Some of our most popular activities this week have been sensory. We have explored playdough, shaving gel, paint, sand, water, cooked spaghetti, a dinosaur swamp, and an interesting gloopy mess that the children declared was 'super sticky playdough!' The children have scooped, mixed, stirred, and mashed to experiment with the different textures. If you 'like' us on Facebook, you will often see photos of our tuff tray set ups offering a range of sensory themed fun!
With the warm weather all week, the garden has been especially popular. The acorns that fall have provided a wealth of learning opportunities. We've collected these in pots, used them to roll down ramps, and also used them for painting! To help collect the acorns, many children made and decorated their own collecting bags. We also found lots of leaves to add to paint to make leaf print pictures. Whilst collecting leaves and acorns, some of the children were fascinated to find bugs - we will extend this interest next week with some more bug themed activities!
Bikes and trikes have been popular, with children learning to take turns and share by using the sand timer.
The baby dolls have created lots of role play opportunities. Many of the children have enjoyed dressing the babies, feeding them in the highchair, and taking them for walks in the buggy around the garden. We've heard some lovely conversations as children discuss what they're doing.
Other activities have included, cars, trains, dinosaurs, animals and wooden blocks. We've also enjoyed listening to stories at carpet-time and dancing to music - especially Baby Shark!
Ideas to continue the learning at home:
Why not ask your child what their favourite activity has been? We follow a child-led learning ethos, where the children's interests are central to the activities we plan! Let us know what they've enjoyed the most, as well as what they enjoy playing at home. Talking about their experiences is also a great way to help them reflect on their first week at pre-school.