Weekly Experiences
In Gants Hill this week the children have been playing with playdough. Playdough is very good to aid children’s physical development. While poking, rolling, and squishing the playdough, children develop the small muscles in their fingers and hands. They gain strength and improve dexterity in their hands and fingers, critical areas of physical development for writing, drawing, and other purposes.
If you would like to make playdough:
You will need
- 8 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp table salt
- 60ml warm water
- food colouring
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
1. Mix the flour and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the water, a few drops of food colouring and the oil.
2. Pour the coloured water into the flour mix and bring together with a spoon.
3. Dust a work surface with a little flour and turn out the dough. Knead together for a few minutes to form a smooth, pliable dough. If you want a more intense colour you can work in a few extra drops of food colouring.
4. Store in a plastic sandwich bag (squeeze out the air) in the fridge to keep it fresh. You can make a batch of colours and give away as kids’ party bag favours or hold a playdough party for your child’s next birthday.
Playdough GH
Playdough GH
The children in Rainbowfish room, South Woodford have been using cars to make marks in oats. The children have been developing their fine motor skills by manipulating the cars and being able to observe the effect this has on the oats. Using a variety of sensory methods to let children experience mark making helps them to develop their understanding of how their movements create a mark. This skill helps to develop writing in later years.
In Gants Hill the children have been embracing the animal theme and have created their own animal collage. They have used a variety of materials to achieve the desired effect. The children were shown how to scrunch tissue paper into a ball and stick onto the template of different animals. At first sight this looks like a lovely craft activity, but the learning opportunities are plentiful and range from ‘Personal, Social and Emotional’ to ‘Physical’ development.
Collage GH
The children in Stingrays room South Woodford have been using their fingers to make dots on paper. They have also introduced simple mathematics by introducing the counting of the dots up to 5. The introduction of mathematical language is a step towards the children developing their skills in this area of learning, and it is being done in a fun and exploratory activity. The children commented:
"Paint" - Rodrigo
"Yellow paint" - Rafe
"Picture" - Lucas
Fingerprints SW
In Gants Hill the children have been exploring the outdoor environment. The weather this time of year is cold, but the children have been well wrapped up and have made the most of all available resources. The benefits of outdoor play span across the entire Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. It ranges from physical development to personal, social and emotional development. At Fareacres we believe that children of all ages should have access to the learning opportunities in the outdoors and that they should experience this daily.
Garden Time GH
The children in Sharks room South Woodford have been creating small world zoos using the animals. They have extended this experience by adding construction resources to create enclosures and pens for the animals in their zoo. The use of small world resources offers a variety of learning opportunities for the children. They are able to use their communication to express themselves and their personal, social and emotional skills to negotiate and engage with their peers. The children commented:
"Monkey lives in a farm" - Isobel
"I like the horse" - Veeraj
"Everybody needs to make it, where does the door go?" - Ariya
"Monkey eats bananas" - Clara
"Crocodile eat grass ad and donkeys live on the farm" - Edward
"Monkey lives in a zoo and so does hippo" - Zach
"Hippo has a silly belly, hippo lives in water and eats grass they play hide and seek with mummy" - Xavi
Making a Zoo SW
Making a Zoo SW
In Gants Hill the older children have been creating picture using hand prints. Hand-print crafts are some of our favourite activities because you enjoy the fun of the craft and create a snapshot in time of your children too - look back over your child's previous artwork and be amazed at how quickly they have grown! This activity is a sensory experience where children can paint their hands and feel the paint between their fingers.
Hand-print GH
The children in Starfish room South Woodford have been baking gingerbread men. They have talked about the ingredients used and the measurements needed to create the mixture. The children have enjoyed seeing their baking go from the initial stages to the finish result. Cooking activities are a great way to develop children’s mathematical development and also their ability to follow directions. The children commented:
"I love gingerbread men" - Armaan
"It’s a gingerbread circle" - Eitan
"It smells sugary" - Noah
"Wow" - Micale
"It smells yummy" - Isabella
"I want to make gingerbread men at home" - Saanvi
Gingerbread Men SW
Gingerbread Men SW
Top 5 Children’s Quotes of the week:
- "Baby have milk." - Wren
- “You sure look handsome” - Cayden
- "I'm jumping" - Eshun
- "Mummy has toaster at home" – Vidhula
- "You squeeze it like this and milk comes out in the bucket.” - Aaron
Activity of the week:
The winner of activity of the week is Meera (SW). Meera has planned a lovely activity to celebrate the Hindu festival Uttaragan. The festival is celebrated by flying kites in the sky, and Meera will provide the materials for children to make pretend kites. The kites will be decorated using simple patterns designed by the children. This activity is to help a child achieve a mathematics: space, shape and measure next step. The extension asks the children to talk about and recognise the patterns.
Quote of the Week:
‘Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning’
Fred Rogers (American television personality)
Thank you for taking a glimpse into our Fareacres Learning Community
Until next time...
