a Shell'.

We made starfish using a starfish card shape and put glue on it then added lentils and glitter and small googly eyes. We used paperplate shell shapes and water colours to paint our shape, once dry some children used a needle and wool to thread through to make lines going up the shell. We used shells to make imprint into the playdough. 

Outside we continued to have lots of fun in our role play beach in the sandpit. We mixed some of the sand with glue and painted it onto a sandcastle picture. It has been a very hot week so we have been making sure the children either stay inside or if they did want to be outside we kept them in the shade with lots of water play activities. we even put a tray of water on the ground for children to sit on chairs and dangle their feet in the water.

Our book for the next two weeks is 'Go.Go Pirate Boat'. We have been busy learning our new songs ready to sing to our  parents at Rhyme Time.

In our role play area we have been busy making meals for the hungry pirates to eat. In the playdough we made cakes and cookies that the pirates could eat. In the construction area we have been building different boats using Duplo, Magnetic bricks and wooden blocks. Children followed instructions to stick different shapes on top of each other to make pirates faces.

Outside we have had small boats and a pirate boat in water in a tuff tray. Some children sat and used a wet teabag to colour  paper so they could make their own treasure map. We used masking tape to make a boat shape then used chalk to colour it in, then once all chalked in the children removed the tape to reveal their piece of art. We mad an obstacle course for them they had to balance along the walking planks and climb over crates and crawl under some material laid on the ground. On the stage area they have been playing the instruments and singing and dancing along to some of the new songs we have been learning.

This week we have continued to read the book 'Go, Go, Pirate Boat'.

We made pirate hats this week. the children glued coloured pasta and feathers on them and once they were dry they wore them and pretended to be pirates. We also made boats, children made their own design on a sail and then attatched it to a straw which was then stuck in to a small piece of pool noodle. Once they were finished the children took them to the water tray to see if they would float or sink in the water. In the messy tray we had coloured water, pipettes and kitchen roll for the children to squeeze  droplets of water on the kitchen roll to see what happens.

With the weather being hot outside we have had lots of water play activities in the shade for the chilldren that wanted to go out.

Summer Term 1

Topic Animals and Their Babies

Week 1

Our story for the next two weeks is 'Monkey Puzzle'. The children have been making monkey faces an d practising their cutting skills by cutting out the pieces needed. We have also been learning about different habitats that animals live in. We have been talking about woodland habitats and what animals live in the woodlands. Children have been painting woodland pictures to go onto our class display board. The caterpillars finally finished their metamorphosis and were released on Monday into the open air. We have continued with the gardening and have noticed that the peas and carrots planted before Easter have started to grow. We planted out the garden peas that we started off in out little mini green house in the classroom. We have been talking about big and small and sorted different objects into big and small piles. 

It was lovely to see parents/carers  join us for our Rhyme Time on Friday morning .