The Den: 

We have had a great first week back in The Den. The children have settled back into the environment so well, displaying security throughout the session. We have been looking weather changes this week as we had some snow on Tuesday! 

We have welcomed lots of new children from The Nest. It has been lovely to see how happy and secure they have been since moving rooms.

Characteristics of effective learning: 

On Tuesday it snowed in Bensham, the children were really intrigued by it so we brought some inside to play with. The children loved this activity and were really excited to have a feel of the snow. 

We added some metal spoons/ scoops so the children could attempt to scoop the snow into different bowls. We talked about the texture of the snow and how it was cold in our hands. The children spoke “ooo” when they touched it. 

The children have loved singing time this week! We were really happy to see the newest children join in with different songs and pick up the actions so quickly. In particular, they have enjoyed ‘tuna fish’ and ‘monkeys jumping on the bed’. 

Outdoor learning: 

When the snow cleared up later on in the week, we took the children for a walk around the garden. We spotted a leaf that was frozen in ice. When Holly asked the children what had happened, a child spoke “leaf is stuck”.

The children were so excited when a little robin flew and landed on the path in front of us, another child spoke “oooo”.

Parents as partners:

If you would like too, please send over some photos of close family and special people in your child’s life (parents, siblings grandparents cousins). These will be used to create family books for each of the children.

Family photo books provide children with a sense of security, belonging, and identity, boosting self-esteem and confidence by visually connecting them to their support system. They are also a great tool in aiding language development through conversation starters, and helping them feel valued and understood in the new environment.