Monthly Archives: June 2014

Language, Literacy & Communication

We had lots of hen and spring animal stories this week to link with our Easter enterprise craft.

The children talked in groups to consider “What should we call the egg cup? What could we put inside it? Who could we give it to?”

We had some fabulous ideas and the children voted for the product to be called “Happy Hen egg cups”

Mathematical Development

We have been looking at coins this week for financial fortnight. We had a coin treasure hunt and then placed them on the correct picture to match them, we have made patterns in playdough by pushing the coins into it and we have sung “Five currant buns in a baker shop”

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

I asked the children “What is Easter?” and unsurprisingly, most children talked about how the Easter Bunny leaves us lots of chocolate eggs. WE then looked at a book which showed us how a family celebrated Easter by going to church and having special family meals.

Personal and Social Development, Well Being and Cultural Diversity

 Linking with financial fortnight, the question on our thinking wall this week was “Having no money is good/bad because….”

Creative Development

We made Happy Hen egg cup gifts for financial fortnight – thank you for bringing in your old egg boxes to enable the children to create these cute little gifts – You can buy them on Tuesday as part of our Easter enterprise fair.

Physical Development

We continued to practice our throwing and catching skills in a large circle and the children are improving greatly.

We have also done lots of dancing in the classroom to Sticky Kids songs.

Welsh Language Development

Tedi Twt wanted us to match baby animals with their mothers. We sang the song below and had lots of fun making the animal noises!!

“Buwch (cow) ydw i, buwch ydw i, moo, moo, moo, moo, buwch ydw i”

“Dafad (sheep) ydw i, dafad ydw i, baa, baa, baa, baa, dafad ydw i”

“Iar (hen) ydw i, iar ydw i, cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck, iar ydw i”

Anything else!

We hope you enjoyed the Easter bonnet parade – it is always a fun event and a chance for parents to show off their creativity!!
This weekend, use the Fairtrade logo, which the children have brought home, to be Fairtrade spotters. The children can take it with them when you go shopping this weekend and find the logo on items in the shop. Look in the baking aisle, tea and coffee aisle and the chocolate aisle. Let us know how you get on as we will be doing more Fairtrade activities on class next week!

Language, Literacy & Communication

We read the book called “Oliver’s Vegetabes”, a story about a boy who played a game with his Grandpa to see if he would try new vegetables. Children were keen to tell me what vegetables they did and didn’t like.

Children had a go at writing their names for their mother’s day pictures.

Mathematical Development

We tasted carrots, cucumber, peppers and beetroot. Each child decided their favourite vegetable and put the picture into a pictogram.

This helped us count which was the most popular vegetable.  The children answered questions like “Which has the most? Which has the least? Do any have the same amount?”

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

We explored and pretended to cook with the vegetables from the story “Oliver’s Vegetables”. We talked about where the vegetables grew and whether we had tried them before.

Personal and Social Development, Well Being and Cultural Diversity

We talked about foods that are healthy for us and foods that we should only have as a treat.

We used the computer to create a healthy plate of food.

We made healthy Houmous and vegetable wraps….Yummy!!

Creative Development

We made a “V” vase and drew dotty flowers in it. This made a pretty picture to give to someone special on Mother’s Day. We hope you like it!!

Physical Development

We revisited one of our favourite Write Dance songs – Kringeli Krangeli – the children are very confident at exploring the movements they can make with their bodies when doing it.

We also played a large circle game with a ball, practising rolling and receiving, and throwing and receiving.

Welsh Language Development

Tedi Twt likes his vegetables because he knows they keep him healthy, so he asked the children to sort the pictures but only put the vegetables on the picnic basket. The children listened to the welsh word for each vegetable and had a go at saying the word themselves – moron (carrot), pys (peas), brocolis (broccoli), pupur (pepper), yd (sweetcorn), tomato.

Anything else!

We have a busy final two weeks of the term, including an Easter bonnet parade, Fair Trade fortnight, financial fortnight and an Easter fair!!
This weekend, encourage your child to think about what fruit and vegetables they are eating – draw pictures and write down the fruit and vegetables they eat and bring it into school to share with the rest of the class.

Language, Literacy & Communication

Ben and Betty have been teaching us the sound “v” this week.

We read the book called “Oliver’s Vegetabes”, a story about a boy who played a game with his Grandpa to see if he would try new vegetables. Children were keen to tell me what vegetables they did and didn’t like.
We played a game following a trail of v’s to get the vacuum cleaner to hoover the rug.

Children had a go at writing their names for their mother’s day pictures.

Mathematical Development

We tasted carrots, cucumber, peppers and beetroot. Each child decided their favourite vegetable and put the picture into a pictogram.

