We have had such a happy and engaging week in nursery as we continued our topic all about animals. The children have been full of curiosity and enthusiasm, and it has been a real joy to watch their learning develop.
We shared many lovely animal stories this week and especially enjoyed Polar Bear, Polar Bear What Can You Hear? and Brown Bear, Brown Bear What Can You See? by Eric Carle. These stories sparked lots of excitement and discussion. We talked together about the different settings in each story and learned that the place an animal lives is called its habitat. The children were very keen to compare habitats and enjoyed matching animals to warm places, watery environments and very cold, icy areas. There were many thoughtful conversations as the children explained their ideas and listened carefully to their friends.
Inspired by these stories, the children enthusiastically decided that they could become authors themselves. They created their own books based on the pattern of the stories, carefully choosing which animals they wanted to include and thinking about what their animals could hear and see. Some very adventurous authors even designed their own front covers and proudly wrote their names on the front, just like authors do. The children showed fantastic creativity as well as confidence when they shared their stories with others.
In phonics this week, we focused on recognising and writing the letter p. We practised the letter formation using the rhyme down his body, around his face. The children worked brilliantly together to think of words that begin with the p sound and were extremely proud when we reached a list of twenty words. Their teamwork and enthusiasm were wonderful to see.
Our learning about animals and habitats led us to explore the work of artist Andy Goldsworthy. We learned how he uses natural materials such as stones, ice, leaves and twigs to create beautiful sculptures that only last for a moment in time. We talked about how much patience and care is needed to balance the materials. Inspired by his work, the children created their own nature sculptures in class, taking their time and showing great concentration. The finished pieces were creative, thoughtful and truly impressive.
It has been a busy and joyful week filled with storytelling, imagination and creativity. We are very proud of the children and the wonderful learning they continue to share with us each day.
How you can help at home:
Read lots of animal stories together and talk about the habitats the animals live in, is it a big habitat like the jungle or is it a small one like a tree stump?
Practice writing the letter p with a range of tools like a paintbrush, their fingers, or playdough while saying the rhyme to support correct formation.
Go on a short walk to collect natural materials and creating a simple piece of nature inspired art together.
We hope you have a lovely, relaxing weekend – with at least a little glimpse of sunshine!
Lots of love,
The Nursery Team xxx