Week of 3rd November 2025
The Investigation Hub at Sidney Grove
Characteristics of Effective Learning
During outdoor play, the children investigated mark-making in the sand tray. As they practised saying the sounds in their names, Susan modelled how to form the corresponding letters. Their curiosity deepened when one child began tapping the sand tray and observed the sand moving and “jumping” — a wonderful example of exploring sound, vibration, and cause and effect through hands-on play.
“it’s turned into circles! It’s impressive!”
”it’s flying”
“it’s made a ball of sand!”
Next week, the children will build on their understanding of cause and effect as they explore how movement influences a variety of materials such as water, powder paint, and natural resources.
Parents as Partners
Following their enthusiasm for Halloween, the children’s interests transitioned naturally to our current focus — the celebration of Bonfire Night which we shared through our core text ‘Little Glow’ We explored the shapes and sounds of fireworks, expressing their ideas creatively through mark-making in powder paint and printing with cardboard tubes. Using torches, light boards, and glittery playdough, they extended their language by using descriptive vocabulary such as shiny, shimmery, bright, and glittery.
In their maths focus the children went on a scarecrow hunt in the garden and we focussed on using words such as in, on, under and next to to describe their position. The children enjoyed the challenge of hiding the scarecrows again and encouraging their friends to find them.
Outdoors Learning
This week, we challenged the children to create their own scarecrow. During outdoor exploration on Monday, they observed that many more leaves had fallen since our last visit to the garden. Some children enjoyed collecting and throwing the leaves while singing our core rhyme “Autumn Leaves.” Linking this to our current song “Dingle Dangle Scarecrow,” we decided to use the leaves as part of our design. Throughout the activity, we encouraged the children to use full sentences when giving instructions — for example, “We need to gather the leaves” or “We need to stuff the clothes.” They also worked collaboratively to solve problems, such as finding a creative solution when the pumpkin head was too heavy — resulting in an upside-down scarecrow!
Reading at Home
I have attached the information shared in your child’s reading folder about their book borrowing bag and how you can support their reading skills at home. If you haven’t yet received a bag, please ask your child’s key worker. Here are some useful websites which contain more information about reading at home.
Happy Reading and please share your reading journey with us on Famly and in your child’s reading log!
https://www.booktrust.org.uk/how-we-help/parents-families
https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/article/9643/Libraries
Staffing Updates
We would like to wish Grace the best of luck in her new role…we will miss her and are grateful for all of her help and kindness on a daily basis. The children helped to create a beautiful thank you card which we delivered to her this afternoon 🙂
Diary Dates – please see previous Famly post for more detailed information or our Investigation Hub door for poster.
Children in Need- Friday 14th November
Stay and Play- Wednesday 26th November
Christmas Jumper Day/ Christmas Lunch – Wednesday 10th December
The Clumsiest Elf Play – Monday 15th December
Christmas Party- Tuesday 16th December
Christmas Singalong- Wednesday 17th December
Movie Day- Friday 19th December
This week in the rising 3s, the children have been immersed in the vibrant theme of Bonfire Night, alongside continued exploration of Autumnal changes in the outdoor environment. Through creative, sensory, and collaborative experiences, they engaged in meaningful learning across the EYFS areas.
🎯 Active Learning
Children showed high levels of engagement and curiosity as they explored firework-themed activities. Powder paint pictures were created using small brushes and a variety of colours, encouraging experimentation and persistence. The children also took part in a lively firework play dough disco, using pipe cleaners to represent sparks and shapes—supporting imaginative thinking and sustained attention.
Outdoor exploration continued with leaf collecting, where children compared shapes, colours, and textures. These natural materials were then used to create leaf people, combining creativity with observational skills. Throughout the week, children demonstrated teamwork, kindness, and a willingness to help one another—reflecting strong personal, social, and emotional development.
Schemas observed included:
• Trajectory: flicking paint, swirling brushes, and dancing with materials.
• Transporting: collecting and moving leaves and play dough tools.
• Enclosure and Containment: building leaf people and arranging materials into defined spaces.
🗣️ Communication and Language
Group time provided rich opportunities for language development. Children shared personal and cultural Bonfire Night experiences, bringing in photos and describing sounds such as “bang,” “swoosh,” and “crackle.” A range of firework-themed books and real-life displays were shown on the projector, sparking discussion and vocabulary building.
Children used expressive language to describe their artwork—phrases like “It looks like a rainbow!” and “This one’s really loud!” supported descriptive skills and emotional expression. Staff modelled new vocabulary and encouraged children to extend their sentences, linking to EYFS goals for speaking, listening, and attention.
💪 Physical Development
Fine motor skills were developed through powder paint art and play dough manipulation, where children used small tools and brushes to create detailed firework effects. These activities strengthened hand-eye coordination and control.
Gross motor development was supported through movement games and outdoor exploration. Children climbed, balanced, and navigated uneven terrain while collecting leaves and building with natural materials. These experiences promoted coordination, spatial awareness, and physical confidence.
🤝 Parents as Partners
Next week, I will be holding Parent Consultations starting on Monday 10th November. Please feel free to book an appointment with me directly at drop-off or collection. If preferred, phone consultations can also be arranged.
This is a lovely opportunity to share and celebrate your child’s achievements, discuss their progress, and strengthen our partnership in supporting their learning journey.
I am very proud of the children’s creativity, enthusiasm, and collaborative spirit this week. Their engagement with Bonfire Night has sparked meaningful learning across all areas of development.
Good luck to Grace in new Job, we wish her all the best in her new endeavour.
Have a lovely weekend everyone.