Friday, 2 November 2012


What are we doing in Sea Turtles in November.

We are still loving Autumn and exploring different festivals. We are loving the textures that autumn has brought, smells and colours.
 The activities this month will be based around the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) areas of learning:
Prime areas:
C&L: Looking at and discussing different pictures about different cultures and festivals. PSED: We’re beginning to learn about some festivals new to us.  PD: Dancing to different styles of music from different cultures and their festivals.

Specific areas:
UW: Beginning to understand that everyone is unique. EA&D: Exploring different materials, textures and interesting resources. M: Simple counting, sorting, grouping different natural materials.

 Some of the activities we will be doing this month will involve:

·      Laura Williams will be creating areas of interesting images of natural materials in autumn both in the indoor areas and outdoors.
·      Laura  will be organising a trip to the local park to explore autumn tree fall.
·      Sarah Louise will be exploring light with the children for Diwali. Children will enjoy tea lights.
·      Ella will be creating some fireworks art work with the children.
·      Sarah G will be exploring autumnal colours and resources with leaf play, art work with browns and oranges, looking at interesting picture of autumn.
·      Sara will be sharing different sounds with children of rain, wind, waterfall, leaves crunching, etc.
·      Sara will also be doing some collages with leaves.
·      Chloe will be making pictures of animals in the autumn time with the children. Exploring red breasted robins, squirrels, foxes, badgers, hedgehogs.

Some ideas to support your children at home:

·         Although not very environmentally friendly, occasional use of glow sticks is so much fun and filled with wonderment for small children, especially in dark autumn months.
·         Run through drifts of autumn leaves. It is the ultimate in childhood fun.
·         Make little collections of leaves and bring them into the nursery. Children love to talk about and share their beautiful finds.
·         Put on warm clothes and have an autumn picnic on the common. They will love it. Pack some warm milk or even a warm chocolate milk in a flask to share.


 

What are we doing in Dolphins for November?

During November we will be focussing on respecting toys, equipment and each other.
Now that the new group of children are settled and pre-schoolers have established their confidence in taking a more responsible approach to their nursery, it’s time for some refocus and thought on respecting resources, expectations and each other.
The activities this month will be based around the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) areas of learning:
Prime areas:
C&L: Being able to verbalise and share with others the nursery rules. PSED: Caring for one another, supporting each other in following rules.  PD: Using bodies appropriately for the space, activity and environment.
Specific areas:
UW: Thinking about how rules may differ in different environments such as home or nursery L: Writing a set of rules together and referring to them. EA&D: Learning how to be expressive and creative, while considering the needs of others and the environment. M: Numbering key rules and organising priority.
 
Some of the activities we will be doing this month to support this will be:
·         Su will be working with the children on establishing a set of ‘Golden Rules’ and talking about our different resources and how to use them sensibly.
·         Carole will be reading a range of books about expectations, respecting other children, toy and sharing.
·         Jenny will be working on turn taking and sharing. Talking and listening to others in group times, playing games, using books, etc.
·         All of the team will be consistently reinforcing the ‘Golden Rules’  and nursery expectations.
·         Cristina will be using expressions faces with dough to model and talk about how the each other’s actions make each other feel.
·         Marie-Claire will be making place mats for the children to use at dinner time to find their name or picture and sit in the right place.
·         Christine H will be making a collage with the children of happy faces and sad faces and then talking about different situations  and which way they make the children feel.
 
What you could do to support your children at home:
·      Parents will have a set of the nursery ‘Golden Rules’ to take home. Please read them with your child and reinforce the expectations at nursery.
·      Talk about how nursery rules may be different from home and rules in other situation may be different again. E.g. at granny’s place or a restaurant.