Welcome to our Fareacres Weekly Blog - Fareacres Pre School and Day Nursery - Childcare at Gants Hill and South Woodford

Fareacres Needs You!

At Fareacres, we promote parents to come into the nursery at their convenience and participate in ‘Stay and Play’ sessions. A stay and play session is a time when a parent, carer, or family member can come into the nursery and participate or lead a short session. This can be as simple as reading a story, to leading a more demonstrative based session around a profession. The session only lasts for 5 to 10 minutes and throughout this time, our staff team will be present to support the session. Following the session, parents will be asked to provide feedback on their experience, which is then used to promote further sessions.

These sessions offer so many learning opportunities for all of the children in the setting. They are a chance for the children to experience a different type of delivery from that of which they are used to, and research shows that when parents are involved in a child’s education, the impact is positive and far reaching. In participating, parents build relationships with the team and also build a bridge between home and setting that helps in future communications and the development of the children. A child’s wellbeing is raised from having their parent attend a ‘Stay and Play’ session, and this in turn helps them to become more engaged and motivated to learn.

Another benefit of these sessions is that the parents also experience what nursery is like for their children, albeit in a short burst, but nonetheless, it is the nursery in action. It is also a great time for the parent to see how, as a setting, Fareacres delivers the curriculum and ensures our high standards are upheld.

Some examples of previous ‘Stay and Play’ sessions include:

A story read to a group
A story read in a language other than English
A doctor/dentist showing children what their professional role entails
Leading song time
Celebration of cultural and religious festivals
Tai Chi session
Engaged in free play
Cultural dancing

Please speak to staff to request a time to come in and take part, or lead a ‘Stay and Play’ session.

Weekly Experiences

Rainbowfish in South Woodford have been printing using their feet. Foot prints are a brilliant opportunity for all, especially babies to learn. Babies learn cause and effect, therefore when they see that their feet are making prints on the paper it can encourage walking. They learn tactile and sensory skills from touching the water and feeling how the water feels on their skin and in between their toes. The children have also developed language, because practitioners are guiding the children at all times and engaging them throughout the activity.

Feet Printing SW

Children in Gants Hill have been very creative this week by constructing their own models using junk resources. This activity has many developmental benefits starting with the children using their fine motor skills and tools. The children learn about materials, textures, properties and how to manipulate them. The best thing with this activity is the feeling of satisfaction, self-confidence and accomplishment for the children and of course the joy in taking models home to show off.

Junk Modelling GH

Stingrays in South Woodford have been playing with the parachute. Parachute play is a great way to promote teamwork amongst children and assisting them to take turns. This activity has helped to build social interaction between peers and staff. With the introduction of music this activity has helped the children to develop a sense of rhythm. Physically parachute play supports the development of the children’s upper torso. Here are some comments made by the children:

"Wow, red, green, yellow" - Ariya

"Yes, parachute wow" - Clara

Parachute SW

Children in Gants Hill have been making Valentine’s Day cards and hearts. Using salt dough, the children have cut love hearts with cutters for the children to take home for their families. There is plenty of opportunities present in this activity, such as the development of fine motor skills and the listening to and the following of instructions. The children have then decorated the hearts as presents to accompany the beautifully made cards. To look how to make salt dough please click the link below:

https://www.learning4kids.net/2012/12/09/how-to-make-salt-dough-recipe/

Valentines GH

Sharks in South Woodford have been painting using the wheels on the cars. Painting with toy cars is a fun art process and sensory experience for the children. The car tyres make interesting patterns in the paint and children are introduced to colour mixing as the cars move from one colour to another. This has encouraged the boys in this room to stay at a creative activity for much longer than usual. Here are some comments made by the children during the activity:

"Look criss cross" - Daniel

"Cars are painting" - Xavi

"I did a long line" - Isla

"It’s purple" - Isobel

Car Painting SW

The children in Gants Hill have been playing with dance ribbons. These dance ribbons give the children a chance to move freely with and without music. This activity promotes the development of gross motor skills such as twirling, shaking, spinning and waving the ribbon to make spectacular patterns. The movement of the ribbons encourages tracking skills and hand eye coordination leading stimulation to the brain.

Dance ribbons GH

Starfish in South Woodford have been exploring magnets. As the children attached and removed the magnets from each other. The magnets helped the children to develop their small hand and finger muscles, which are essential for their emerging literacy skills and preparing the children to write. The magnets taught the children “cause and effect” along with problem solving skills that are so essential for developing early brain connections. Here are some of the comments made by the children during their magnet play:

“I made a power thing” – Andreas

“I made a rock” - Daniela

“I made a pattern” – Kassie

“I’m making a train” - Reva

Magnets SW

Children in Gants Hill have been learning about Chinese New Year. The children have begun to participate in a paper mache activity where the children have made a lantern. There are many benefits to this activity, the movements used to enhance motor skills such as, tearing the paper, stirring the glue mixture and placing the paper in alternative directions. The nursery has shown the children an example of a paper mache lantern and held circle times to provide the children with more information around Chinese New Year.

Paper Mache GH

Chinese New Year GH

Activity of the week

Activity of the week was won by Archana Loganathan (GH). Archana has planned a lovely activity in order to help a child achieve a next step. The activity is to make a bracelet in a group. The children will make a bracelet together and if they show they are able to do so, the extension will be for them to make one for their peer. The process of making a bracelet in a group will encourage the children to interact in a variety of ways that range from the negotiation of resource use, to the praise received when the bracelet is complete.

Top 5 Children’s Quotes of the week

"This book is a bit hard to read, its complicated" – Maya
"At home mummy's a dinosaur" – Isla T
“My mum is proud of me” – Sriya
"I'm making an all pink rainbow" – Sanjna
“My dad is getting old and losing his hair” – Zayd

Quote of the Week:

'Parent's are teachers, guides, leaders, protectors and providers for their children.'

- Iyanla Vanzant (American Lawyer and Author)

Thank you for taking a glimpse into our Fareacres Learning Community

Until next time...