In the garden we are noticing signs of spring and the changes as plants and trees grow buds and leaves, and flowers and blossom start to appear. We will be growing cress and planting and caring for beans and seeds. We can see how beans grow in this amazing video.

We will also be looking at baby photos and noticing how we have grown and changed. Thank you to everyone who has provided a photo. If you haven’t already sent your child’s baby photo, please email to [email protected]

We will be learning about life cycles of different plants and animals and hope to be able watch caterpillars grow and change into butterflies.

We Are Learning… To Notice Shapes, and Choose Items Based on Their Shape for a Particular Purpose

Our maths focus this term is SHAPES. We will be exploring and noticing shapes and pattern through placing and arranging activities, puzzles, loose parts play and building with construction resources.

We will also be creating pictures and patterns with paper shapes. In the garden we will be going on a shape hunt and noticing the shapes we find and beginning to learn their names and properties.

What shapes can you find around your home or on your journey to nursery?

We Are Learning… To Listen to and Re-Tell the Story of The Enormous Turnip

Linked to our activities around growing, our core book this term is The Enormous Turnip. We will be reading different versions and noticing the similarities and differences between the stories.

We will be using story maps (see over), props and pictures for re-telling and inventing our own versions.

The Enormous Turnip

Once upon a time there was on old man who planted a seed in the ground and it grew and grew and grew into an ENORMOUS TURNIP!

First, the old man pulled and pulled but he couldn’t pull it up!

Next, he asked the old woman. They pulled and pulled but they couldn’t pull it up!

Then, they asked a boy. They pulled and pulled but they couldn’t pull it up!

After that, they asked a girl. They pulled and pulled but they couldn’t pull it up!

Finally, they asked a dog. They pulled and pulled and pulled and suddenly…POP! Up popped the Enormous Turnip!

In the end, the old man, the old woman, the boy, the girl and the dog all had turnip soup for dinner!

The End.

Sun Safety Guidance

The NHS recommends that care is taken to protect children in the sun. Children should:

• Cover up with suitable clothing
• Spend time in the shade, particularly from 11am to 3pm
• Wear at least SPF30 sunscreen. Apply sunscreen to areas not protected by clothing, such as the face, ears, feet and backs of hands.

Please ensure that sun cream is applied each day before nursery and that children wear appropriate clothing for the weather. We can reapply as appropriate. If you have a specific sun cream to use, please label clearly with your child’s name and pass to your key person. We have a large selection of sun hats. Please clearly name all hats brought in to nursery.

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We hope you all have a lovely break.

Letter Spotting

This term we have been learning about alliteration. We have been noticing the initial sound in our names and finding items beginning with the same sound. This holiday why not see if your child can find the initial letter in their name in the environment. It could be on a road sign, car registration, street sign, anywhere. Please take a photograph and email to us.

It would be great to create a display of the whole alphabet using the children’s photographs.

My Favourite Songs

Our curriculum focus this term has been Expressive Arts and Design. We have been exploring and creating with paint, colour, music, movement and drama. We learned about some different styles of music and dancing from around the world. Why not watch here and try out some moves together.

Lots of you have shared your child’s favourite songs and the types of music listened to at home. We have compiled an Oak room play list and the children are enjoying dancing and singing along. They are very excited when their tune comes on, shouting ‘This one’s mine!’

There is still time to share your child’s musical preferences.

Shapes Everywhere

We are continuing to learn a different shape each week. We have focused on triangles, circles, squares and rectangles, and this week it’s ovals. The children have been excited to spot shapes in the nursery environment and garden.

What shapes can you find this holiday? Please take a photo with your child spotting a shape and email to us. There will probably be lots of oval Easter eggs!

Growth and Change

Next term our curriculum focus is Understanding the World. We will be learning about growth and change and talking about how plants, animals and people change over time. To help us in our discussions, please forward a baby photo of your child. It has been lovely to see the photos that have already been sent in.

I wonder if the children will be able to recognise the staff from their baby pictures.

Please email photos and music choices to [email protected].

Gallery

Here are some lovely photos of Oak Room from this term, taking part in activities and learning.

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We will be exploring and noticing shapes in the environment, in books and in our creative exploration. Adults will be using informal language e.g. slanty, pointy, twisty, wiggly, bumpy as well as mathematical names e.g. triangle, rectangle, circle, square.

