The miserable weather hasn’t stopped us having so much fun outside and inside.

Our text of the week is “Night Monkey, Day Monkey.” This provided a perfect opportunity to make banana bread.  Cooking activities are a great way to develop so many skills, language around taste, texture, smell and preferences, turn taking, counting and number recognition, turn taking and so much more.  The children enjoyed tasting their creation at snack time.

We have used this story to base conversations about things we do at night time and things we do in the day time and how we know when it is night/day.  We have played a night and day sorting game.

Threading boards, peg puzzles, playdough and peg boards have all been used to practice fine motor skills, create patterns and develop imagination.

We have practiced matching numeral to quantity using the interactive white board and the multi links.  We have used lining up time to talk about what number comes next and one more/one less.

Our phonics sessions this week have been based around an animal sounds listening game.  In addition, we have explored musical instruments and the different sounds which they can make. 

We have practiced mark making using wet sand, gloop, felt tip pens, paint, crayons and pens.

We have listened to all sorts of types of music at lunchtime – blues, jazz, classical piano and guitar.  During our music and movement, we have used Sticky Kids compilations, Disney classics and pop music such as Dance Monkey and Aga Doo. As always number rhymes and action songs are always a popular activity and the children are always eager to offer their suggestions for the group. 

During PE, we listened to and moved in various ways to “Carnival of The Animals” This included moving fast and slow as well as waving ribbons and pom poms to the music.  We laid down and listened to the swan section as a calm down activity.   Father Christmas was kind enough to give us a basketball hoop, which has been great fun.

We have practiced an animal themed dough disco.

Our Personal Development text has been “Dogs Don’t Do Ballet” We have used this to talk about the ways in which we are different and the same. 

On Friday we went on a nature walk in small groups to collect all sorts of exciting items for our Nature Table. 

Wishing everyone a restful weekend ready for more exciting times next week.