2-3: The Discovery Hub

Nursery Rhyme Week

During the week, we have been engaging in many opportunities to sign nursery rhymes, as we prepare for snack time, while getting ready to go outdoors and during group times. The children have explored selecting props to choose rhymes and verbally suggest rhymes. We have explored using musical instruments as we sing, exploring going fast/slow/loud and quiet. In the garden, we have explored using our music wall to create sounds as we sang favourite rhymes such as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Old McDonald. The children enjoy listening to the CD as they join in singing along and creating the actions. Your child maybe able to sing to you some of our favourite rhymes we have in nursery.

Diwali

Across the week, we have introduced the Festival of Light Diwali with the children. By looking through images, videos, books and resources we have introduced the festival with the children. As we introduced the festival, we began exploring ‘light’ in the nursery. We discussed where we have lights in nursery such as in the ceiling, our fairy lights and the colour lights in the sensory room. We shared resources of curiosity during our group time such as candles and torches. The children shared knowledge of these resources such as “don’t touch too hot” and “need it in the dark”. We explored turning off the lights to see the torches, fairy lights and candles shine in the dark. Some of the children explored using the torches to shine on the walls and ceiling with the lights off, beginning to notice the shadows and followed the light around the room as they moved.

In the environment, the children have engaged in various experiences with connections to the Festival of Light. In the creative are the children have explored painting over Rangoli patterns to lift off their paper creating a lovely pattern. We also offered doilies and brushes and cotton buds to create their own patterns on. The children we curious of the new resources and testing out ways to use the resources, alongside experimenting mixing colours.

We introduced clay into the environment where the children explored touching the new texture of material. As the children first explored with their hands some of the children commented “sticky” “muddy” and “wet playdough”. Over the week, we offered rolling pins alongside the clay as the children tested manipulating the clay with tools. The children began to notice a difference to the playdough texture as they commented “too hard”, “stuck” and “need help” to roll out the clay. On Thursday, the children explored rolling the clay into balls in a step to explore creating their own ‘diya’. We explored using coloured rice to add to the clay as decoration to our diya’s.

Children in Need

It was wonderful to see the children engaging in Children in Need today wearing their spots, stripes and Pudsey clothing. We have engaged in various activities throughout out the day, looking at colours. The children explored using their fine motor skills using tweezers to pick up pom poms and feathers. We continued exploring using brushes to make marks in the coloured salt and the children were able to see the “rainbow colours”. We explored adding colour to Pudsey using crayons and corks to dab into the paint. The children enjoyed watching a story as we searched for Pudsey Bear’s spotty bandana. We then followed Pudsey and friends with a dance which the children were keen to join along with.

Parents as Partners

As you will have seen our Christmas dates have been published with our first event being our Stay and Play on Monday 30th November 10:30-11:45 & 1.00-2.15: Our first event is a great opportunity for parents/carers to enjoy some time to ‘play’ with your child and see some of the lovely learning opportunities we offer our children under a ‘Belong’ theme. We will have a sign-up sheet for the Discovery Hub on the door.

Please find attached a list of our upcoming events.

Many thanks

Nursery Team