This week...

It’s hard to believe we have already reached half term, time has just flown by. The children have had a very busy half term and we are now in need of a rest, we have seen them start to flag towards the end of the week.

It has been extremely cold this week but we have not been put off from going outside. We have wrapped up warm and embraced the chill factor. Have a look at the photos to see our outside learning!

We also carried on with our shape learning by finding ice shapes!! I must say we found some odd looking shapes too!

We have continued learning about number five and have drawn and decorated some ‘high five’ pictures. Clare also made a math’s game, it was great fun! I think we will be able to move on after the holidays…I can’t wait! Here are our high five photos. Click here for a math’s counting game and see if you can get your gold star from Miss Grizzlesniff.

On Wednesday we had a building afternoon. We made a long long road for the cars and then built bridges and tunnels. It was a team effort, the road even went underneath the table, it was sooooo long!

Also on Wednesday we made our own percussion orchestra and Colette played the guitar. We sang and played all our favourite songs and learnt a new one called ‘We’re going to the zoo’. You can watch it here.

During our P.E. session the children have been finding their calm by doing yoga. Why don’t you try at home Click here to ‘squish the fish’!

On Friday we all listened to a poem called Tiger tiger burning bright. It wasn’t very long but it did have some new words for us to think about. Click here to listen.

Here are the photos of all the other learning we have been doing this week. It’s no wonder we are all tired!

Finally, if you have any free time over the half term holiday click here for interactive games to play. Oh, and there is always Purple Mash, keep an eye out for ‘to do’s’!

I hope you all have a lovely week and that the weather is kind to us all. Remember to keep yourselves safe and well and we will see you all on the 22nd.

Barbara

This week...

Yet another week crammed full of fun and learning. We kick started the week with the song and story ‘Walking through the Jungle’, as the children are not quite ready to leave learning about wild animals yet. A group of friends then designed and made all the animals mentioned in the song. I have used their display at the start of this blog, isn’t it fabulous? If you want to learn the song at home click here.

We also enjoyed doing the ‘Animal Boogie’, click here to join in! You may need a rest afterwards.

We have started to learn about animals on the farm, although they are not quite as exciting as lions, tigers etc. Everyone decided that we could find out about both categories!

The children have been learning adult and baby names. Watch out for the home learning challenge that will be coming home this week. Good luck.

Click here for Animals and their babies, Part 1

Click here for Animals and their Babies, Part 2

I’ve also set some Purple Mash activities to do at home. There is a farm pairs game to play with a family member, try and get your sister or brother to play. Next, I have set a Mash Cam picture of a farmer to create, let me know what is happening down on your farm! Mummy or daddy you will have to help with the typing. I can’t wait to see them. Also, if you enter the Mini Mash indoor play room I have pinned some topics to explore. You choose which ones you would like to play. Have fun!

A big thank you and well done to everyone who has completed last weeks challenge.

In our exploration of number five we have got a challenge for the children at home.

In the picture below can the children count:

How many animals are in the grassy green?

How many animals are in the flower meadow?

How many animals in the whole picture?

I think the children will amaze you at their number skills. You ask the questions and then let the children count. I bet some will be able to count the animals in their heads! Wow!

I think the children will amaze you at their number skills. You ask the questions and then let the children count. I bet some will be able to count the animals in their heads! Wow!

We found some plumbing tubes in the outside store cupboard and the children put them in the sand. Everyone was very inventive and made some kind of machine, ranging from a magnet, binoculars, a fire machine full of hot lava, ouch! Look at the photos below.

It reminds me of a story. The Most Magnificent Thing, click here to listen to it! It’s one of my favourites. Maybe you could make a ‘magnificent thing’ at home this weekend. Send me a photo I would love to see it!

As if we haven’t already done enough this week we have been practicing our letter sounds, playing a memory game and animal pairs. You could try and make the memory game at home. All you will need are some small toys (we used farm animals), a tray and a tea towel. Memorise the things on the tray and then ask a grown up to remove one. Can you say which item is missing?