What shapes can you find around your home or on your journey to nursery?

We Are Learning… To Explore Colour and Notice how Colours can be Changed

We will be reading Colour and Me by Michaela Dias-Hayes and Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh to support our exploration of colour and how colours change when mixed.

We will also be creating with boxes and using them in our role play and storytelling. Boxes are a great starting point for creative and imaginative play. We can stack them, and climb in them, create cars, houses and space ships, the possibilities are infinite.

We welcome donations of boxes of all sizes, from small food boxes for the home corner and for junk modelling, to large boxes that the children can get inside and use in their story telling and imaginative play.

We can’t wait to see what they can create.

We Are Learning… To Join in with Dancing and Explore Moving in a Range of Ways

We will be listening and moving to music from around the world, as well as creating our own music through singing and exploring instruments. Karol will be teaching us some Columbian dancing.

If there are any parents/carers or family members with dancing or music skills that they would like to share with the children, please let us know.

We Are Learning… To Respond to Elements of Stories, Particularly Rhyme and Alliteration

We will be reading Fox’s Sock’s and noticing the different rhymes.

The children are loving our new Tales Toolkit area and joining in with creating stories using the props and resources.

Please remember to bring your book bag in every Wednesday to choose a different book to share at home. We have lots of new books available.

We Are Learning… To Explore and Experiment with a Range of Media and Materials

We will be offering a range of different materials and encouraging the children to explore and make marks in different ways e.g. fingers in cornflour gloop, sticks in mud, hands and feet in paint etc.

We always encourage the children to wear aprons and roll up their sleeves but sometimes they still get dirty. This usually means they are having a good time! We will be offering a range of different materials and encouraging the children to explore and make marks in different ways e.g. fingers in cornflour gloop, sticks in mud, hands and feet in paint etc.

We always encourage the children to wear aprons and roll up their sleeves but sometimes they still get dirty. This usually means they are having a good time!

Please remember to send your child to nursery in clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty.

Important Dates for Your Diary

INSET afternoon Wednesday 5th March
We are closed Wednesday afternoon from 11.30 am for staff training. We will be open as normal for the morning session 8.30-11.30am.

World Book Day 2025
Thursday 6th March is World Book Day. We will be celebrating on Tuesday 4th and Thursday 6th March.

The children (and staff) can dress up as their favourite story book character.

Who will they be?

The post In Willow Room We Are Learning… (February 2025) appeared first on Little Hayes and Speedwell Nursery Schools.

We will joining in games and activities that involve rolling a number dice, then finding the matching number of objects (e.g. selecting a number of bricks to build a tower) or completing a number of actions e.g. 6 claps, 3 jumps or 2 twirls. We will be reading some new number books, and as well as counting, will be comparing quantities using more, less, many, few, fewer, same, lots.

We are learning about a SHAPE OF THE WEEK. We will be exploring and noticing the properties of that shape, learning its name and trying to find examples of it in the environment. Our first shape is the triangle.

I’m a little triangle , look at me.

And count my side, 1,2,3.

Whichever way I turn you’ll always see.

My sides are always 1,2,3.

What shapes can you find around your home or on your journey to nursery?

We Are Learning… To use Simple Tools Safely and Effectively to Make Changes to Materials

We will be creating with boxes and loose parts and learning how to use different tools and resources safely to help us attach and join e.g. glue, tape, staplers, hole punches, string etc. Boxes are a great starting point for creative and imaginative play. We can stack them, and climb in them, create cars, houses and space ships, the possibilities are infinite.

We welcome donations of boxes of all sizes, from small food boxes for the home corner and for junk modelling, to large boxes that the children can get inside and use in their story telling and imaginative play. We can’t wait to see what they can create.

We Are Learning… To Imitate Movements and Begin to Make up Our Own when Joining in with Songs, Music and Rhymes

We will be exploring and moving to different genres and styles of music from around the world, as well as creating our own music through singing, exploring instruments and making our own instruments. Karol from Willow room will be demonstrating some Columbian dancing.

If there are any parents with dancing or music skills that they would like to share with the children, please let us know.

