Nursery

14/03/2025

Over the past two weeks, our little artists in Acorns have been having a fantastic time exploring their creative sides! The children have been introduced to the book The Dot, a heartwarming story about self-expression and creativity. Inspired by the book, the children have enjoyed experimenting with dots, marks, and how these simple shapes can turn into beautiful pieces of art.

They have been mixing colours to create unique shades and have had fun using a variety of materials, including toothbrushes, brooms, and mops, to paint and explore different artistic techniques. The excitement and curiosity have been contagious as the children discovered new ways to express themselves through their artwork!

In addition to their artistic explorations, our little learners have been digging deeper into the number 5 in maths. They've been learning to subitise (recognising the number without counting), construct, and partition the number, all while discovering where they can find 'five' in their environment. The children have also met the number block 5, and they’ve really mastered this number—becoming true number experts in the process!

To celebrate the season and its cultural events, the children learned about Shrove Tuesday and why people celebrate with pancakes. They had a wonderful time tasting pancakes with a variety of toppings and discussing their favourites. The exploration continued as they learned about Ramadan, a significant religious festival, and created beautiful lanterns to mark this special occasion.

Of course, the fun hasn’t stopped there! The children have continued to enjoy their weekly sessions of Hartbeeps and Playball. We’ve even had the joy of welcoming some special parental visitors to join in the Hartbeeps fun, making the experience even more special for our little ones.

It’s been an inspiring couple of weeks filled with learning, creativity, and celebration. We’re excited to see what the next adventure brings for our Acorns!

 

28/02/2025

What Will Nursery Children Be Learning This Half Term?

This half term, our nursery children are embarking on an exciting journey as they explore the world of art through hands-on activities, creative expression, and engaging learning experiences. Let’s take a closer look at what each group will be learning during this exciting term.

Art and Creativity

In Saplings: This half term, the Saplings group will focus on discovering the basics of art. They will be introduced to various colours and learn how art is created. By the end of the term, children will:

• Begin to recognise some primary colours, black, white, and some secondary colours.
• Experience talking about colours and sharing simple opinions, such as "like it" or "don’t like it," or responding with a simple "yes" or "no" when asked if they like something.
• Explore painting and making choices about the colours they wish to use.
• Learn about artists and begin to understand the role of an artist.

In Acorns: The Acorns group will continue to develop their art skills, building on the foundational knowledge. In addition to recognising and choosing colours, children will:

• Explore mark making using a variety of tools and materials.
• Understand that art can take many forms, and discover how standard and non-standard tools can create different textures, such as dots.
• Begin to experiment with colour mixing, noticing how colours change when combined.
• Learn about how indigenous Australians have used dots to create pictures and explore the work of artist Alma Woodsey Thomas, who also used dots in her art.
• Reflect on how they can use what they have learned to express themselves as artists.

Mathematics

In Saplings: This half term, Saplings will be introduced to key mathematical concepts through everyday play and activities. Children will:

• Begin to notice simple sequential patterns in objects they observe.
• Show interest in numbers, recognising numerals and exploring number symbols in the environment, books, and songs.
• Practice counting in everyday situations, even skipping numbers occasionally (e.g., counting "1-2-3-5").
• Compare sizes, weights, and other attributes using language like "bigger," "smaller," "tall," "heavy," and more.
• Stack similar blocks on top of each other, exploring vertical and horizontal stacking.
• Manipulate shapes or objects through physical trial and error to understand different geometric forms.

In Acorns: In Acorns, children will deepen their understanding of numbers and mathematical concepts. They will:

• Recognise the amount of 4 and 5 and become familiar with different ways these numbers can be represented.
• Begin to compare quantities using terms like "more than" and "fewer than" during play.
• Explore patterns by spotting errors in AB patterns and identifying the unit of repetition in patterns.
• Create simple linear patterns (e.g., stick, leaf, stone) and continue patterns that stop mid-unit.
• Develop an understanding of spatial patterns, such as those in AB or ABC sequences, and engage in activities that encourage regularity and organisation.
• Begin to use positional language, like “under,” “in front of,” and “behind,” to describe the location of objects and routes, helping develop their spatial awareness.

Additional Learning Opportunities

In addition to their art and maths explorations, the children will continue to benefit from our wonderful Harbeeps sessions, which are designed to enhance learning through music, movement, and sensory experiences. Optional play ball sessions will also support physical development and coordination.

Throughout the term, children will engage in a broad range of learning activities that cover all areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, ensuring their growth is both holistic and developmentally appropriate. This includes learning in areas such as communication, language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development, and understanding the world.

We’re excited to see how the children will progress as they explore art and mathematics, express their creativity, and develop essential skills that will support their lifelong learning journey.

Stay tuned for updates on their adventures in learning this term!