On Tuesday we found lots of keys; large keys and fairy keys. We thought the fairy keys were for the fairy doors in nursery, but we couldn’t find the right key to unlock the door! So we decided to sort them in to keys that were the same. There were so many of them it took ages!

Here are a collection of all the other activities we have doing at nursery. As you can see learning never stops at nursery!

I am sure you will understand why the children (and staff) are tired when they get home, we are so very busy the whole day long.

Finally, it remains for me to wish everyone a restful weekend, enjoying each others company. Fingers crossed for some sunshine like today so we can go out for a socially distanced walk with our family. Keep safe and I will see you all bright eyed and bushy tailed on Monday.

Barbara

This week....

Firstly, a huge well done to everyone who completed the Purple Mash challenge this week. I loved seeing your mixed up animals; it gave me an idea! This week I have set you another painting challenge’ I would like you to listen to the story here and then create your own ‘Call me Gorgeous’ animal. Think about what kind of animal it could be, what it eats and where it lives. You can record your answers (maybe mummy, daddy or older bother or sister could help you). I can’t wait to hear from you all.

This week we have continued finding out about wild animals. The children found it confusing that they could go to the zoo to see wild animals and that they didn’t all live in their natural habitats. That led us to discuss conservation and endangered animals.

We have continued our exploration of number four by making an ice cream maths game. It’s really easy to make. Maybe you could make one at home home, watch out for the game to make in your book bags.

The children have spent a great deal of the week going on shape hunts. Shapes are everywhere click here to listen to the shape song and then you can go on a shape hunt at home too! Well done to anyone who finds a dodecagon! Click here for a shape sorting game.

If you enjoyed the Letters and Sounds animal noise game click here for another game. Ask mummy or daddy to click on a sound without looking at the picture, can you guess what it is? If you want to play a mystery sounds listening game click here.

We have been practicing our letter sounds and we are getting very good at recognising and saying the sounds correctly. Click here to listen to ‘here it and say’ it monster songs. Click on any of the sounds to listen to a phonic song. Happy listening!

We have found some great stories with animals in them but I think our favourite this week has been ‘The Runaway Chapati’. I promised the children that I would put it on our webpage so that you can enjoy reading it at home. In fact I bet the children could tell the story on their own!

We also read ‘Dear Zoo’, lots and lots!

Once again it has been VERY busy at nursery. We are learning so much! Try and have good rest this weekend because we have lots more exciting activities to grow our brains next week. We will be exploring farm and woodland animals. We have already started having a sneaky look at baby animal names. Watch out for more over the next couple of weeks.

Here are a few photos of everything else we’ve been up to this week! Enjoy.

I’m not sure what the weather forecast is for the weekend but I do hope you manage to get some fresh air, if only in the garden. After such a soggy week I’m sure we should be due some dry, sunny days. Whatever you decide to do, enjoy each others company and stay safe. We will see you all on Monday.

Barbara









This week....

Firstly, I would like to thank all of you who have emailed me with kind words, understanding and concern for our nursery community. I am hopeful that if we have no other reported cases we will be safe to reopen on Tuesday. I would however like to reiterate that if anyone develops symptoms of Covid that they book a test straight away and inform me as soon as possible. A positive case could push back our opening.

In the meanwhile, I have lots of activities that you can be doing at home! We are continuing with our exploration of animals and have moved on to ‘wild animals’, although the children are reluctant to let go of our ice experiments. This week we had to make more ice globes and we even made snow. Check out the photos below!

To kick start our new learning we watched a video all about animal sounds. Click here to watch at home. The children were very good at recognising the sounds, but were caught out with a few!

Click here to play a Letters and Sounds animal noises game.

We then all chose our favourite animal for us to discuss. We found out if they were herbivores, carnivores or omnivores; we loved those words. We even remembered that dinosaurs could also be herbivores, carnivores or omnivores. That meant we had to make a dinosaur world as well as a safari/rainforest for the wild animals. We had lots to do!