We Are Learning… To Hear and Notice the Initial Sounds in Words

We will be noticing the initial sounds in our names, and other objects, through songs, games and stories, such as B is for Baby by Atinuke.
We will be learning about alliteration, when words start with the same sound, and making up silly alliterative strings and tongue twisters—

Lovely Leo likes licking lollipops, ten terrible tigers try teaching tennis. Why not have a go.

Supertato

There has been lots of interest in superheroes this year.

We will be reading Supertato and re-telling the story using our story map.

Who is your favourite superhero?

Who would you help?

What would your super power be?

Dates for The Diary

INSET afternoon Wednesday 5th March
We are closed Wednesday afternoon from 11.30 am for staff training. We will be open as normal for the morning session 8.30-11.30am.

WORLD BOOK DAY 2025
Thursday 6th March is World Book Day. We will be celebrating on Tuesday 4th and Thursday 6th March. The children (and staff) can dress up as their favourite story book character. Who will they be?

Don’t forget to bring along your book bag every Wednesday and choose a book to read at home. We have lots of exciting new books available.

Staffing News

We are sad to be saying goodbye to Sally who is returning to Speedwell fulltime. We will all miss her.

Claire will be taking over Sally’s yellow group (Wed-Fri) and taking on a new role running communication, language, and literacy intervention groups (Mon-Wed). She’ll still be based in Oak room so the children will still get to see lots of her.

We also welcome Carmen as a new key person working alongside Jess and Elle in Blue group. She looks forward to introducing herself and getting to know the children and their families.

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We are introducing some new mathematical resources to explore pattern, shape, and size, as well as thinking about the pattern and sequence of the daily routine and in stories (using language such as first, now, next, after, and later).

Linked to our core book we are learning about size (small, medium, and large), length and height (short, shorter, shortest, long, longer, longest, tall, taller, tallest) the numbers 1,2,3, and ordering (first, second, third).

We Are Learning… To Be Independent

We will continue to explore the outdoors in all weathers. The children will be learning to be independent by changing their shoes and putting on their own coats and waterproofs. We are teaching them the coat flip method. Watch and learn together here. It really helps their independence if they wear shoes that are easy to put on and do up.

Please remember to name their shoes and clothes, so that they can find them at the end of the day, and provide spare clothes each day in case they get wet or muddy. Thank you.

We Are Learning… To Create and Tell a Story of Our Own

Our core book is the traditional tale, Goldilocks and the Three Bears. We are reading different versions and noticing the similarities and differences between the versions. We are using story maps to re-tell the story and creating our own actions.

We will be continuing to think about characters, settings, problems, and solutions in our Tales Toolkit story sessions and adapting stories with our own characters and ideas.

We will be using our voice sounds, creating different voices for the characters—a deep, gruff voice for daddy bear, a high voice for mummy bear and a tiny, squeaky voice for baby bear. Why not use the story map attached to re-tell the story together at home.

Goldilocks and The Three Bears

Once upon a time there was a daddy bear, mummy baby and baby bear, who went for a walk in the forest. Goldilocks saw the door was open and went inside.

First, Goldilocks tasted the bowls of porridge.
The first bowl was too hot! The second was too cold!
But the last one was…just right! So, she ate it all up.

Next, Goldilocks sat on the chairs.
The first chair was too hard! The second chair was too soft!
But the last one was…just right! But she broke it!

Then, Goldilocks was tired and saw the beds. The first bed was too rough! The second was too smooth!
But the last one was…just right! And Goldilocks fell asleep!

Suddenly, the Bears came home!

Baby bear started to cry.
Who’s been eating my porridge? They ate it all up and left none!

Who’s been sitting in my chair? They sat in the chair and broke it!

Who’s been sleeping in my bed? They slept in my bed, and they are still in it!

Just then, Goldilocks woke up! Aaaagh! ‘A bear!’ screamed Goldilocks. Aaaaagh! ‘a girl!’ screamed the bears and they all ran away.

And the bears never forgot to lock their front door again!

The End.

Download the Story Map below.

Visitors to Our Nursery

We are delighted to welcome back Ellie, an early year’s music specialist from Bristol Beacon who will join us for singing and musical exploration sessions.

Mike and Fifi from The Travelling Light Theatre Company will be coming in to use drama and other creative interventions to support and develop children’s oracy, speaking, listening and communication skills.

