What are we doing in Seahorses this month?For February, as well as supporting the children’s individual goals and interests, we will we be having a big focus on talking and learning the words for requests and items. We have many babblers and some of them are really making a big effort at saying some words so there will be a lot of group emphasis on talking and communicating needs as we prepare them for more independence in the next age group.
What are we doing at the nursery to support this:
Lots of using books to point at objects, animals and people and naming them.
Encouraging children’s use of words to request more or enough, hello and good bye, etc.
Naming equipment that is being used and ensuring the children know the names of what they are playing with even if they are not able to attempt to say the names.
Using basic Makaton sign language to help children request more, say yes, no, enough, etc. (Makaton is used a lot in the toddler room to express needs and support communication where vocabulary develops slower than understanding).
Focusing on using words clearly to explain what the children are doing, where they are going, who their friends are, etc.
Give loads of praise when we hear words being used to encourage the good feeling that success brings.
What could you do to support the children and reinforce what they have experienced at the nursery?
Use the appropriate words for actions and items as you are playing, getting ready, out and about. Even, really focussing on naming what they are eating so they learn the names of foods and can later related them to preferences.
Keep the words you use for things consistent within your house. i.e. all family members need to call a sofa a sofa, rather than sometimes a couch, sometimes a sofa or sometimes a settee, to avoid confusion.
Remember that everything you say is being stored in their minds even if it is not being used. Understanding words comes well before using words.
Give loads of praise when you hear words being used to encourage the good feeling that success brings.
What are we doing in Starfish this month? 
During February, in addition to our individual plans for children, we will be focussing on Chinese New Year, Valentine’s Day and Pancake Day. We will also be doing a lot of physical activities inside to burn our energy and increase our confidence in our bodies.
Some of the activities we will be doing this month will be:
Making cards for family members for Valentine’s Day and talking about the people in our lives who are special to us.
Using lots of red to represent love and good luck in Chinese New year.
Making spring rolls to try some food from another culture.
Making pancakes and eating them for Pancake Day.
Lots of sticking and contributing to a Tiger for Chinese New Year.
Making tiger masks.
Using lots of indoor climbing equipment and encouraging confidence and movement, even of the day they don’t get outside.
What you could do to support your children at home:
Go out for dinner as a family to a Chinese restaurant and give them some new things to try. They will probably surprise you on what they will eat.
Take them to China Town in London to see the festivities and decorations.
Take them to an indoor soft play place like ‘Cafe Au Play’ to let them run, climb, jump for a quality amount of time to burn off some winter stored energy.
Make some pancakes with them at home and eat them. Let them contribute by sprinkling on sugar or pouring on some syrup.
What are we doing in Dolphins this month? 
February will see a number of focuses going on in the nursery in addition to the individual focuses. We have an interest that has emerged with some of the children on space and rockets and will be extending this by providing a number of supporting activities.
Other events that will influence our activities this month will be activities around Chinese New Year and Shrove Tuesday (pancake day).
Some of the activities we will be doing this month to support these interests and festivals will be:
Making pancakes with the children and eating them!
Talking about what pancake day is all about.
Making Li-xi (red envelopes for good luck) for Chinese New Year.
Making other decorations for Chinese New Year.
Eating noodles with chopsticks.
Reading books and having discussions about Chinese New Year; what it means and what happens.
Making rockets and other features of space.
Going on moon walks- pretending we are in outer space.
Reading books about space and stories that involve space concepts.
What you could do to support your children at home:
Make pancakes with them if it is not a nursery day.
Talk with them about why we have Pancake Day.
Take your child to China Town in London or the Chinese New Year parade if you are able.
Take your child to a Chinese restaurant and give them something new to eat and a new experience to try.
Share some fortune cookies with them.
Make some red envelopes at home, pop some chocolate in them and give them to families members for good luck.
While it is still dark early, take your child out at night and look at the stars and the moon and talk about how they are far away.
Go to the library and get some books out about space and maybe make some rocket cubby house at home.
