In the Early Years this week, we embraced the great outdoors and made the most of every learning and play opportunity outside. By immersing themselves in the elements, the children gain invaluable experiences that nurture their curiosity, problem-solving skills, and physical development. Outdoor education has provided a stimulating environment that allows their creativity to flourish and fosters a deep connection with the natural world. Our little ones have taken joy in watering our growing garden and observing the fascinating small ecosystem that thrives within it. Through engaging activities like gardening, outdoor construction, sand and water play as well as mark making, phonics and mathematical activities, our children are empowered to explore, discover, and grow.
This week, the Pre-Nursery class had a wonderful time exploring balance using crates and planks outside. They showed impressive motivation and confidence in taking calculated risks with the equipment. Additionally, they discovered the thrill of jumping from slightly higher levels, sharing joyful moments and laughter together.
Nursery have continued with ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ story this week. While outside, they have been taking care of the plants and flowers, but we noticed that some of the leaves had been eaten! So now Nursery are curious to find out if we have some caterpillars hiding in the garden! This has led to a minibeast hunt to see if we can find any and many questions about caterpillars.
In Reception, we have made frequent use of the outdoors to enhance our learning experiences. The children have shown great enthusiasm for engaging in various writing activities, such as creating concise captions in the form of messages in a bottle and speech bubbles to express character emotions. These activities have been thoughtfully set up for them, making the most of the outdoor environment. Additionally, the children have further developed their mathematical understanding by exploring estimation and capacity through hands-on work in the sand pit. They have thoroughly enjoyed both the writing tasks and the opportunity to engage in mathematical problem-solving.
