What are we doing in Starfish for April and May? After a wonderful trip to Kew Gardens the children are relating a lot of what they have seen to what we have been talking about last month with colours, foods, The Hungry Caterpillar, etc. We plan to extend this interest in looking at the world around us and the changes that spring brings in plant life and the increase in beatlesm bugs, butterflies, chicks, etc. The activities this month will be based around the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) areas of learning:
KUW-discovery, watching changes PSED- how we feel about insects and touching new things, MD- size, shape, pattern, colour. CLL naming, discussing, PD-stamina in walking and exploring, CD- arts and crafts.
Some of the activities we will be doing this month will involve:
• Lily will be setting up different activities using the plastic insects that the children chose on their Kew Gardens excursion.
• Lily will be setting up some water play activities with flower petals in it for the children to explore.
• Sarah will be creating some pictures with the children out of dried flowers.
• Manjit will be making some butterfly print pictures with the children
• Manjit will be doing some seed planting with the children.
• And some other activities that all of the team will be involved in will be bumble bee sticking, organising a trip to the Wetlands, playing with bug puppets, taking a trip to the library.
Some ideas to support your children at home:
• Observe the world around and the changes with your children. Note what you see, name and point to the different flowers, trees, shrubs, animals, birds, fish, etc.
• Choose some flowers with your children and let them place them in a vase. Even put a bunch of flowers in their bedroom for them to enjoy.
• Go on a bug hunt together. Point to ants, ladybirds, bugs and butterflies. Name them, count them, allow them to crawl on you if you can.
• Look in some ponds in the parks and point to the different things you see; dragonflies, fish, ducks, ducklings, etc.
What are we doing in Seahorses in April and 
May?
May? This month we will continue to look at texture while increasing our focus on all of the changes in the environment through spring and the new experiences this has to offer the babies.
The activities this month will be based around the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) areas of learning:
KUW-discovery, PSED- trying new things, MD- looking at different sizes and shapes CLL naming new things PD- moving around the activities and obstacles, CD- exploring in self-initiated creative ways
What are we doing at the nursery to support this:
• Laura J will be introducing a new spring song to the babies ‘Little Peter Rabbit’.
• Beata will be painting with spring colours
• Chanpreet will be setting up a water play experience with petals, pebbles, sticks, bark, and other spring natural materials
• Laura will organise an excursion to collect natural materials to make spring treasure baskets with to use inside and outside.
• Laura will organise a mini trip to the next door grassy patch to have tea on some grass.
• Laura will prepare some new picture images for the baby room of spring flowers and baby animals to display and laminated so they can hold and look at them.
What could you do to support the children and reinforce what they have experienced at the nursery?
• Go on some walks to parks and point out the different flowers and blossoms and name them.
• Take out some books with baby animals in them to explore and read the names of.
• If you are feeling extravagant, buy some flowers and let your child explore them by touching, smelling, pulling them apart in an activity rather than from the plant!
• Walk around your garden and spot squirrels, birds, tress, flowers, etc and name them.
What are we doing in Dolphins in April and Ma
y?
y? After and amazing March following our caterpillars through their lifecycle and watching the sunshine hours grow and the leaves and flowers burst, we are all sharing delight in talking about changes, growing, spring, etc. So we plan to spend the next two months allowing the children’s interests lead our plans in looking at changes in people, creatures, plants, the environment.
The activities this month will be based around the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) areas of learning:
KUW-discovery, growing, observation PSED- looking at how we change, MD- size, shape, pattern. CLL naming, discussing,
PD- trying new gross motor skills in the warm weather CD- arts and crafts.
What are we doing at the nursery to support this:
• Christine will be setting up a measuring chart for the children to track their growth throughout the year.
• Laura Z will be making a display of picture of staff and parents when they were small to discuss with the children and talk about human lifecycles.
• Lan will be setting up a diary growing for our plants that we will be growing and nurturing though summer.
• Laura Z will be making some spring collages
• Christine texture exploring
• Laura W will be setting up a spring sensory treasure chest with the children to explore.
• Jenny will organise trip to B&Q to collect plants and growing resources to set up our eating and enjoying gardens.
• Laura W will be organising a series of trips to Kew Gardens for the children to observe and explore.
• Rachel will set up a display of the children learning about the changes in the clothes they are wearing in the nicer weather- hats, shorts, skirts with no tights, sunblock, etc.
• Emily will be making a range of lifecycles sequencing cards with the children to do some sequencing.
What could you do to support the children and reinforce what they have experienced at the nursery?
• Talk about how the environment has changed. Reflect on the winter time and the familiy activities you did then and what you are able to do now in the summer time.
• Go for a walk and talk about all the different types of flowers and plants. Compare the sizes, shapes, colours, etc.
• Share picture of you when you were a little child and compare them as you get older to what you look like now.