Later in the day we all danced the Animal Bop! Have a go at home, it’s really good exercise!! Click here.

If you click on the button below you will find more information about physical movement whilst at home.

Still eager to find out more about animals we set up our Noah’s Ark and read the story. We put all the animals in pairs to enter the ark. Click here to listen to Noah’s story.

We noticed that some animals have different patterns on their fur and some animals had no fur at all; some had scales, feathers or hard, hard skin. We decided to paint animal patterns and to make animal pictures. by cutting out shapes using animal print tissue and googly eyes. They look fab! We are going to make a display of them all.

We also looked at the ‘big cats’ and their fur patterns. We used a programme on Purple Mash to create a picture. I have set it ‘to do’ at home, so you may be receiving notification (if I have done it correctly!)

It’s hard to believe what we have achieved in only four days. Why not test your child’s knowledge with the following quizzes.

Click here for the ‘guess the wild animal’ with David Attenborough and as we have been reading lots of books with animals in them why not complete this ‘animals in books quiz’; click here.

We are continuing with our exploration of number 4 (and1, 2 and 3), so click here for ‘make and play’ number blocks. It would be great of you could concentrate on the numbers 1-4.

A big thank you to everyone who has completed their home learning challenge that was sent home this week. The pictures and videos of you cutting and them playing your matching pairs game were fabulous. Remember to keep practicing your cutting skills and to watch our for next weeks challenge!

If you want to continue finding out about animals click here. There are facts to explore, games to play and even more quizzes to do. Who knows what we can learn about! Find out lots for next week!! You could send me me some pictures, I love to see you learning!

Finally, I would just like to say, keep safe and well. I know it’s hard not being able to go out, but hopefully it will only be a few days and now you have lots to do!! If you want to access learning from previous weeks you can do so by clicking on ‘in Nursery’ at the bottom of each blog. This will open all earlier postings.

Please can you keep an eye on your emails and text messages just in case I need to contact you. If you need to contact me my laptop is on!

I look forward to seeing everyone on Tuesday.

Barbara

This week....

Another week full of ‘finding out! We have continued with our learning thread about polar regions and the animals which have made such conditions their home. This has led us to explore new themes such hibernation, camouflage and nocturnal animals. Wow, have we been busy!

Click here to watch a fabulous video about camouflage, the children loved it. They have even learnt some of the animal names.

We have continued to find out about liquids and solids. We even made some ice globes and recreated the Arctic and Antarctic using ice cubes. We compared our winter months to the weather at the ‘poles’ and decided it was cold but not that cold! Next week we hope to make snow!!! We can’t wait!

We read the story Winnie in Winter. Click here to listen.

The children have enjoyed ‘number 4’ activities, it seems to be a favourite, mmmm I’m not sure why? We have counted ice cubes, collected objects to four and had a peek in our number 4 bag. There’s so much to learn.

I have put some photos together to show everything we have been doing at nursery.

Later in the week the children made bird feeders, we thought the birds would get hungry during the winter! We used bird seed and fat.

You may want to take part in the RSPB Garden watch. Click here to get involved and to find out more!

I’m sure you will agree we have been very busy! Over the coming two weeks we will be exploring wild animals and their habitats. Watch this space!

Whilst I have your attention, can I remind everyone to wear masks when dropping off and collecting your children. We really do want everyone to remain safe and well.

Also, can you make sure that your send your child to nursery in warm clothing. As nursery windows and garden door is left open for ventilation, it can get chilly. I would suggest layered clothing (vest, t-shirt, jumper/hoodies/ fleece), then if it gets too hot the children can remove and item of clothing (please make sure that all items are clearly named).

I would like to finish on a happy note. As you are aware Sarah has not been at nursery for a few weeks and we are all missing her a lot, but I am very pleased to tell you that she is fine and well and expecting a baby in the spring. Everyone is thrilled, but at the moment it means she is unable to come to nursery. I would also like to share the news that Paige has joined the nursery team whilst Sarah is off. She will be taking over Sarah’s key person group alongside Barbara. Please introduce yourself and ‘hello’ when you meet at the gate.

