Week Commencing 29th June 2015

Phew it’s been hot this week!  To keep us cool we have spent most of the week in the garden under the shade of the trees playing with water.  The water wall continues to be popular, with small boats being floated down the guttering.  In addition to this we filled a large container tray with cold water, and the children practised floating and sinking a variety of objects.  We had lots of fun trying to predict which objects would sink, although some children gave some of the small boats a helping hand by sinking them and holding them on the bottom.  

Our butterflies have begun to emerge from their chrysalises and we have been observing them and providing them with food and water to drink.  They like small flowers for their nectar, sugared water and orange segments.  We will be releasing them on Monday and hope that they will enjoy the Squirrels garden.  

Many of the children have made butterfly pictures and collages this week in honour of the hatching of our own butterflies.  

On Wednesday we had our annual trip to the country park.  The children had the opportunity to pond dip and to make dens for the animals that live in the woods.  It was the hottest day of the year, but iced water and the shade of the trees made sure that we were able to cope with the unusually high temperatures.  We hope that the animals and bugs enjoy the new homes we built for them.  We expect squirrels, hedgehogs, spiders, worms and maybe the odd toad to move in, although the children are rather hoping that we attract lions, bears and gruffalos to the woods.  

On Friday we celebrated a child’s birthday with cake and games and dancing in the garden

Words we have learned this week:

Nectar

Tadpole  

Ideas to continue this week’s fun at home:

Try creating a home for insects or small animals in your garden or the country park using sticks and leaves. 

Fill a small washing up bowl with water and see what objects float or sink.  Suggest that your child tries to predict what will happen.