Maths and messy play have been the main themes of the last few weeks. Foam, paint, bubble wrap and cotton wool have encouraged the children to talk about texture and consistency. Funnels, syringes and pots have been available outside with warm water, stimulating conversation about size and capacity. The new waterproof all-in-one suits have proved very handy for this activity! We\u2019ve also added more scooters outside, as these seem to be very popular at the moment, and they\u2019re an enjoyable way for the children to exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As always, we\u2019ve continued to follow the children\u2019s interests and turn play into learning opportunities. Indoors, small world play with a Noah\u2019s Ark set sparked interest in rainbows, ships and animals. We built on these interests by discussing what a rainbow really is, learning the \u2018animals went in two by two\u2019 song, and adding pirate ships and figurines to encourage imaginative play. This tied in with an earlier activity in which the children had to dig to find treasure\u2014buried \u2018gemstones\u2019 in the sand. To expand on the treasure-hunting activity, we introduced scales so that the children could weigh their finds and practise number recognition. We also had another treasure hunt for magnetic letters; let them make \u2018aged\u2019 treasure maps by staining paper with tea bags; and read the exciting interactive book, We\u2019re Going on A Treasure Hunt\u2019 by Martha Mumford.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We have already had our initial talk with Buckden Primary School regarding the new starters we will be sending to them in September. We\u2019re steadily encouraging our July leavers towards greater independence, so that they feel more confident when the time comes to go to big school!<\/p>\n\n\n\n