BUSY BUSY BEES !

Some of the children have been busy making clay models, one child made a hedgehog. With some adult assistant some of the children have been creating some super models in the junk modelling area, learning different ways to construct and connect with tape, split pins, glue and pegs. Among the creations are houses, a boat, giraffe and a bin lorry.

The caterpillars arrived and at being carefully watched to see how much they grow .........

The children have really enjoyed playing and exploring all the different musical instruments - some Playschool percussion ones, some ones we have made including rhythm sticks and shakers.

Also we all made the best of the nice weather on Wednesday and set up an obstacle course outside to practice hopping, jumping, balancing and throwing bean bags. This was done as an adult led  whole group activity in the morning and some children continued doing it, helping each other, in the afternoon.  

 There has been some really imaginative role play happening, mostly outside. There have been children putting out fires with buckets of pebbles, wearing helmets & looking for fires with binoculars & also chasing other children to put them in jail! Some children were Queens & Princesses, dressing up and helping or chasing firefighters  back to put out their fires with their 'freezing' fingers/hands & warning them to be careful they don t get 'frozen'! 

Two of the boys played for about 15mins with the cardboard  box & tyre sitting on  the tyre & falling forwards & backwards into the box .... no words but lots of whooping & laughing. These actions were repeated many times until one of them played hide & seek in the box as he did last week   Indoors some children made up pretend 'lunch boxes' with play food & boxes so they could have a 'picnic lunch' .

The children at Broadway Playschool  (2-3 group)  have been enjoying the music instruments and exploring the different sounds each make inside and out.  There has been some lovely singing and good rhythm making. The fascination with the buckets, pulleys ands stones continues.

tapping out the rhythm

At Forest school this week all the children were keen to get involved in making a xylophone at forest school, they enjoyed dragging wood through the area and sawing up logs ready to put it together. We had to fell a tree - it was completely rotten - the children stood  well back and shout of "timber!" went up as it crashed to the ground.  

Lots of smiles on meeting Jilly's puppet dog 'Sit' again on Wednesday morning and singing our "hello" song.  The children selected different length rhythm sticks by sound and decorated them too.

At Broadway Playschool the sunny weather meant we could stay outside longer without getting too cold. The buckets and pulleys were being explored, mark making with the chalks  and one child built blocks around the static playhouse - like a wall of insulation! Lots of concentration and purposeful play. They were mesmerised by the '3 Little Pigs' story sack show! At the end of the session percussion instruments along to world music was much enjoyed by children and staff.

As part of the transition to school, we visited the reception class at Broadway First School. The children explored the environment. They also had a quite exhausting PE session in the school hall - lots of noise made !

WELCOME BACK TO THE SUMMER TERM !

Hi everyone - hope you had a great Easter Break and welcome back to the summer term .

This half term our theme is about 'sounds' - all different sounds, how we listen and make sounds; sounds in our environment and what makes what sound!

We have two skilled EY Practitioners; Jilly and Angie working with us this half term too.

This week, while settling back in after the two week break, we have been making jam tarts, singing songs to percussion instruments and working on recognising initials from our names.

At Broadway Playschool, learning to climb over the 'A' frame and making music outside have been the session's work.

At Forest School this week - we listened to raindrops on the leaves, found a hibernating hedgehog and made a protected area to keep him safe and sound. We also discovered how high the cow parsley has got and found bluebells hidden in the forest.

The staff have been very busy preparing the children's individual education plans. These will go out to parents this week coming and inviting your comments. There will also be an opportunity to meet with your child's key person over the next few weeks.

HAPPY MOTHERING SUNDAY !

This week all the children have been busy printing cards and cooking biscuit hearts for their Mum's!

There has been printing of 'roses' using celery and flower shapes with the bottom of a water bottle.... the children have concentrated, listened to instructions and made some lovely prints.

To make the biscuits they looked at the recipe and then weighed, sieved, stirred and mixed up the mixture - waiting for it to be ready to roll out and then cut - using a fish slice to lift on to the tray. They loved the smells and waited for the timer to go off.

At Forest School we have been back to the bottom site - checking it out and seeing all the daffodils in bloom. The children really enjoyed the space and using the climbing tree. There was also 'bonfire' building and digging going on in the sunshine!

On Friday some children came dressed up for Red Nose Day - others wore a nose or a badge.

HAPPY MOTHERING SUNDAY TO ALL MUM'S AND GRANDMA'S!

The Three Bears Porridge !

At Broadway Playschool the 2-3yrs enjoyed a walk across the fields, we played pooh sticks, enjoyed a picnic snack and a play at the park.

At Towerview the children explored oats and made real porridge and all had a taste with and without syrup. The role play featured the ‘Three Bears’ ( story sack) who had a lot of interesting ingredients in their porridge pot by the end of the day!  

Later in the week the children enjoyed making flapjacks . They ‘wrote’ out their recipes and helped weigh and measure the ingredients- mixing and stirring.  Hope they enjoyed eating them just as much as making them!
After finding a half eaten carrot in the outside area, the children’s imaginations went into overdrive- " It's from Rudolph"  said one child, another says " I think it's from the bunnies" and  from this moment on lots of lovely role play emerged.

THE GREAT BRITISH POTATO !

Our cooking this week involved thinking about where potatoes come from and what we can use them for. There was playing with potatoes in the role play- counting ,weighing and sorting. Scraping, cleaning and chopping potatoes to make chips - which were yummy with ketchup! We also use potatoes to do mono printing. Later in the week we made chocolate cornflakes cakes because one of the children had spotted the recipe in our cookbook and we all through it a good idea.

The children were really creative with their chalking outside this week, some lovely colours mixed with water to paint the floor and the outside of the playhouse. 

On Tuesday we all enjoyed a tour around the First School. We saw all the school children working in their classrooms, met the administrator Mrs Freaney and had a chat with head teacher Dr Browning in her office, before going in to the reception class and checking out their toilets !

The children enjoyed using their imagination outdoors by creating a stage, using a variety of materials and negotiating this was completed and they then went about to show their talent off. 

Lovely forest school session, some children showing great strength using the climbing tree and everyone really enjoyed listening to the robins calling back to Jude's soft toy bird - 'Randolf Robin' !

The Broadway Playschool children continue to enjoy water play with all of them very involved with getting water to go through the waterfall stacker - which when placed on a chair in the water play really worked - it also fell over a lot and we all got a bit wet!  

Lovely outside seeing all the bulbs coming up and looking at the woodlice.

PARENT & TODDLER GROUP - STARTS THIS TUESDAY AFTERNOON 1- 2.30.

PANCAKE DAY & WORLD BOOK DAY!

Pancake day was brilliant ! We celebrated by writing recipes, making the mixture – watching Jude toss pancakes in the kitchen and then tossing our own pancakes- in small frying pans.

We went over to the school hall to do PE where the children enjoyed walking like giraffes, lions, caterpillars, spiders and jumping like bunnies. We practised skipping too.

WORLD BOOK DAY saw everyone dressing up even the staff team and exploring the story sacks at Playschool.

The children have enjoyed mark making in the tuff tray with chalk using large movement with their arms. 

‘Stick man’ continues to visit each child’s home and is building up a lovely diary of his adventures.

At Broadway Playschool the children have been really getting  into the water play – tipping and pouring and have enjoyed chasing their shadows on the floor.
                             PARENT & BABY/TODDLER GROUP
STARTING AT TOWERVIEW PLAYSCHOOL ON TUESDAY 14TH MARCH 1-2.30pm