This week our thoughts have been turning towards autumn and the harvest festival. The leaves are turning to a lovely variety of golden, orange, yellow and brown tones and the squirrels are busy storing nuts for the winter ahead.
Some of the children had the opportunity to go with staff on short walks in the area to see if they could identify signs that autumn had arrived. They were extremely well behaved and were enthusiastic in identifying leaves falling from trees, wind blowing and a general chill in the air. We talked about the mornings and evenings becoming darker and the need to wear a jumper. The children took a small bucket each and collected evidence to show the rest of us. We then turned this “evidence” into lovely autumn pictures.
We have talked about the meaning of harvest with the children. This can be quite difficult to explain so we have kept to the simple idea that in autumn all the food has been collected from the ground to get ready for us to use in the winter. We read the story of the Red Hen who collected wheat to make bread and another story called Oliver's vegetables.
On Wednesday the children visited the lunch club that takes place in the big hall each week. They sang some of our favourite songs to the members and then presented them all with a harvest gift of biscuits that had been kindly donated by the parents (big thank you if you donated them). The lunch group members were delighted and sent the children a lovely thank you card saying how much they had enjoyed the singing.
The role play area this week became a hospital and we have all been treated for a variety of illnesses. On one day Fiona even lost her smile and had to be made better by the children telling her jokes and tickling her. We are happy to report that she is much
better now.
The stickle bricks have been a popular activity this week and the children have made some very complicated constructions.
Words we have learned this week:
Harvest
Autumn
Evidence
Ideas to continue this weeks fun at home:
Continue to look for signs of autumn. You could count eaves or acorns or chestnuts with your child. How about seeing if you can identify a squirrel.
Buy some value shaving foam and put a large blob on a tray or plastic table cloth. Show your child how to swirl it around in a pattern or to form the first letter of their name. It is great fun and easily washes away. It even cleans plastic rather well.
Some of the children had the opportunity to go with staff on short walks in the area to see if they could identify signs that autumn had arrived. They were extremely well behaved and were enthusiastic in identifying leaves falling from trees, wind blowing and a general chill in the air. We talked about the mornings and evenings becoming darker and the need to wear a jumper. The children took a small bucket each and collected evidence to show the rest of us. We then turned this “evidence” into lovely autumn pictures.
We have talked about the meaning of harvest with the children. This can be quite difficult to explain so we have kept to the simple idea that in autumn all the food has been collected from the ground to get ready for us to use in the winter. We read the story of the Red Hen who collected wheat to make bread and another story called Oliver's vegetables.
On Wednesday the children visited the lunch club that takes place in the big hall each week. They sang some of our favourite songs to the members and then presented them all with a harvest gift of biscuits that had been kindly donated by the parents (big thank you if you donated them). The lunch group members were delighted and sent the children a lovely thank you card saying how much they had enjoyed the singing.
The role play area this week became a hospital and we have all been treated for a variety of illnesses. On one day Fiona even lost her smile and had to be made better by the children telling her jokes and tickling her. We are happy to report that she is much
better now.
The stickle bricks have been a popular activity this week and the children have made some very complicated constructions.
Words we have learned this week:
Harvest
Autumn
Evidence
Ideas to continue this weeks fun at home:
Continue to look for signs of autumn. You could count eaves or acorns or chestnuts with your child. How about seeing if you can identify a squirrel.
Buy some value shaving foam and put a large blob on a tray or plastic table cloth. Show your child how to swirl it around in a pattern or to form the first letter of their name. It is great fun and easily washes away. It even cleans plastic rather well.
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