This week in Flax Bourton, we have been getting ready to celebrate the balloon fiesta this weekend! We explored a tuff tray with lots of different coloured rice for us to mix and feel the texture of. We talked about the different colours and how the balloons will go up high into the sky. We also sang the song "Up, Up, Up" together!
Out on the terrace we had Water World and Sand Land together - just like being at the beach! We made lots of splashes in the water while looking at the different animals we can find at the beach and in the ocean. Some of us were a little unsure about the texture of the sand once it got wet! Also on the terrace, we have been treated to a cozy new teepee where we can sit with our friends for some quiet time or for a story.
We went on an adventure to the big garden to round off the week, we spent some time in the cabin where we did some mark making and reading stories. Out in the big garden, we did some climbing and listened to the sounds we could make when shouting into empty pots - we laughed when our voices echoed!
This week in Kindergarten, we had some dinosaurs come to visit! In the tuff tray, we had dinosaurs, sand, plants, sequins and paint brushes. The children made marks, patterns and shapes in the sand. Lots of the children were very good at recognising the shapes adults made too! In the sand, we had hidden sequins and treasure. The children moved the sand with the paintbrushes to find the treasure! They also made the dinosaurs stomp, creating dinosaur footprints!
The children spent time creating their own jewellery! We painted some pasta and once it was dry, we threaded it onto string to create bracelets and necklaces! The children were struggling to thread it onto the string as it was too soft. We used our problem solving skills and put a little bit of sellotape on the end to make the string hard and the children found this easier. They threaded lots of pieces of pasta and this made some beautiful jewellery!
The children always enjoy playing with animals! This week, lots of the children have taken an interest in animals so we have had many activities involving them. We had an animal swamp and the children made the animals stomp. We felt the green swamp with our hands which was slimy and cold. We all had lots of fun as it was super messy! The children also used their imagination inside with the animals, taking pictures of them and saying 'cheese'!
In the courtyard, we had an outdoor cooking set up! The children made lots of yummy food, sharing what they made with each other. A child put a paper plate on top of a pan and told us that this was to keep the smoke in! Some children chose to sit on the floor and pretend they were having a picnic with some pizza and fruit. We were all very full up from our picnic!
Lots of the children have enjoyed playing hide and seek both inside and outside this week. We ran around the garden finding places to hide and inside we had cardboard boxes to hide in! The children have been waiting and then counting down to shout boo at their friends! Some children even had the idea of hiding under the table. We saw lots of cheeky, smiling faces when we discovered the children's hiding spots!
This week in Pre-School we have been learning different ways to mark make, such as cutting, sticking, drawing and painting! We even put paint on a hammer this week and hit the paper to see what pattern it would make.
It's the balloon fiesta this weekend so we have had lots of fun creating our own balloons and we have even watched some videos of hot air balloons flying and the night glow!
We have been enjoying our new equipment this week. We have new chairs and benches for our decking area, which we have been enjoying sitting on in the fresh air doing some drawing. We also have a new solar powered fountain which has been a blast in the tuff tray this week!
Out in the garden we have been putting our new road signs to the test whilst driving our balance bikes, and of course building above and beyond with our loose parts area.
To top this week off we have been off to the park swinging on the swings and spinning on the roundabout. Then we made cupcakes!