This helped us count which was the most popular vegetable.  The children answered questions like “Which has the most? Which has the least? Do any have the same amount?”

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

We explored and pretended to cook with the vegetables from the story “Oliver’s Vegetables”. We talked about where the vegetables grew and whether we had tried them before.

Personal and Social Development, Well Being and Cultural Diversity

We talked about foods that are healthy for us and foods that we should only have as a treat.

We used the computer to create a healthy plate of food.

We made healthy Houmous and vegetable wraps….Yummy!!

Creative Development

We made a “V” vase and drew dotty flowers in it. This made a pretty picture to give to someone special on Mother’s Day. We hope you like it!!

We listened to some violin music and then looked at a real violin. We had a go at plucking the strings and using the bow to make noise.

Physical Development

We revisited one of our favourite Write Dance songs – Kringeli Krangeli – the children are very confident at exploring the movements they can make with their bodies when doing it.

We also played a large circle game with a ball, practising rolling and receiving, and throwing and receiving.

Welsh Language Development

Tedi Twt likes his vegetables because he knows they keep him healthy, so he asked the children to sort the pictures but only put the vegetables on the picnic basket. The children listened to the welsh word for each vegetable and had a go at saying the word themselves – moron (carrot), pys (peas), brocolis (broccoli), pupur (pepper), yd (sweetcorn), tomato.

Anything else!

We have a busy final two weeks of the term, including an Easter bonnet parade, Fair Trade fortnight, financial fortnight and an Easter fair!!
This weekend, encourage your child to think about what fruit and vegetables they are eating – draw pictures and write down the fruit and vegetables they eat and bring it into school to share with the rest of the class.

Language, Literacy & Communication

The children have been playing with the magnetic letters and our new red notebooks in the writing area. We have also been posting our pictures and writing in our postbox in the writing area.

Our home corner has been popular this week and we have seen some great dressing and pretending going on.

Mathematical Development

 We have been counting teddies this week. We placed a teddy on each number on the number line and then counted to ten with an adult.

We also used the teddies to make pairs of teddies looking at their size and colour.

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

We have talked more about the weather this week and how it is changing…less rain and we have actually seen a little bit of sunshine!

We made yummy chocolate chip cakes as a treat this week…very tasty!

Personal and Social Development, Well Being and Cultural Diversity

We have been trying to remember how to be a good friend while we are playing. We are trying to remember to use our kind hands and kind words.

We enjoyed making collage pictures this week, using stickers, bottle tops, lolly sticks and feathers – we hope you liked your child’s creation!

We also did some blow painting with runny paint and straws…this was fun!!

We played parachute games this week which helped with our listening skills and gross motor skills.

We also had a fantastic time moving for a good cause doing Zumba for Sport Relief.

We also played an upside-down umbrella game where we had to throw balls into an upside down umbrella and then count them…what good aims the children have!!

Welsh Language Development

Tedi Twt set us our first challenge this week. He left some coloured umbrellas in his bag and we needed to match the coloured raindrops to the coloured umbrellas. We all had a go at saying the colours in Welsh – coch (red), glas (blue), melyn (yellow), pinc(pink), gwyn (white), gwyrdd (green). Have a go at practising the welsh colours at home. What is your favourite colour?

Anything else!

Thank you to all of you who met with me this week to discuss your child’s learning in nursery. If you haven’t seen me I will be making time after the sessions to see parents next week.

As always, we have an open door policy, so always let me know if you have any questions or queries.

Language, Literacy & Communication

Ben and Betty have been teaching us the sound “u” this week.

We read a poem called “April Showers” which was all about putting up umbrellas in the rain and the rain helping plants to grow!
We also loved listening to “Aliens Love Underpants” and “Pirates Love Underpants”

We followed instructions to practice our mark making by drawing patterns on underpants.

Mathematical Development

We talked about pattern and colour by matching pairs of underpants. We matched spotty underpants and stripy underpants.

We also looked at positional language when Tedi Twt needed rescuing from under the parachute. We took it in turns to crawl under the parachute to get him. Tedi Twt then had a great time being thrown up in the air on the parachute…it made us giggle too!

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

We looked at books and photos about Spring. The children had some good ideas about what happens in Spring.

We also had a treat for cooking and made chocolate chip cakes.

Personal and Social Development, Well Being and Cultural Diversity

We looked at pictures of children in Africa who will benefit from our donations to Sport Relief. Thanks to those who made a donation.

Creative Development

We used straws to blow runny blue paint over the paper umbrella to make it look like rain.

Physical Development

We played parachute games this week which helped with our listening skills and gross motor skills.

We also had a fantastic time moving for a good cause doing Zumba for Sport Relief.