We Are Learning… To Follow Recipes

We have been learning about where porridge comes from and how to follow instructions in a recipe.

The children have been making their own porridge, trying different toppings, and voting for the ones they like best.

Home Learning Links

We will be sharing a range of books linked to our core text and mathematical themes at nursery, as well as sending some books home to share as a family. If your child doesn’t have a book bag, please let us know.

The Words for Life website has some fantastic reading ideas and activities to support your child’s learning at home.

The Early Childhood Maths Group also has some great ideas to promote mathematical thinking at home.

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Dave gave us a very informative presentation and we learned about the different parts of the owl’s body, what they eat and much, much more.

You can see some of the pictures from the presentation below. We also learned lots of new vocabulary. One highlight for the children was when Loki pooed on the classroom floor!

The children couldn’t hold Loki, but were able to get up really close to see his eyes, feathers, and talons. Some of the adults were able to hold Loki and the parents met him too.

Later at circle time we read What am I? by Moira Butterfield. Can you guess what it is?

Thank you, Dave, for such an exciting and informative visit.

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We will be focusing on developing number confidence, in particular knowledge around number and counting.

We will be exploring maths resources, singing number songs and looking at number stories.
Some of the children are able to recognise some numerals, particularly those that are significant to them, such as their age.

We will be looking at numbers in the environment and would love it if you could provide a photo of your child next to their house number. They can be emailed to [email protected]

You might like to play a number spotting game with your child and encourage them to keep an eye out for any numbers in the environment (house numbers, car registrations, speed signs etc). Get spotting! Find out about more ways to support maths at home on The Early Childhood Maths Group website.

We Are Learning… To Count Objects and Explore Our Creativity

The book Ten Black Dots is a fun counting book written by Donald Crews. It’s simple and engaging and explores what you can create with black dots.

This book provides children with opportunities to practice counting and explore their creativity.

You can watch the story together on YouTube.

We will be reading other number stories including Ten in the Bed and One Mole Digging a Hole.

We Are Learning… To Remember (and Talk About) Significant Events

This term there are lots of events and festivals including bonfire night, Diwali, Halloween and Christmas.

Linked to bonfire night, we will be creating firework pictures using salad spinners, learning an action song, On firework night at 5 o’clock and joining in firework dancing using ribbons and scarves.

We will be creating large scale collaborative artwork using syringes, rollers and large brushes. Creative, messy and fun!

We Are Learning… To Participate in Shared Reading and Respond to Elements of a Story

We will be re-introducing Tales Toolkit (see details over) and continuing to offer daily story times. The children can access books in our reading area throughout the day and we offer a variety of fiction, non-fiction, familiar and new stories. Please continue to support their reading at home by bringing in their book bags every Wednesday.

If your child doesn’t have a book bag yet, please let their key person know.

Find out more about sharing stories and supporting your child’s reading at www.wordsforlife.org.uk

We Are Learning… To use Time Language to Sequence Events in Real Life, and in a Story

We have been using our visual timetable to talk with the children about the sequence of the day and what will happen next and later.

This term we are reading Whatever Next! by Jill Murphy, a story about Baby Bear, who wants to make a rocket and fly to the moon.

The children will be learning to retell the story using the language of time, first, next, then, after and finally.

There will also be lots of opportunities for imaginative storytelling and exploration with boxes and other props from the story.

Tales Toolkit

This term we will be re-introducing the children to Tales Toolkit – a Toolkit for creating Tales.
Story has been shown to improve all types of learning and increase engagement and memory capacity.

All of the resources are labelled with easily recognised symbols for Character, Setting, Problem and Solution giving the children a tool to independently weave magical tales.

We start by introducing labelled bags for each elements of the story (character, setting, problem, solution) and modelling how to create stories using the props hidden inside.

Soon the children will be creating their very own stories.

Find out more https://talestoolkit.com

Starting Primary School in September 2025

Don’t forget that children who were born between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021 will be starting school (reception) in September 2025.

Applications must be made before 15 January 2025.

Now is a good time to visit schools, and many will have events and open evenings. Check on their websites.

For a handy guide and useful links for a positive transition to school, visit www.bristolearlyyears.org.uk/transition/

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We have been busy re-settling returning children and those moving up from Willow room, as well as welcoming new children and their families. We have been finding out which groups we are in and where we meet.

