2-3: The Discovery Hub

Playing and Exploring and Active Learning

On returning to Nursery, the children have been reflecting on photos from the previous week. They have enjoyed seeing themselves in the photos dressed up, making potions, carving pumpkins and all of the lovely family experiences. It has been lovely to hear the children pointing out the people and characters in the photos as well as their outings. We would love to continue sharing these photos with the children during group times each week.

This week, we have been exploring fireworks in nursery. Our book of the week has been 5 little fireworks, where we have explored counting the fireworks, labelling the colours and creating different sounds for fireworks. This week our song of the week has been 5 fizzing fireworks. We have explored taking away a firework each time as we sing to count how many fireworks were left. The children have enjoyed joining in as they shouted “blast off”. 

The children have been exploring creating their own firework pictures as the explore spreading the glue across the page. We then modelled using our fingers to pinch the colour sand to then sprinkle over the glue. The children were very proud of their pictures as they smiled commenting “done” and “look me do it”. On Wednesday, the children explored printing with the star shapes to create lovely paintings.

Communication and Language

Across the week, we have discussed the various sounds fireworks can make such as “wee”, “woosh”, “bang”, “pop” and “boom” and the children have explored creating the sounds themselves. During explorations, the children have been using sounds to describe the fireworks in their creations as well as labelling the colours we can see in the photos and videos. Some of the children have been describing the sounds as “loud” or “big bang”. It has been lovely to hear the children such vocabulary to describe on their own experiences of the fireworks.

Staffing updates

This week, Lauren and Cerys have been on training Enabling Environments, reflecting on our own provision and how to make the areas accessible and encouraging to the children.

We would like to share that today is Grace’s last day at Bensham Grove Nursery as she moves to another school. She will be greatly missed from the children and staff team.

Parents as Partners

For children who attend for breakfast, this is available for anyone arriving between 8.00am and 8.45am. After this time, breakfast is tidied away in order for staff to be available to greet and support the arrival of all other children at 9.00am, and begin the transition into our welcome group time. 

During our sessions, the children are amazing us with how well they are accessing the environment and routines. As we develop our routines the children access group times at the beginning and end of the sessions. For children accessing a morning session we will be opening the door from 11:55 for collections and for afternoon session we will be opening the door from 3:40 to allow children to complete their group times and transitions from outdoors.

Thank you to everyone who has signed up so far to meet with your child’s key person so far. There are still slots available for next week if you haven’t already. Please can we ask any completed questionnaires to be handed in to reception, thank you. 

Have a lovely week!

The Nursery Team