We also played an upside-down umbrella game where we had to throw balls into an upside down umbrella and then count them…what good aims the children have!!

Welsh Language Development

Tedi Twt set us our first challenge this week. He left some coloured umbrellas in his bag and we needed to match the coloured raindrops to the coloured umbrellas. We all had a go at saying the colours in Welsh – coch (red), glas (blue), melyn (yellow), pinc(pink), gwyn (white), gwyrdd (green). Have a go at practising the welsh colours at home. What is your favourite colour?

Anything else!

Thank you to all of you who met with me this week to discuss your child’s learning in nursery. If you haven’t seen me I will be making time after the sessions to see parents next week.

As always, we have an open door policy, so always let me know if you have any questions or queries.

Language, Literacy & Communication

We have read and talked about some of our favourite stories this week – “The Tiger who came to Tea” and “We’re going on a Bear Hunt”. It was lovely to see the children joining in with the familiar parts of the story and having fun.

Mathematical Development

We have been making tall towers with the large bricks outdoors. The children counted with an adult to see how many bricks they used.

We played big snakes and ladders outside with an adult which helps us to take turns and practise our counting.

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

We cooked biscuits this week – we could choose if we made a teddy biscuit or a triangle biscuit. They smelt and tasted delicious.

We have made a start in weeding the nursery garden in preparation for Swansea in Bloom – the children helped and loved the excuse to get messy!

Personal and Social Development, Well Being and Cultural Diversity

We have been welcoming the new nursery children who started last week. It is lovely to see the children becoming more settled and new friendships being made.

We sang nursery rhymes while tapping different parts of our body to the beat.

We used the chalks outside to make lots of marks and shapes on the floor and wall – great fun!

We moved to a Write Dance song called the Tickle Tree – our favourite parts were the wobbly movements!

We have also been making the most of the sunshine and playing on the bikes and scooters outdoors.

Welsh Language Development

Tedi Twt arrived in Nursery. The children all passed him around the circle and had a go at saying “Prynhawn Da” to him. Bendigedig pawb!

Anything else!

 Don’t forget parents meeting next week – see me to book your 10 minute slot.

Language, Literacy & Communication

Ben and Betty have been teaching us the sound “t” this week.

We read “The Tiger who came to Tea” and then used puppets to retell the story. Some children wanted to play the story in the home corner so we had children taking in turns to dress as the tiger while other children fed it lots of pretend food and drink!

Mathematical Development

We made towers and talked about which tower was the tallest. Children counted how many bricks the used to make their tower… the tallest was 26 bricks!

We went outside on a hunt to make collections of ten….ten stones, ten twigs, ten leaves. We had some surprise finds while looking…a big worm and a small slug!

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

We cooked biscuits this week – we could choose if we made a teddy biscuit or a triangle biscuit. They smelt and tasted delicious.

Personal and Social Development, Well Being and Cultural Diversity

We read a story about taking turns and discussed whether it was right for someone to snatch. The children offered ideas about how you could feel if someone shared or didn’t share something.

Creative Development

We sang nursery rhymes while tapping different parts of our body to the beat.

We drew tigers and coloured them using black and orange stripes.

Physical Development

We moved to a Write Dance song called the Tickle Tree – our favourite parts were the wobbly movements! We also travelled across the hall in different ways…hopping, jumping, crawling and sideways.

Welsh Language Development

Tedi Twt arrived in Nursery. The children all passed him around the circle and said “Bore Da” to him. Tedi Twt then asked “Pwy Wyt ti?” (Who are you?) and all the children had a go at telling Tedi Twt their name…e.g. ”Mrs.Amirat ydw i” – Bendigedig pawb!

Anything else!

Don’t forget parents meeting next week – see me to book your 10 minute slot.

Nursery doors open at 9.50am – please try to bring your children in on time as we have a very busy carpet time in the morning and it can be disruptive if children are coming into nursery after 9.00am. Thanks for your cooperation.

Language, Literacy & Communication

We read Welsh stories. Our favourite was a Tedi Twt story where he had to decide what clothes he had to wear for different types of weather.

We have been singing some traditional Welsh nursery rhymes and enjoying them greatly.

Mathematical Development

We did lots of counting in Welsh this week. We are getting very good at counting how many children are in class each day and the biggest number we have got to is dau deg chwech.

We also matched the Numicon shapes onto the numberline and then counted along from 1-10 in Welsh.

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

We cooked Bara Brith using a traditional Welsh recipe. We talked about the ingredients we used and described what we could see and smell as we were cooking.

Our daily Welsh board helps us talk about the weather in Welsh everyday, however we always seem to be saying “Mae hi’n bwrw glaw” lately. Lets hopw it will be “Mae hi’n heulog” very soon.

