Week beginning 20th October 2025

The Investigation Hub at Sidney Grove

Characteristics of Effective Learning

Playing and Exploring; Being willing to have a go!

The children demonstrated high levels of engagement with physical activities this week such as running and moving in a variety of ways. We introduced some simple games using equipment such as balls, tunnels and a rope. We offered opportunities to jump over, crawl under or run around the ‘snake’ (rope) and to kick the ball through the tunnel to a partner. All of this gross-motor activity combines with personal, social and emotional development opportunities to wait for a turn, to follow safety rules and to compromise in a group game. Most importantly it was so much fun!

Parents as Partners

We used our core text The Pumpkin Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Michelle Robinson and Mike Byrne to explore some themes around feelings and emotions. Halloween and the upcoming Bonfire night although exciting can also be quite tricky for some children and so we took the opportunity to acknowledge that everyone has different likes and dislikes and we can respect this as we celebrate different events. Through mark-making and discussion the children identified their own fears and worries and created marks and drawings to represent their ideas…

I’m scared if I am lost in the shops and I can’t see anyone!’

‘I’m scared of the dark’

‘I’m very scared of lightening!’

We also explored the celebration Divali through a variety of multi-sensory experiences. They listened to non-fiction texts about children of their own age who celebrate Divali and found out about some of the key elements of the festival; including Rangoli patterns, Diya lamps and the story of Rama and Sita. The children created their own Rangoli patterns using stencils and paint and created some beautiful representations of their own!

You can find out more about Divali here…https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/lets-celebrate-diwali

Outdoors Learning

Using tools the children helped to scoop out the insides of the pumpkins and explore the contents with their senses. We described the contents of the pumpkin using vocabulary ‘flesh‘ and ‘seeds‘ and describing words ‘slimy‘ and ‘sticky‘. Some children enjoyed mashing the pumpkin and observed closely; ‘Look…the water comes out!’ We experienced some muddy afternoons in the garden and the children observed the trees, explored lots of physical development opportunities climbing with the rope and sliding and continued to develop an interest in using berries to make paint. We used a large log to ‘mash’ the berries this week and the children immediately decided to use the same log to print with, creating some interesting marks!

For term-time children we now have a week’s break for half-term. We look forward to seeing you again on Monday 3rd November!

Have a lovely weekend and enjoy next week, wherever you may be 🙂