Reception- Physical Development- Gross Motor Painting
In our Reception classroom this week, the children refined their gross motor skills through the expressive act of painting tigers. Rather than being confined to small movements, the children use their entire arms and shoulders to sweep across large canvases, building the core strength and postural stability necessary for later physical development. When creating the tiger's face, they practice purposeful circular movements, rotating their arms from the shoulder and elbow to master the coordination required for fluid shapes. This physical effort is paired with cognitive milestones as they engage in color selection; reaching across the easel to choose fiery oranges and deep blacks encourages crossing the midline, a crucial neurological development. As they pivot their bodies and stretch to add stripes, these young artists are not just painting—they are strengthening the large muscle groups that provide the foundation for balance, coordination, and eventual fine motor control.
Nursery - Literacy - Story Props
This week, our literacy focus centered on the classic story The Three Billy Goats Gruff. The children used a variety of resources in the malleable tray to bring the narrative to life and deepen their understanding of story structure. To support their retelling, the children were provided with a rich assortment of aids, including puppets, masks, and soft toy teddies. These tools allowed the children to take on different roles, experimenting with key phrases from the book, such as the famous "Trip, trap, trip, trap!" as the goats crossed the bridge. To ensure the activity was inclusive and accessible for all learners, we integrated sound buttons which provided auditory prompts for the children to hear and repeat key parts of the story. We also utilized Widgits to offer visual symbols that helped the children sequence the events and recognize important vocabulary. Through this interactive play, the children demonstrated a growing grasp of narrative sequencing and gained confidence in using expressive language to communicate the story to their peers.
Reception- Music-Keep the beat
Our Reception children had a wonderful time exploring the world of rhythm and tempo during their music lesson this week. With bright eyes and listening ears, they practiced the fundamental skill of keeping a steady beat to a variety of catchy tunes and familiar nursery rhymes. Using a mix of clapping, marching, and simple percussion instruments, the children learned to feel the underlying pulse of the music. They experimented with changing their pace to different music. It was a joy to see their coordination and confidence grow as they successfully matched their movements to the rhythm, laying a fantastic foundation for their future musical journey.
Reception- Physical Development- Dance Unit
Our Reception class transformed the school hall into a bustling transport hub during this week’s energetic P.E. lesson! The children took the driver’s seat as they explored different ways of moving, cleverly linking their actions to various modes of transport. They zoomed across the floor like aeroplanes with outstretched wings, chugged along in lines like trains, and navigated the space as nimble cars. To develop their listening skills and coordination, we played a high-speed game of "Traffic Lights": Red: They practiced their balance with an immediate stop. Yellow: They found a steady rhythm with a gentle jog. Green: They shifted into top gear for a fast run! The hall was filled with giggles as the children navigated tricky "speed bumps" by jumping high and even mastered the art of reversing without any "crashes." It was a fantastic session that combined physical agility with imaginative play and following instructions.
Nursery - Art - The Three Little Pigs
This week, the children visited the craft table to create their own pigs, directly linking to our core story, The Three Little Pigs. The process began with a paper plate as a base. The children practiced their spreading skills using pink PVA glue to create an even layer for their design. They then used their fine motor skills to carefully pinch and place pink tissue paper to cover the pig's face. To add the features, including eyes, a nose, ears, and a curly tail, the children used their own faces as a reference to determine the correct quantity of each item needed. This encouraged them to identify and count the features before placing them onto their pigs. This activity successfully combined creative expression with early mathematical counting and a better understanding of their own physical features.
Pre-School-Expressive Arts And Design-Making Puppets
Our workshop table has been a hub of creativity this week! To bring the story of Little Red Riding Hood to life, the children have been busy making puppets. It was wonderful to see them experimenting with different shapes to create the perfect hood and carefully drawing faces on their characters. These lolly-stick puppets are now ready to star in our very own puppet theater performances!
Pre-School-Expressive Arts And Design-Fruit Printing
This week has been a very arty week , The Children have enjoyed getting messy while fruit printing. The children discussed what fruits might have been in grandma's basket from our story little red riding hood. The children used apple,banana,pear and carrot to dip in to paint to create their fruit print picture.
Nursery - English - Write Dance
This week, the nursery class began their 'Write Dance' journey, a program designed to bridge the gap between large physical movements and early writing skills. We started with a focus on gross motor movement using the classic song 'The Grand Old Duke of York' as our guide. The children used ribbons to mirror the lyrics, moving their arms in large up and down motions. They were highly engaged, enjoying the visual feedback of the ribbons trailing through the air as they controlled their movements to match the rhythm of the music. To transition these movements toward literacy, the children then used their core muscles to lie on their tummies, a position that builds the shoulder stability necessary for writing. On large paper, they worked to recreate those same up and down movements, observing how their physical actions left marks on the page. This process was vital for helping the children give meaning to their movements, turning a physical dance into a purposeful mark-making experience.
Nursery - Geography - Science - Ice Exploration
This lesson was sparked by the children's natural curiosity during outdoor play, when they discovered vehicles "stuck" in the ice. This led to a focused exploration on Friday, where the children set off into the garden equipped with tools like hammers and forks to "save" the frozen vehicles. The children demonstrated fantastic teamwork as they worked together to hit and scrape the ice. This provided a great opportunity for them to observe the physical properties of materials; they noticed that the ice was hard and were fascinated by the cracking sounds and visual patterns as it began to break apart. Their excitement grew as they successfully freed the cars from the ice. The children observed a change in state compared to yesterday, noticing that there was now water in the tray. This sparked a meaningful conversation about ice melting, which they explored further by splashing in the water. To enhance the sensory experience and encourage further investigation, the children were supplied with paint and textured brushes to mark-make directly onto the remaining ice and in the water, combining scientific observation with creative expression.
Reception - Phonics - Tricky Words
This week, our Reception children have been diving into their "tricky words" using a multi-sensory Say It, Build It, Write It approach. This method helps children master words that don't follow standard phonetic rules by engaging different parts of their brain. First, the children Say It, looking closely at the word and identifying the "tricky" part that doesn't play fair. Next, they Build It using the magnetic letters, which helps them physically manipulate the sequence of sounds. Finally, they Write It using whiteboards to solidify their muscle memory. This hands-on sequence transforms abstract memorization into an interactive challenge, building both their reading confidence and their fine motor skills.
Reception- Expressive Arts and Design- My Gingerbread Man
This week, our Reception children have been fully immersed in a delightful sensory experience, using play dough to design and sculpt their very own gingerbread men. This hands-on activity encouraged the children to explore their creativity while strengthening their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Using gingerbread-shaped cutters, they carefully pressed out their figures before adding unique personality through various enhancements. They selected buttons to line up on the chest, small beads or "googly" eyes to bring the faces to life, and even used gingerbread cut-outs as templates to guide their designs. It was wonderful to see the children experimenting with different textures and shapes, turning a simple lump of dough into a colorful, imaginative character.
Nursery - PSHE - New Beginnings And Building Friendships
This week, our PSHE focus centered on Personal, Social, and Emotional Development as the children returned for the new half term. There was a sense of excitement as they explored the classroom and new learning opportunities. A key theme throughout the week was the concept that "sharing is caring." The children worked beautifully together when playing with the new resources, demonstrating patience and cooperation. They were particularly welcoming as we greeted new classmates joining the nursery for the first time. The children showed great empathy as they witnessed a range of emotions in the classroom. They were incredibly supportive, offering comfort to their new friends through kind gestures, such as giving a cuddle or offering a toy as a distraction. By inviting their new peers into their play, the children have already begun to form lovely new friendships, showing a wonderful understanding of inclusion and kindness.
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