We are Ornithologists!
This term, the children have been following a line of enquiry about birds. We observed birds in the garden, seeing which we recognised, making connections from our other experiences of noticing birds out and about and in stories. We noticed seagulls, magpies and robins in our Nursery garden and listened carefully for their different calls…isn’t it amazing how similar looking birds can make such different sounds?
We were lucky to have a parent visitor in Nursery 1 who taught us how to create bird boxes. We learnt how to use different tools to tap, drill, measure and join. This was tricky learning! We persevered to join the different pieces, collaborated together and created cosy new habitats for our feathery friends. Don’t they look great?
Our St Paul’s Promise “I connect with the wider world” helps children to immerse themselves in awe and wonder…. marvelling at the natural world, connecting with our environment and building an understanding of ourselves within the natural world. We are observers, watching, waiting, questioning. Exploring our natural world with curiosity, respect and delight.
Magical Miniscule Movements
Push…pull…squeeze…roll…chop….pat…pinch…we’ve been using our hands in all different ways….in the playdough, in the clay, in the sand, with magnet tiles, with blocks, with pens. We’ve been questioning how we can use our hands to manipulate the different materials…”What happens if I pull? Oh it’s broken. Maybe if I roll it?” “I want to make the biggest tower of boulders! I need to squash them on!” “How can I make one so tiny? It’s like I’m not touching it.”
Our St Paul’s Promise “I am a big bold mover!” can sometimes mean small movements too…developing our dexterity and strength in our hands and fingers…laying those crucial foundations to get us ready to write.
Light and Dark
Led by the weather and the children’s curiosity, we have been exploring the concept of light and dark. The children explored the dark tent using torches and connecting their learning to other experiences of being in the dark. We used the light box to create shadows and experimented with creating different shapes…with our bodies…with different objects. The children asked questions such as “What makes it dark at night time?” and “How can I make a shadow bigger and smaller?” and “Why does my shadow move like me?”
Our St Paul’s Promise “I can use all my senses to engage in scientific enquiry” helps children to develop their curiosity…questioning, observing, predicting, testing, drawing conclusions in their investigations. Connecting their learning to things they already know and building knew connections. We are Scientists in Nursery 1!
Making Pasta
Each week we have been experimenting with making pasta….yellow pasta….pink pasta…and green pasta! The children have been practising their ‘ear-shaped’ pasta shapes by stretching and pressing the dough with their thumbs. How did we change the colour of the pasta do you think? We experimented with different ingredients trying new flavours and textures. This week we added spinach to turn the pasta green. Doesn’t it look delicious?
Our St Paul’s Promise “I can have a healthy body and make healthy choices” helps children to understand more about the food they eat and what it does for our bodies. Encouraging children to try new flavours and textures and think about healthy, balanced diets.
