Summer 2 -On the farm

Expressive arts and design -Tractors and diggers

We explored sensory play using lentils, tractors and diggers, along with scoops and pots. The children enjoyed filling, pouring, and transporting the lentils, which encouraged fine motor skills, coordination and imaginative play.

Physical development -Whose on the farm?

The children worked together to complete a jigsaw puzzle, carefully turning, flipping, sliding, and wriggling pieces into place. As they picked up, moved, and twisted the puzzle pieces, they developed their hand-eye coordination, finger strength, and problem-solving skills through play.

Summer 1 -Come dine with me

Understanding the world -Baking bread

Just like the little red hen, we did all the work to bake the bread -mixing kneading and waiting for it to rise. 

Expressive arts and design -Observational drawing

We drew the pineapple first, really looking at its details. We then got to enjoy its sweet taste.

Expressive arts and design -painting

We chose colours for a purpose and painted the characters from 'The little red hen' story. 

Mathematics -Numbers to ten

We started by looking at how the numbers 6, 7, 8, and 9 were made, using our ‘5 and a bit’ idea. For example, 6 is made of 5 and 1, and 7 is 5 and 2. We practiced breaking these numbers into smaller parts to understand them better. Then we explored the number 10! We talked about the “ten-ness” of 10 and even made our own collections of 10 things. We used a double die frame to help us see how 10 is made up of two groups of 5.

Understanding the world -Forest learning

We all had a colour wheel. We explored the outdoors and had to find any natural resources that match the different colours on the wheel. When we had a match, we took a photograph of the colour wheel and the resource together. We compared and reflected upon our findings: which colours were found easily? Which colours were not found? Why do you think you didn’t find that colour?

Understanding the world -exploring senses

We explored the sense of smell. We prepared different pots filled with scents like ginger, hot chocolate and tomato ketchup. We used our noses to guess the scent. 

Understanding the world -Germs

We carried out an experiment to learn about germs and why it’s so important to wash our hands properly.

We used slices of bread to help us see how germs can spread. We observed what happened. The children were fascinated to see how the bread changed and showed mould. 

Understanding the world -VE day

To mark VE Day, we dressed in red, white and blue – the colours of the Union Jack. The children took part in a range of creative activities linked to the celebration. We explored the differences and similarities between clothing worn during wartime and what we wear today. A very special highlight was when Ronnie brought in his great-great-grandad’s war medals and paperwork. This gave us a unique opportunity to understand the importance of remembering the brave soldiers who fought in the war.

Understanding the world -seed plant and growth observation

We planted carrot, bean and cress seeds to explore the stages of plant growth. We used a clear jar lined with a damp kitchen towel. We were able to closely observe the seeds as they sprouted and began to grown. We talked about what we could see and developed an understanding of what plants need to grow. 

Literacy -story sequencing

Someone cut up our story map! We worked together to re-sequence the story map before using it to retell the story of 'The Gingerbread Man.'

Expressive arts and design -The musical story of the gingerbread man

We enjoyed watching a performance of the gingerbread man, which brought the story to life with engaging characters.

Expressive arts and design -Gingerbread man collage

We explored texture and design. We experimented with techniques such as scrunching and layering to create different effects.

Literacy -Library visit 

We had a fun visit from Mel from Mansfield Library! We shared a great story, which everyone loved. Then we moved on to some exciting activities with the lycra! We had fun pulling, stretching, and working on our fine motor skills. It was a great way to engage our bodies and focus on movement. We also sang some lively songs along the way, making the whole experience even more enjoyable. 

Understanding the world -Forest learning 

We discovered that our gingerbread men were missing and noticed lots of crumbs! We decided the fox had eaten them! During forest learning, we worked together to design and build traps to try and catch the fox, developing our problem-solving, teamwork, and creative thinking skills.

Understanding the world -Baking

We explored a cooking activity by making gingerbread men, developing our measuring, mixing, and fine motor skills while learning about changes in materials through baking.

Understanding the world -Our experiences

We’ve been engaging in role play, pretending to go to the supermarket, where we took on different roles and explored the experience of shopping. 

Expressive arts and design -You can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man!

Using puppets, we've been bringing the story of the Gingerbread Man to life, retelling the tale with creativity and imagination.

Expressive arts and design 

We’ve been busy rolling, cutting, and shaping the ginger-scented playdough into gingerbread men, using our creativity and fine motor skills to bring them to life.

Expressive arts and design -The Gingerbread Man

We choose colours for a purpose and painted the gingerbread man. 

Understanding the world -Forest learning 

We searched for some items that could be used to make a magic wand (leaves, wildflowers, grass, feathers etc.) We wound sticky tape/ masking tape around our natural items at the top of the stick. We created role play games around our magical wands.

Understanding the world -Spider park

We took a walk through our local community and visited Spider Park. We had a fantastic afternoon.