Finally, have a lovely weekend. Enjoy and treasure these (enforced) quiet times together and make some fabulous memories that will last a lifetime.

Barbara


This week....

This week has been a very busy week! After an uncertain start we have managed to learn many new things.

During the week we have been exploring the polar regions. We have learnt that the top of the world is called the Arctic and the bottom of the world is called the Antarctic. Together we found out the animals that live in each polar habitat. Ask your child all about what they have learned.

Click here to watch a quick video about what a polar habitat is. There’s even a quick quiz to do at the end, so pay attention!!

Also, click here to watch Andy’s Polar Party Rap. We really enjoyed this!

The children have been conducting freezing and melting experiments. We have discussed the changes which occur and introduced words like solid and liquid. Perhaps you could have a go at a freezing and melting experiments at home. Let us know what you do?

The children have been reading One Snowy Night by Nick Butterworth. If you click here you can listen at home, maybe your child could draw a picture of their favourite animal in the story and bring it into nursery next week.

I have attached our group learning plans for the next two weeks so you can support your child’s learning at home. Click on the button below.

We have also introduced number 4 this week. Meet four by clicking here. Number 4 is one more than 3. He is the new kid on the block and can’t wait to share how much he loves to be square.

We have been:

counting to 4

looking at the structure of 4 as a square number

recognising 4 items without counting

Click here for more Numberblocks activities. Enjoy!

Goodness, haven’t we been busy. If you have any time left you could play this memory game at the National Geographic website. Click here.

I know this weekend will be a quiet one but please do enjoy being together. Let me know how you get on with the activities. If you want you could send me some photos!

Stay safe and I will see you all on Monday.

Barbara

Updated Nursery Guidance during the Covid pandemic

Welcome back after what was an extremely quiet Christmas.

In line with current Government guidelines it has been necessary to make some small modifications to the nursery guidelines for keeping safe during the imposed restrictions.

I feel certain that you will support us in keeping nursery a safe space for the children and the staff and adhere to the new lockdown guidance. Click here to read the National Lockdown: Stay at Home guidance.

If you click on the buttons below you will find nursery’s updated guidelines.

Sing and Shout for Joy Nativity

I know everyone has been waiting for today and to be able to watch our Nativity. The children have worked extremely hard and taken their roles very seriously. I hope that sharing our Nativity will bring the true meaning of Christmas in to your homes.

Please sit back and let the Christmas spirit enter your hearts.

I am sure that you would like to join me in thanking Clare, who wrote this wonderful production and Colette, who filmed each scene. Also, our thanks must go to Mrs. Gregan who edited each image, song and video so beautifully.

Finally, on behalf of the whole nursery team we would like to say a huge ‘ thank you’ to you all for your wonderful support this term.

Have a happy and Holy Christmas and we will see you in January.

Barbara

Christmas hat day!

Such a fabulous day!

We wore our Christmas hats and jumpers. We had great fun all week! May I thank you for your donations, they will be going to a very worthy charity; Brian House Children’s Hospice. Thank you.

I have put some photos of us all enjoying the festive fun.

Don’t forget next Wednesday I will be posting our Nativity video and on Thursday we we be having our nursery Christmas party from 9.30-11.30 am. Let’s get ready to party, dust off those dancing shoes!

Have a lovely weekend. Try and have a rest before an extremely busy week next week!!

Barbara


This week...

A big thank you to you all, we have received permission from everyone to post our Nativity on our webpage next week. This week we have been filming all the scenes both inside and in the garden as well as singing like angels around the Christmas tree! Next week, we are hoping Mrs. Gregan will help us to edit it.

I must tell you that the children have worked extremely hard by learning all their lines and songs; not to mention their acting skills. We are expecting a BAFTA at the very least. By using drama to depict the Christmas Nativity has given the children a practical understanding of the true meaning of Christmas. It is beautiful to observe the Christmas message permeate the whole of the nursery during our play and learning.

