During February, the children were busy exploring winter topics and creating crafts for our winter display board. One of their activities involved threading beads onto pipe cleaners to make snowflakes. The purpose of activities like these is not just to create something beautiful but to increase the children’s manual dexterity, which is essential for developing their pencil grip—an important part of the Physical Development curriculum. The children have also been loving their Book of the Week, with a chance to delve a little deeper into the stories and practice recalling the key events and discussing the characters.
Inspired by the RSPB’s Big Schools’ Birdwatch and Big Garden Birdwatch, we took the children on a bird spotting walk. This was not only good fun and great exercise, but a valuable activity for fostering respect for wildlife and the Understanding the World curriculum. The children made bird feeders to take home, too, so hopefully they will spot more feathered visitors at home.
Another important part of Understanding the World is learning about a diverse range of cultures, and to mark Chinese New Year, the children had great fun playing with noodles and chopsticks—and perhaps best of all, trying Chinese foods at snack time! With Valentine’s Day on the horizon, we also talked about the people we love and why we love them, which is fundamental to their Personal, Social and Emotional Development. The children made a special Valentine’s Day card for someone they love, and we also introduced an ‘Emotions Tree’ following on from Children’s Mental Health Week.
What a busy month! Our next activities include planting bulbs, growing vegetables, Mother’s Day crafts, dressing up for World Book Day, and marking St David’s Day and St Patrick’s Day.
As always, we have been taking stringent measures to ensure everyone at Preschool is as safe as they can be, and we hope everyone is staying safe and well too.
BE PART OF BUCKDEN PRESCHOOL: JOIN OUR COMMITTEE!
We are looking for new committee members. This role does not need to make huge demands on your time, and we’re grateful for whatever help or time people can offer! You do not need to be the relative or carer of a Preschool child to sit on the committee. Please contact our chairperson, Jo Chillmaid, at buckdenpreschoolchairperson@gmail.com or on 07393650084.