The sharing of stories continued to inspire our youngest children this week as they explored the themes of spring, birds and frogs through their outdoor learning.
Kindergarten One enjoyed listening to the Tales from Acorn Wood story ‘Spring’. The children were particularly engaged with the book’s interactive push, pull and slide features, which revealed what the animals were doing during the spring season. Inspired by the story, they took part in a range of related activities, from pegging socks onto a washing line to jumping like frogs. The children recognised the flowers in the story as daffodils and carefully observed real daffodils before creating their own paintings. They could choose to print the petals using a wellie boot or paint them with a brush.
Reception listened to the story ‘Bird Builds a Nest’, which explores how forces affect a bird as it gathers heavy sticks to build its nest. The children learned about the force of gravity and how it pulls objects towards the Earth. They then decorated their own nests using natural materials such as twigs, moss and grass. After observing photographs of the birds they have been studying, the children practised drawing them, paying close attention to their shapes and colours, producing some wonderful artwork. They also explored forces through a hands-on activity using magnets and magnetic construction.
Kindergarten Two listened to the story ‘The Wide-Mouthed Frog’, where a curious frog discovers what different animals like to eat. The children learned about the life cycle of a frog and excitedly explored sensory chia seeds representing frogspawn. They also recognised different types of pond life through a fun bingo game, learning new vocabulary such as reeds and water boatman. The session ended with a humorous poem titled ‘I Have a Little Frog’.
The sunshine arrived just in time for Forest School this week, where Kindergarten One continued their exploration of spring. They used old flowers to stamp into paint, creating a collaborative piece of spring artwork. The children also practised their gardening skills by planting tubs of colourful flowers for Peacock Lodge. Great care was taken while handling the plants, and the children had lots of fun scooping compost into the pots.