We are using visual registers, songs and games to learn the names of the children and adults in our key group. Which group is your child in?
Yellow, green or blue?

We are creating family boards and the children will enjoy sharing their family photos and talking about them. If you haven’t yet supplied a family photo, please email one to [email protected]

It has been amazing to see how well the children are settling, exploring our learning environments and finding out where everything belongs.

We Are Learning… To Notice and Talk About Things that We Observe in The Natural World.

The children have been exploring the garden and noticing seasonal changes as autumn arrives.
Don’t forget, the children will be outdoors in all weathers and need a warm coat everyday throughout autumn and winter.

Welly boots can be left on their outside peg and waterproof trousers will be very useful on rainy days. Please name all items. Thank you.

We Are Learning… To listen to and Join in with Stories, Rhymes and Poems.

At the start of term we are revisiting traditional and sometimes familiar nursery rhymes using books, puppets and props.

Our core books this term focus on personal, social and emotional development (PSED) and the topics of feelings, separation, making friends and starting school.

We have a daily story time and the children will be learning to retell some of the stories using story maps (see over) and props.

We Are Learning… To Enjoy a Range of Books, Both Fiction and Non-Fiction.

We know how much children enjoy a story, particularly at bedtime, and how important it is for their language development and love of reading. To support this, we have given each child a book bag and the opportunity to borrow books every Wednesday to share at home.

Please remember to return the book, in the named book bag, each Wednesday ready to swap it for a new one.

We would also really love your feedback on which stories the children enjoy.

Find out more about sharing stories and supporting your child’s reading at www.wordsforlife.org.uk

Starting School in September 2025

Don’t forget that children who were born between 1 September 2020 and 31 August 2021 will be starting school (reception) in September 2025.

Applications must be made before 15 January 2025. Now is a good time to visit schools, and many will have events and open evenings. Check on their websites.

For a handy guide and useful links for a positive transition to school, visit www.bristolearlyyears.org.uk/transition/

Important Dates for Your Diary

Term dates 2024-2025

• ​Term 1: 2 September 2024 to 25 October 2024 
• (There will be staggered start dates and times for all returning and new children due to home visits and settling in sessions)
• Term 2: 4 November 2024 to 20 December 2024
• Term 3: 6 January 2025 to 14 February 2025
• Term 4: 24 February 2025 – 4 April 2025
• Term 5: 22 April 2025 to 23 May 2025
• Term 6: 2 June 2025 to 22 July 2025

Inset Days 2024-2025
Nursery will be closed for staff training (Inset) sessions on the following days.

• Term 1 – Wednesday 2nd October – Whole day
• Term 2 – Wednesday 4th December – Morning (8.30am – 12.30pm)
• Term 3 – Wednesday 5th February – Whole day
• Term 4 – Wed 5th March -Afternoon (11.30am – 3.30pm)
• Term 5 – Wednesday 4th June – Morning (8.30am – 12.30pm)
• Term 5 – Wednesday 18th June – Afternoon (11.30am – 3.30pm)
• Term 6 – Wednesday 2nd July – Whole Day         

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The project, called ‘Little Lights’ came about after some families from Little Hayes attended performances of the Travelling Light show ‘Igloo’ at the Oldbury Court Children’s centre in the spring.

This production was a non-verbal story about two siblings waiting for it to snow. Rebecca and Mike from Travelling Light brought some of the props from the show into the Nursery as a starting point and have since been exploring imaginative play, visual arts and non-verbal story with groups from across the setting.

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The first week we learned about were moving and stopping, whilst singing ‘we walk and we walk and we walk and we stop, and then we dance around’. The children thought of different ways to move – dancing, flying, stomping and moving like different animals.

Ellie had something exciting in her bag. It was a ukulele! We learned that the ukulele has a head, a neck, and a body, just like us. We counted the 4 strings, each with different pitches. Everyone had a chance to carefully strum the strings and listen to the sounds they made. We had to be really gentle. Ellie played her ukulele and we accompanied her on the egg shakers.

Our final activity was conducting. Ellie showed us how to follow her visual instructions, playing when she held her thumbs up, then stopping when she held up both palms. We tried a few times with Ellie conducting, then the children had a turn too. We had to remember to watch the child’s hands all the time so we know when to stop.

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