Personal and Social Development, Well Being and Cultural Diversity

We have been remembering our manners this week. We have been saying “diolch” and “os gwellech yn dda” whenever we can. What a polite nursery!

Creative Development

We looked at some daffodils and then we painted them onto canvas. These colourful paintings will be going in the home corner to make it look homely.

We also did some painting and printing with leeks. We used colour that are on the Welsh flag – coch, gwin a gwyrdd.

Physical Development

We watched some children doing a Welsh folk dance to the song “Mi welais Jac y Do” and then we had a go at doing the dance ourselves.

Welsh Language Development

 It has been Welsh week this week so we have been listening to lots of Welsh in the classroom. We have also been looking at Welsh culture and food.

We went on a Rhodri hunt outdoors where children took turn to hide a little Rhodri and then we all shouted “Ble mae Rhodri?” (Where is Rhodri?)

Anything else!

Children can wear their Welsh outfits on the first day back after half term (3rd March).

Thursday 6^th March will be World Book Day, so maybe children can think of their favourite story from home and bring it in during the first week back. We will try and read as many as we can!

Have a great, fun filled half term.

Language, Literacy & Communication

We have been exploring mark making in rice trays and gloop.

We also wrote birthday cards for Rhodri and posted them into our new class postbox.

We have enjoyed listening to and talking about the story of Red Riding Hood.

Mathematical Development

We have been exploring the Numicon shapes on the boards with the pegs. We have counted pegs into the Numicon shape which has helped us with recognition and recall of the Numicon shapes.

We have enjoyed singing 5 little ducks and 5 little monkeys on the bed., using our fingers to helps ud count down.

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

We made rainbow cous cous salad using healthy colourful peppers. It was also interesting to see the cous cous change from a small amount of hard grains to a larger amount of soft fluffy grains…just from adding water!

Personal and Social Development, Well Being and Cultural Diversity

We have been learning how important it is to be gentle with our friends. We have also been learning that saying sorry for doing something will sometimes make someone feel better.

We sang the rainbow song and then painted our own rainbows using all the colours.

We did “The Rainbow” in Write Dance which meant making large arched movements with our arms.

We also played a whole class game of Ring a Roses and we explored rolling the balls with a partner.

Welsh Language Development

We tried learning the colours in Welsh when drawing rainbows – Coch (red), melyn (yellow), pinc (pink), gwyrdd (green), porffor (purple), oren (orange), glas (blue).

Anything else!

Keith Towler, the Children’s Commisioner for Wales, came into school to celebrate Rhodri’s 5^th birthday.

Thanks to everyone who donated to Unicef’s Day for Change cause – we had fun celebrating while children who are less fortunate will benefit from our fundraising.

Language, Literacy & Communication

Ben and Betty have been teaching us the sound “r” this week. We made rainbow shapes and practiced writing “r” in the rice trays.

We wrote birthday cards for Rhodri and posted them into our new class postbox.

We have enjoyed listening to and talking about the story of Red Riding Hood.

Mathematical Development

We put pictures of Numicon shapes in order and stuck them in a line. The children will be bringing their Numicon number lines home with them which will help them with their counting. Play games where you count objects and then point to the correct Numicon on the number line or if you spot a number around the house, point to the matching Numicon shape.

Knowledge and Understanding of the World

We explored which objects rolled or didn’t roll down the ramp. The children were encouraged to make guesses before trying.

We made rainbow cous cous salad using healthy colourful peppers. It was also interesting to see the cous cous change from a small amount of hard grains to a larger amount of soft fluffy grains…just from adding water!

Personal and Social Development, Well Being and Cultural Diversity

To celebrate Unicef’s Day for Change, we talked in class about what we would like to change about Nursery. The children gave some very creative such as, “Have a bus driver bring me to school”, “Have policemen as teachers” and “Have lollipops to lick!”

We sang the rainbow song and then painted our own rainbows using all the colours.

We did “The Rainbow” in Write Dance which meant making large arched movements with our arms.

We also played a whole class game of Ring a Roses and we explored rolling the balls with a partner.

Welsh Language Development

We tried learning the colours in Welsh when painting our rainbows – Coch (red), melyn (yellow), pinc (pink), gwyrdd (green), porffor (purple), oren (orange), glas (blue).

We are continuing to practice the Welsh song “Un bys, dau bys” for the Eisteddfod…We are getting better by the day!

Anything else!

Keith Towler, the Children’s Commisioner for Wales, came into school to celebrate Rhodri’s 5^th birthday.

Thanks to everyone who donated to Unicef’s Day for Change  cause – we had fun celebrating while children who are less fortunate will benefit from our fundraising.