Mud Kitchen
At Fareacres, mud kitchens are an important part of our outdoor environment. The children have the opportunity to explore the resources that are familiar to them from their own homes. Getting hands-on and muddy is a great way to encourage today’s digital children to disconnect from their electronics and connect with nature.
By touching mud, feeling it slip through their fingers when wet, or crumble when dry, moulding shapes, and so on, children are developing their sensory skills. Sensory play is crucial for brain development, for building nerve connections which is an important role in all kinds of learning. This development also improves a child’s ability to complete more complex tasks.
Please consider donating any utensils or cookware if you ever have a clear out. The mud kitchen is a busy space and the more pots and pans we have, the more mud pies can be made!
Mud Kitchen GH
Mud Kitchen GH
Mud Kitchen SW
Mud Kitchen SW
For further reading please follow the link below:
https://qanurserymagazine.co.uk/content/why-mud-kitchens-benefit-nursery-schools
Weekly Experiences
Fareacres Gants Hill has been undergoing a restoration project in our bug hotel. The children have been fully involved and have helped to collect different resources to ensure all bugs are able to benefit from our 5* hotel during the winter season. The bug hotel offers a unique opportunity for the children to engage with the natural world and all of the creatures that co-habit it. The children learn to show care and concern for living things and the environment and develop the ability to question and talk about aspects of the things they have observed.
Bug Hotel GH
Fareacres South Woodford have been developing their fairy garden in the outdoor environment. This creative idea came from the children in Starfish. The highlight of the project was when the fairies finally arrived. The play has not been the domain of the girls alone as the boys are equally interested and fascinated with the fairy garden. The fairy garden is conjoined with the bug hotel, which offers more chances to extend play. The fairy garden provides opportunities for learning through communication, imagination and understanding of the natural world.
Fairy Cottage SW
At Fareacres, playdough is a resource used for all children regardless of age. This week Mani created ‘Mash potato play dough’. This is a fun, sensory experience, created by combining two ingredients together resulting with a nice edible play dough that’s safe enough for all to enjoy.
Ingredients:
- 5-6 boiled potatoes (depending on how much play dough you would like)
- Flour (you’ll need 3/4 cup of flour for every 1 cup of mashed potatoes)
How to Make the Play Dough:
- Boil 5-6 potatoes using your preferred method. We wash the potatoes, Peel the skins off of the potatoes and place in boiling water for 10-15mins
- Allow potatoes to cool.
- Mash the potatoes. (Here’s a great place for the children to help.)
- Add flour to your potatoes. You’ll need about 3/4 cup of flour for every 1 cup of mash potatoes. We used 6 small to medium sized potatoes. This gave us about 2 cups of mashed potatoes, so we used 1.5 cups of flour. Add the flour gradually kneading the dough as you go. The more you knead the dough, the more play dough like it will become. It feels similar to a bread dough. To make it less sticky, add more flour.
In Stingrays Room, Meera did raised salt painting with the children to explore textures and different materials whilst mark making. This was an excellent adult led activity for her room to complete and all children enjoyed this experience. For this activity we used:
- table salt
- white glue
- liquid paints
- paper
- paintbrushes
- A tray
The children using the glue made their marks and sprinkled salt over the glue before it dried. Children then dipped the paintbrush in the liquid paint and gently covered the salt in their chosen colours to create their masterpieces.
Next Steps
At Fareacres we work hard to ensure that each child’s learning and development is individual to their needs. Each child learns at their own pace and through rigorous implementation of our key person system, this pace is fully respected. Key people form secure attachments with their key children and this provides the basis for the ability of key people to have a deep understanding of how the children learn, their interests and their preferences. Key people observe the children, and from these observations they identify where the child can be extended. We call this extension for learning, their ‘Next step’. Each child has a next step set every 4-6 weeks. These next steps should be sent home to provide consistency between home and nursery. We also ask for parents to let us know what their child’s particular interests are at home, at that point, which allows key people to plan exciting and inspirational activities to ensure children achieve their next step.
Please always check with your child’s key person if you are unsure of their current next step, and they will be happy to discuss it with you.
Top 5 Children’s Quotes of the week
- “The inky babies are not well” – Hannah
- “I went to the shop and saw a mozzarella face” - Libby
- “My daddy is rubbish at doing my hair” – Maliha
- “My mum has still lost my scooter, my dad put my bike down the side and left it there and now I think that will be lost” – James
- “I cried when Susan left Strictly she was my favourite” – Rosie
Activity of the week
Activity of the week was won by Saima Ali – Saima has planned a lovely garden activity called 'Where's the gold leaf?' A gold leaf will be hidden in the garden and the children will be invited to go and find it. This activity will be explained using age appropriate language, and this offers the children the opportunity to display their ability to follow the boundaries set. The activity will engage the children and will motivate their full participation.
Quote of the Week:
“If you don’t experience it, you don’t know what it is” – Benjamin Franklin
Thank you for taking a glimpse into our Fareacres Learning Community
Until next time...