May I remind the children who are in on Friday the 11th; it will be Christmas hat day and we are asking for a £1 donation towards our collection for Brian House Children’s Hospice. Please don’t worry if Friday is not your child’s day, they can still get involved and donate £!, just wear a Christmas hat on another day.

The children have been telling us that they have been using the Purple Mash website at home. I am so please that you finding it a useful learning tool. Remember that you can save work into the trays in the Mini Mash playroom and we will be able to access your child’s learning here at nursery. We can’t wait to see what you are learning about at home.

Next week we will be focusing on shape. If you click on the button below there are some activities for you do do at home! There are lots more activities on Purple Mash, why not explore!

Finally, have a lovely weekend and wrap up warm I believe it’s going to be rather chilly!!

Barbara



It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

An exciting week preparing for the start of Advent. Rehearsals and filming are well underway for our Virtual Nativity. The children are loving saying and acting their scenes and as for the singing I have just one word…FABULOUS. All the nursery team are so proud of how each child has risen to their individual challenge. I am certain you will be equally as proud when you get to watch it.

I must remind everyone that I am still missing just a few consent forms (I sent these home last week). Sadly If I do not have everyone’s consent I will be unable to post the Nativity video. Please could you check that you have retuned the full completed form and returned it to nursery. Please note you will have to sign and delete as appropriate each consent box as the Nativity will include both images and video footage.

We have also spotted one of Father Christmas’s elves at nursery. He keeps hiding in very odd places! The children are enjoying finding him as their first job when they arrive at nursery.

On Friday everyone noticed that our Christmas tree had been put up during the night; we all think it was the elf.

Next week we will be designing our Christmas cards and maybe a few more surprises!

Finally

Within school and nursery we remain grateful that our current situation is one in which all of our classes have stayed open. We know that in working with you and together meticulously following the guidance in and out of school, we are all keeping each other safe. I know that this can feel confining at times and it would so easy to relax and forget why we are following all these procedures, but we must stay alert and keep following those safety guidelines. We so want everyone to ‘stay safe and stay well’.

As we head towards the end of term I know so many of you will want to thank staff, as you always do and we are so blessed to have such caring and appreciative parents. As we always say, your support is felt through your actions and encouraging words. Your biggest gift - the best one you could ever give to us -is entrusting your child into our care. Over the years, even though we always try and tell you how much a kind letter or words of thanks mean to us, some of you still like to bring in small personal gifts; these we never expect though of course we appreciate your thoughtfulness.

This year of course is so different to any we have ever known and in the current situation we really are unable to accept items brought in, so we have to ask you please would you be kind enough to not send gifts into school, we would be so distressed to appear ungrateful. We are so strictly following the guidelines which we’re applying to children and staff and we can’t break our own rules at this point. However, those of you who are determined to say thank you, please contribute to your child’s class charity, or to the Food Banks - these are such all such worthy causes and they are finding survival extremely challenging. Thank you for your understanding.    

Have a lovely weekend.

Barbara

Foundation Stage Christmas Hat Day and Danceathon

Owing to the current restrictions, r our Christmas celebrations and charity donations at nursery will have to be different this year. We have all been thinking really hard and discussing what we could do to help our chosen charity; Brian House Children’s Hospice.

Brian House the children’s unit specializes in respite, palliative, end of life care and bereavement support for children, young people and their families. Brian House, working as part of the multi-disciplinary team, provides care and a ‘home from home’ environment for children and young adults from within the Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre areas who have life threatening and/or life limiting conditions and meet the criteria for care.

Everyone has decided that on Tuesday 15th December KS1 and Foundation will be having a class ‘danceathon’. We are asking that all the children present that day to bring a £1 donation.

On Friday 11th December it will be Christmas hat day and once more we are asking for a £1 donation. All monies collected will be given to Brain House Hospice.

As in previous years we ask that you do not send Christmas cards into nursery but instead make the above donations to such a worthy cause.

