CATERPILLARS CYCLE OF LIFE

This week children showed a great interest in the life cycle of the butterfly with our live caterpillars. Each day they observed changes taking place as the caterpillars grow bigger and began to make their way to the top of the container ready for the next stage . The children talked about what they saw and also showed curiosity and interest in living things; explaining their own knowledge and understanding and asking appropriate questions of others. We managed to catch the caterpillars turning into chrysalis on time laps on the iPad, wow sure is amazing to see for both children and adults.

At Towerview Playschool the children enjoyed making a walking route out of the crates and planks of wood and enjoyed walking, balancing and passing each other whilst on their route, there was lots of laughter!!
The children loved playing with the trucks in the cornflour & water mixture. They enjoyed seeing the tracks they made, and thought it was ‘magic’ when the goo ran through their fingers.  

The children at Broadway Playschool enjoyed getting outside to run around and ride on the ride on toys too. They also enjoyed searching for snails with the magnifying glasses, took a lot of searching but we found some very tiny ones in the mud kitchen garden.

 It made a nice change to have the bikes out after all the wet weather, great to see the group organise themselves lining up to take turns to ride down the slope.

FOREST SCHOOL 
Great warm weather today in the forest. The children dressed confidently and enjoyed the dappled cool canopy.  There was lots of bug hunting with snails and worms found. Some of the children helped pack dried wood and twigs whilst examining noticed black seeds on the branches.

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE LEARNING -  Playing and exploring – engagement

Finding out and exploring /Playing with what they know/ Being willing to ‘have a go’= 

All the characteristics for life long learning are clearly seen here this week . Not only in the experiences offered but he children's building on their own knowledge. They explore their environments - relating to the sentient beings they encounter while they play and explore. Actively learning and putting that learning into place as they go.