Week beginning 22nd June 2026

The Investigation Hub at Sidney Grove

Characteristics of Effective Learning

This week the children continued to show interest in writing stories, following their visit from Laura Henry-Allain. As adults, we often scribe the children’s words and help them to structure their stories. The children have been keen to illustrate their work and to create shared stories and stories of their own to take home. Lots of opportunities for shared sustained thinking and some children have been applying their phonic knowledge to write initial sounds next to their pictures. In small group times this week the children asked to hear their story and helped to retell it together, adding in new details each time.

Parents as Partners

Our core text this week has been Butterfly, Butterfly by Peter Horáček. During their first listen to the story, the children were fascinated by the different minibeasts they could spot throughout the pages, linking closely to their current interests and fascinations. They eagerly pointed out familiar creatures and enjoyed talking about what they could see.

Our caterpillars were nestled up in their cocoons and then on Thursday a lovely surprise! The first caterpillar had popped out as a butterfly! We were so excited!

“we looked after them and they came out!”

”I saw him move.. is he a baby?”

“when are we gonna let him go?”

”we can sing the butterfly song for him!”

Keeping cool has also been a focus during our Plan-Do-Review sessions. The children have been learning how to make paper fans by folding paper backwards and forwards using a concertina technique.

We also opened a ‘foot spa’, encouraging the children to cool their feet in a water-filled tuff tray. This proved extremely popular and generated lots of excited chatter and laughter as the children explored the sensation of the cool water:

‘It’s freezing!’

‘It’s like muddy puddles!’

”After Nursery I’m getting my paddling pool out!’

The children have also shown a keen interest in using pipe cleaners to connect cardboard tubes together. The original plan was to create a tall tower; however, as they worked, some children noticed that the connected tubes looked like caterpillars. This sparked imaginative thinking and led to discussions about minibeasts, linking beautifully to our core text, Butterfly, Butterfly. The children demonstrated creativity, problem-solving skills and sustained concentration as they explored different ways to join the tubes and adapt their ideas.

‘I can actually put it on top! The pipe cleaner’s keeping it together! I’m adding another pipe cleaner at the top…it stayed together! Now it’s a caterpillar’

Outside Learning

This week, due to the warmer weather, we have enjoyed a variety of activities designed to help both the children and adults stay cool. One of the children’s favourite experiences was using the parachute with water splashed onto the top while singing “Bounce the water up and down, up and down, up and down! Bounce the water up and down, where will it land?” The children were excited by the splashes of water and enjoyed cooling off in the shade while developing their listening and participation skills.

The children have also been independently accessing drinking water from the self-service area. They have remembered the routine of sitting down to drink before placing their cup in the dirty cups tray afterwards. It has been wonderful to see their independence developing, alongside their growing understanding of sun safety and the importance of staying hydrated during warm weather play.

Our summer Stay and Play will take place on July 2nd at either 9.15-10.30am or 1.15-2.30pm, we look forward to seeing you if you can attend!

Have a lovely weekend!