Nothing!

Ever asked your child what they have done at Nursery, only to hear the answer 'Nothing!'?
This is what 'nothing' is...,

We play with construction on a small..

and large scale.

We enjoy experimenting in the water tray...

and in the sand tray.

Sometimes we use our imagination in the role play or small world areas...

We improve our fine motor skills in many different ways...

We investigate new topics...

and read stories.

Sometimes, our time is directed by an adult.

Outdoors, we have a lot of fun improving our physical skills...

We build up quite a hunger. Snack time is our favourite...

Not forgetting all the other things that we find time for...

Phew! We're exhausted!

Coat hangers and cuddly toys.

As christmas is fast approaching, we are gearing up for our Foundation Stage christmas play. Costumes are being dug out from their boxes and ironed ready for your little angels (or camels, donkeys, shepherds etc..) to wear them.
We desperately need some coat hangers to hang these items on. If you have any extra at home that you could donate, we would be very grateful.

Also, next half term we are planning a topic that will see a 'Vets' and a 'Pet shop' in the role play areas. We are struggling to find any soft toys that could be used. We ideally need some cats, dogs, hamsters etc that look fairly realistic to use in these areas. Perhaps this could be the perfect time to have that pre-christmas clear out?!

Please pass any items on to your child's Foundation Stage teacher.

Thank you in advance.

Dark Den

In Nursery, we have a new 'Knowledge and Understanding of the World' area which is proving to be very popular with the children.

 In our Dark Den, the children can explore the concept of colour and light.

We have enjoyed looking at some sources of light and through different coloured lenses.

We are exploring new vocabulary and have many new fiction and non-fiction books relating to this topic.

If you have any items at home that may enhance this experience for the children we would greatly appreciate it if we could borrow them. Maybe you have some torches or colourful flashing toys that you no longer need? Perhaps there is a story book or jigsaw at home that may fit?

We can either allow the children to use these items freely in the dark den or, alternatively, if it is something that is treasured or breakable, the children could look at them under the watchful supervision of an adult in nursery.

Thankyou in advance

Early Mark Making

Learning to write is much more complicated than just picking up a pencil and doing it. There are several skills that children need to have in place before writing can begin. They need to...

• Have good, strong muscles in their shoulders, wrists and arms, as well as their hands and fingers.
• Know what writing is about and what it is for.
• Be able to use a pen or a pencil with an effective grip.
• Be able to make marks in a variety of ways.
• Be motivated to write.

In foundation stage we plan for many activities that develop these areas.

We like to get little fingers moving...

Here the children are playing with a simple mix of cornflour and water. They love to spend time scooping it up and to feel it going from solid to liquid through their fingers. Try this at home in a small tray. You can even add food colouring to make it more interesting. Be warned - this can get messy!

Playdough is excellent for children to poke, pinch, squeeze, stretch and squash. It is easy and cheap to make at home, and will keep for a long time in an airtight container.

Threading is also excellent for developing  the fine motor control needed for writing. Use pasta shapes and wool to make a necklace or punch holes into thin card and thread wool through.

Painting on a large or small scale is great. Use water and paint brushes and let your little ones loose in the garden to paint whatever they like. Our foundation stage children will often choose to do this outdoors.

There are many other activities that help...

• Ask friends and family if they have any keys and padlocks you could borrow. It is fun to solve the problem of finding the right key to fit the locks!
• Get children too help wash the car. Squeezing sponges is  a great way to develop the muscles.
• Cooking and baking activities use skills such as chopping, mixing, rubbing in and kneading. Fun for the mind and hard on the wrists!
• Hanging out clothes on the washing line.
• Sewing.
• Collect a few jars, bottles or containers with lids. Children can then have fun screwing the lids on and off again.
• Buy some chalks and allow the children to make marks on the floor outdoors. Don't worry - the rain washes it away!
• Make marks in snow, sand and soil with sticks.

Children will then begin to hold a pen or pencil using a grip that they find most comfortable. Sometimes this grip will not resemble a traditional triangulated grip. Please do not force children to adopt this grip before they are ready.

It's that time of year again!

In foundation stage we have begun the preparations for our christmas perfomances already. The scripts have been written and we are beginning to learn the songs that will be buzzing around your head all through the upcoming festive season.
Please make a note of these dates and times for the performances:

Tuesday 6th December - 9.30am

Wednesday 7th December - 1.30pm

Letters will follow at a later date detailing how to book your tickets. Please be aware that if you book time off work etc, there is no guarantee that you will get tickets for the performance you request. We always reserve ticket on a first-come-first-served basis, so get your replies in early!