A celebratory week!

This week in EYFS, we have loved continuing our learning with our non-fiction text, Here We Are by Oliver Jeffers. The book has inspired lots of rich discussion as the children explored different landscapes from around the world, on land and in the sea. Using the illustrations as a stimulus, the children generated a wide range of descriptive vocabulary to describe the size of sea creatures, spotting gargantuan whales and miniscule clownfish! This not only helped to develop their language skills but also led to some fantastic conversations about the similarities and differences between these creatures. The children then immersed themselves in some underwater themed play, getting creative with wax-resist paintings, building narratives in the water tray, making marks in the sea foam and teaching friends their very own facts!

Outdoors, the children have been making the most of the sunshine and showers! They have particularly enjoyed using water colours to create marks and pictures, playing tennis with their friends and spending time reconnecting and chatting after the half-term break. In the forest, the children enjoyed celebrating the many birthdays we have had this week as they made mud cakes complete with stick candles and leaf party hats!

In Maths, the children in Ash Class have been exploring halving and sharing, and challenging themselves to “grow their brains” by finding out which numbers could be shared between two without a remainder; even numbers or odd numbers. Meanwhile, Saplings have been focusing on sharing at their very own party as they ensured that each of them had a fair amount of party food on their napkins.

This week in Music, the children continued developing their ability to play in time to the beat using the chime bars. They practised carefully and worked together to keep a steady rhythm as a group.

The children then explored a range of percussion instruments, using them to perform different tunes and rhythmic patterns alongside the music. As our musical ensemble grew, we discussed the important role of a conductor and how they help guide and coordinate the musicians. Some of the children enjoyed taking turns as the conductor, confidently directing the group and signaling when to begin playing.

By the end of the session, the children were working together brilliantly and sounded just like a wonderful orchestra!

During Forest School, the children had a fantastic time exploring the squelchy mud created by the heavy rainfall over the past few days. Parts of the area had become quite boggy, and the children thoroughly enjoyed investigating the slippery, slimy mud, with many finding their wellie boots getting hilariously stuck!

Connor read The Gingerbread Man, which inspired lots of imaginative storytelling and role-play. The children loved acting out the adventures of the cheeky Gingerbread Man as he ran away from everyone he met, bringing the story to life with great enthusiasm!

It was a wonderful session filled with exploration, laughter, and imaginative play.