This week in Nursery has been full of energy, excitement and wonderful learning. With the sun shining brightly, the children have brought an extra sparkle to their play and exploration. We have made the most of the beautiful weather by spending lots of time outdoors, where there have been plenty of opportunities to move, climb, ride and explore.
The children are already very familiar with the big playground and always enjoy using the large equipment. This week, we made a particular effort to use this space to help channel some of our extra energy in a positive way, while continuing to develop important physical skills. It has been fantastic to see the children climbing, balancing and exploring with growing confidence. Back in our own playground, the bikes have been a huge favourite. It has been lovely to see the children making their own choices, whether that is riding trikes, trying out balance bikes, or bravely having a go on the pedal bikes. Each child is developing at their own pace, and we are so proud of their determination and growing confidence.
All of this active play is not just fun, it plays a very important role in the children’s development. Gross motor skills, which involve the large muscles in the arms, legs and body, are essential foundations for many other areas of learning. When children climb, pedal, balance and steer, they are strengthening their core muscles, improving coordination and developing control over their movements. These skills are vital when it comes to writing. Before a child can hold a pencil with control, they need strong shoulders, arms and core stability. These larger movements support the smaller, more precise movements needed for handwriting.
Alongside our outdoor adventures, we have been very focused and diligent in practising our writing skills. The children have been working hard on recognising and forming the letters in their names, as well as the phonic sounds that they have learned so far. We have now learned the sounds s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d, g and o, and it has been wonderful to see the children becoming more confident in attempting to form these letters. We are also beginning to spot these sounds in our environment, which is a fantastic step in early reading and writing development. We have been encouraging correct pencil grip and giving lots of opportunities to practise mark making in fun and engaging ways.
One of our favourite activities this week has been making marks to the tempo and pitch of classical music. The children explored how their movements could change depending on what they heard. Some created slow, gentle lines to calm music, while others made fast, energetic marks to lively pieces. This activity not only supports early writing skills, but also encourages creativity, listening and expression.
In literacy, we have been listening to both fiction and non fiction books about people who help us. The children have had a great time exploring different occupations, including doctors, teachers, bakers and builders. There has been lots of imaginative play, and one of the highlights was dressing up and pretending to be fishermen on their boats, catching the fish that we enjoy for our lunch on Fridays. It has been a wonderful way to bring stories to life and deepen the children’s understanding of the world around them.
It has been a joyful and busy week, and it is wonderful to see the children growing in confidence, strength and independence.
How you can help at home:
Encourage your child to climb, balance, run and ride bikes or scooters. Even simple activities such as walking along a low wall or playing in the park help to build the strength needed for writing.
Play different types of music at home and invite your child to draw or paint what they hear. Talk about whether the music is fast, slow, loud or quiet, and how that changes
Practise recognising the sounds s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d, g and o in everyday life. You could look for them on signs, in books or on packaging. Encourage your child to have a go at writing these letters and the letters in their name using fun methods such as chalk, paint or forming them with toys.
We hope you have a lovely sunny weekend ☀️
Lots of love,
The Nursery Team xx