Weekly Experiences
The younger children at Gants Hill have been loving the nice weather we are having by exploring the garden. 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 Play GH
The children in Rainbowfish room, South Woodford have been busy this week being artists and have created masterpieces using herbal teabags. The children placed the teabags in cold water and used them to make marks on the paper. The use of teabags adds a more sensory experience as the children were able to feel the wet teabag in their hands and also smell the fruity odour as the teabags became immersed in water. This activity also helps the children to develop their fine motor skills, in particular the muscles in the fingers, which will later help the children with writing and drawing.
Herbal teabag painting SW
The children at Gants Hill the children have been on a bug hunt to extend their learning of the environment and the habitats of different animals. The children used different resources such as magnify glasses and binoculars to search high and low in the garden for the bugs. This offered many opportunities to meet more than just one area of the EYFS.
Bug Hunt GH
The children in Stingrays room South Woodford have also been using their artistic skills to create pictures using decorated pasta. The children used paint and glitter to decorate the pasta, a skill in which requires a focus on a small area, thus helping to develop hand – eye coordination. The children then decorated paper to create their own pictures, making independent choices as to where they would place the pasta, and how much they would use.
The children made the following comments:
"A little bit more" - Rafe
"More glue" - Aiyza
"I do it on the table yeah" - Francis
"A little bit more" – Francis
Pasta Pictures SW
The children at Gants Hill the children have been playing with the magnetic bricks. As the children attached and removed the magnetic bricks 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.
Magnetic bricks GH
The children in Sharks room South Woodford have been exploring colour and how colours mix, by using cooked spaghetti, which has had food colouring added to it. The children used their hands to mix the spaghetti and this resulted in the colours mixing. The children were able to witness this change first hand as they had caused it. This is a great activity to help children develop within the Expressive arts and design area of learning within the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
The children commented:
"Look red pasta" - Julia
"Ana look" - Rodrigo
"I like the red spaghetti and my daddy's like the blue spaghetti" - Isobel
"Mix the spaghetti" – Amanda
Mixing colours SW
The children at Gants Hill the children have been working on their self-help skills and been practicing putting on their own coats. Learning to get dressed can be a difficult task for many children. This activity helped to build independence in the children and in many cases, it has reduced the frustration of having to wait for the adult to help. The children’s self esteem at the end of the activity was higher.
Self help skills GH
The children in Starfish room South Woodford have been taking part in daily children’s mindful time. They have been using these sessions to help them to create a calming environment and to help the children’s well-being remain at a good level in order for them to be productive during the day. We all need time when we can just relax and gather our thoughts, and children are no different. This part of the routine also doubles up as an exercise to get the children ready for school, as they take of their shoes which is what happens when preparing for PE in school.
The children commented:
"I do yoga at home" - Leonard
"Cat cow is good" - Mae
"Its good exercise" - Sam S.
"Let's do the Bee noise" – Laith
Mindfulness SW
Activity of the week:
The winner of activity of the week is Shoma (SW). Shoma has planned an activity to help a child achieve a PSE:MF&B next step. Shoma has used the recent yoga training which was attended by all staff, to assist her planning for a child to know and manage their feelings. A box will be created with a mirror inside and also some pictures of faces with different emotions. The children must take turns to look into the mirror and say the emotion they are feeling and use the pictures. It is great practice to implement elements of training attended in order to help the learning and development of children. The extension asks the children to explain how they can deal with their feelings.
Top 5 Children’s Quotes of the week:
- "I'm going to go to big school" – Mahd
- "I love the posh Afternoon Tea I went too" - Mae
- "Me and mummy are going to go swimming pool" – Maya
- "I watch football at home with daddy" - Isabella
- "Daddy at work, Not here." - Aariyan
Quote of the Week:
‘“The best education does not happen at a desk, but rather engaged in everyday living – hands on, exploring, in active relationship with life’
Vince Gowmon (Author)
Thank you to all who contributed to the Easter collection.
Thank you for taking a glimpse into our Fareacres Learning Community
Until next time...