With regards to our virtual Nativity (to be posted on our webpage on Wednesday 16th December); I have this week sent home an image consent form. It is important that you complete it and return to nursery as soon as possible. If I do not receive your permission I will be unable to post the video on our webpage.

Finally, our Christmas party will be held in our nursery bubble this year on Thursday 17th December 9.30 am -11.30 am.

I hope everyone manages to have a restful weekend, but just in case you have time on your hands click on the button below for a nature activity sheet.


See you on Monday!

Barbara




When Goldilocks came to nursery!

Over the past two weeks we have been reading the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The children have been retelling the story using puppets, drawing pictures and acting out. It’s been great fun!

We have also been focusing on the number three and trying to think of any other stories or rhymes we might know with the number three in it. We did think of quite a few books to explore as well as some stories we made up too!

On Wednesday we found out that Goldilocks had visited nursery whilst we were all at home and played with all our toys. She even broke one of our chairs!!

Click on the slide show below to see the pictures of all the things Goldilocks got up to and ask your child to tell you a story all about them!

Watch this space because next week we will be reading the Three Billy Goats Gruff!!! I hope the troll doesn’t pay us a visit!

Have a lovely weekend. Plenty of time for telling stories!

Barbara


Safety Guidelines

Dear Parents,

As you will be aware the whole of the country continues to live through difficult times. Within school and Nursery we have had to implement rigorous risk assessment procedures in an attempt to create the safest possible environment for both children and staff. It is with this in mind that I ask you all to reacquaint yourselves the safety guidelines below.

This is such a strange time for us all and as we return to nursery after the half term break unfortunately parents will still not be able to enter the school grounds and continue to keep the social distancing rules.  All communication will also continue to take place via email or through phone calls. Any appointments must be scheduled and organised so that they can take place implementing social distancing protocol. I appreciate this is far from ideal and I pray that we will be able to return to a more normal practice soon.

I would encourage you to keep checking the Nursery page of the school website (this can be found by clicking the ‘Learn’ button at the top of the ‘Discover’ page) as any updates and current information will always be communicated in a timely manner.

Please use the buttons below to access the detailed guidance. You may also want to visit the Discover Page of the website to access the schools guidance.

We look forward to seeing everyone next week!

Barbara

Let's Learn at home

As promised, just in case of rainy days, although it could be said there is also learning during inclement weather, here are a couple of Let’s learn at home’ booklets with some ideas to keep everyone busy. They have been produced by Lancashire’s Early Years Consultants. I hope you enjoy them, and if you feel like emailing some pictures of your child completing the activities I will gladly add them to their ‘Learning Journey’ folders. Enjoy!

Have a fabulous half term break and stay safe. We are looking forward to seeing you week commencing 2nd November.

Barbara

This week....

This week the children have been celebrating Harvest. We have been finding out about all the fabulous foods which grow on our planet, nurtured by the farmers. On Tuesday everyone gathered in our outside learning environments to say a big ‘thank you’ to God for creating earth and sending us the sunshine and rain so we can grow yummy food in abundance, we are so grateful.

The children have been singing and dancing to the Harvest Samba, it’s such good fun we thought you may like to join in at home? Click here to access the video and enjoy!

Also, the children have been learning the story of Little Rabbit Foo Foo by Michael Rosen. Everyone knows it off by heart and last week we made a stage in the garden and performed it for Reception. If you click on the button below you can join in at home!

As you are aware next week we break up for half term, time has flown and we have learnt so much! We are all so pleased with how the children have settled in to nursery, especially under such unprecedented circumstances, and this I feel is down to you. As parents I must say a big thank you for all your wonderful support, and for your hard work in preparing your children to start nursery, it has been very much appreciated by all the nursery team.

I hope everyone manages to have some family time together and the weather is kind to us all. In case of rainy days I will be posting a 'Let’s Learn at Home’ booklet with ideas and activities to enjoy at home. Watch this space!!!

Barbara