summer is here !

This week our experiments continued with ice cream making - using cream - strawberries and sugar - the children all had a go at sieving and whisking - and then we had to put the timer on so we remembered to stir it every 20 minutes during the sessions- it was yummy !!

Colour mixing involving food colouring -water - syringes and mixing dishes enabled the children to select and mix colours - they created a simple tally chart to log their finds.

We continue to have reception teachers popping in to talk about the children going up to their schools and for us to share information about each child's development and needs. It is good for the teachers to see the children in the playschool and to watch them at work.

Our end of term trip to Sand field Farm, nr Sedgeberrow was fabulous ! Emma who manages and runs the site took us pond dipping -we found water boat men , newts and dragon flies amongst many insects. We saw calves, pigs and chickens and tractors and milk floats. By shaking a jar of cream and passing it around the children found they had made some butter !   We then all had a picnic lunch in the forest area, where we lit the Kelly-kettle and made banana custard.  
The journey back in the mini buses saw 2 children fall asleep - the children &staff team were brilliant and we had a lovely day !

NOTICE - soon on the web site there will be  a link for parents about digital /e-safety - how to protect your child with all the technology they come into contact with- check this out ;-

Digital Parenting Magazine A Great Guide for Parents

with questions on keeping their Children Safe Online

http://www.vodafone.com/content/index/parents.html

the caterpillars became butterflies this week!!

All our butterflies hatch this week - we actually saw one coming out of the cocoons while we were eating our lunch!   Then on Friday in forest school, we released them.  They took a while to fly away but nice to think they were playing in the forest with us.

One of the bean plants is growing up one of the outside pillars and the children have got very interested in the story of 'Jack and the bean stalk'. They have been drawing bean stalks - measuring the plants progress and role playing the story. We have also been block printing butterflies and caterpillars printing

The sour dough worked well and all the children helped with every stage -resulting in a lovely loaf of bread - they then toasted and had with Alison's jam at snack time.

The school transition days have been successful with one of the children over heard saying to another;-  "I think I am excited about going to big school now". They have also been looking in the schools photo album and trying on school uniforms in the role play.
 

REMINDER =  your child needs a high factor sunscreen put on before playschool ( we top it up at lunch time).
Also for forest school your child needs long sleeve t-shirt, leggings/trousers and a sun hat- they also need socks to go inside their welly boots.

Father's Day -experiments and caterpillars!

Last week we made 'Love' cards with felt - the children learnt how to tease the different coloured wools and over lay them - then sprinkle with hot soapy water and roll to make felt. The red heart shape we then placed on each creation -which when glued onto card resulted in beautiful felt heart cards . At Forest School -using double sided sticky tape we collected different flora and stuck them onto book marks for presents to take home.

Continuing our theme of experimenting - we looked at corn flour,  and mixed it with water - you can hit it with  a hammer or stand on it if you make it thick enough !

The caterpillars are growing well - and as one child said - " they will be making their canoes  soon" (cocoons)!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The children water all out flowers and runner beans each day - we also have the clematis out and a pumpkin plant that now has pride of place in the raised bed !

At Broadway Playschool-the 2-3 s have been playing with bubbles, blowing, catching, popping !! We are enjoying the Three bears story, with naughty Goldilocks !! Children are loving the water and sand play , mixing, pouring, building, feeling, all very experimental and sensory.

The school transition visits have started and seem to be going well, the children are enjoying reporting back to us from their various new schools.  Children attending Broadway First went for lunches this week - and loved the experience.

If Parents have any questions they need to discuss about their child at Playschool  -then please chat to your child's key person or any of the staff team. Thank you.

 

 

 

WELCOME BACK TO 2ND PART OF THE SUMMER TERM!

This week we have been busy making lost of things - looking again at different materials and properties. We have made sun-catchers -out of melted beads-  they will be drilled next week so that they can be hung up. We experimented with air propelled balloon rockets, a great fun activity to do at home too.  Instructions for this are available at playschool.  We made a mini ocean - mixing water oil paint.  The beans planted before half term have sprouted and the children are caring for them by watering them daily.

We got some lovely photos from home during their holiday to add to their folders and to the display clock.  

We had a Local authority advisor visit us and were complimented on what a great setting we had.

We are exercising our tongues with a new story this helps develop the muscles for clearer speech and hearing word sounds.  So if your child is exercising their tongues at home don't be surprised.

keep bringing in any items for junk modelling there have been some amazing creations!!!

Broadway Playschool - (the little group) have been enjoying the water play and are now enjoying the Goldilocks's and the three bears story.
We've been enjoying some new challenging activities in our PE sessions over at the school - crab walking and side stepping around cones.

We've made use of the outdoors with the good weather hats and sunscreen are advised and the weather was so good Friday we stayed and had a picnic style lunch at forest school.

last week before HALF TERM

Last week we made butter - taking some cream - talking about where cream came from and what did they predict would happen to the cream ?- what colour did they think it would go ? and putting into a bottle then everyone had to shake it for ages - eventually we had butter and we had it on some crackers - it was "yummy!"

 

The children really enjoyed discovering shapes in the environment. Activities have included taking photographs of shapes around them, matching them to things, making a collage from the photographs and finally making various shapes with each other using their bodies.

 

We also looked closely at eggs - and what happened when you mixed the yolk with the egg white - they felt and smelt a cooked egg - no one wanted to try it though !

 

Jess , a teacher doing her forest school leader training has been taking some of our FS sessions - she has now passed and is a fully fledged Forest School leader .  Congratulations Jess !   She said she really enjoyed working with our children

 

HALF TERM NEXT WEEK - BACK ON MONDAY 3RD JUNE

National Children's day

This week we having been looking at shapes in our environment - the children have been busy finding shapes - manhole covers- fence squares - circular tyres - cuboid crates- triangular road markings- and taking photos of them - and then printing them off. They then have drawn shapes and mounted their art work to make a SHAPES display - take a look !

The forest school was full of midges this week which was annoying for everyone - especially as all the leaves are coming out and it is lovely down there.

Parent afternoons have been on offer this week for discussions with each child's key person.

We marked National Children's day with a slide show for parents and carers - complete with pop corn and cakes the children had helped to make and serve  - they really enjoyed seeing the 108 slide show and spotting all their friends at play.

experiments !

This week we have been making predictions and testing out our theories - we have seen how much egg white grows when whisked - and then how it changes again when cooked.
The children helped place some coins in different liquids (- such as coke - ketchup -lemon juice and milk- suggested by one child, and fizzy water -suggested by another). We then had to wait and see what happened - a lot of the children thought they would disappear as if by magic - they loved the results - the ketchup made really shiny coins - "like treasure !"

The staff team have been spending their last two Thursday evenings learning about attachment and how children need and build this link with their parents and playschool staff - and how we can nurture it to make our children more resilient and have good self esteem - really interesting-  if hard work !

A lot of planting has been going on - we have even planted up some wellys!  - they look fab