The Den: 

We have had another busy week in the den, with a focus on sand exploration and physical play! 

Characteristics of effective learning: 

The children have enjoyed exploring sand this week with range of resources to extend their play. On Monday, we added water to the sand to change the texture so it was mouldable. We added some metal bowls so we could model making ‘sandcastles’. The children worked together to add handfuls of sand to the bowls, then helped to pat the bowl when it was upside down. They were fascinated by the shapes left behind. 

As the week progressed, the sand dried which changed the texture. The children really enjoyed when we scooped the sand into the bowl and poured it from a height through their hands. 

We have been using musical instruments this week in our daily group times which the children have enjoyed! I asked the children to choose an item out of the box. I modelled shaking the instruments ‘up, down side to side’ and ‘round and round’ to incorporate pre-positional language to the children’s vocabulary. I sung “shakey up and down” and the children were able to join in with the actions 

Physical development: 

We have been exploring physical opportunities this week. The children had lots of fun exploring the tunnel. They were very intrigued and with encouragement, had a turn going through. When asked, the children were able to wait their turn and enter from one way.