This week the Burrow have been able to explore the pond and it’s natural surroundings. Luckily the weather has been on our side during the week, which has allowed to us venture out with no waterproofs on! However we have needed lots of layers, as it’s been a little chilly in the mornings.
Once we had spoken about our rules and eaten our snack it was time to introduce to the children what we will be doing during our time around the pond. For many it was a confusing time as I introduced the cork and cocktail sticks and I think for many of us it would also be puzzling. As we all know cocktail sticks are sharp so we showed the children how sharp they are and how we have to be careful in case we poke ourselves! Once I told them we are making boats and showed them how to make the boats, the children seemed mesmerised by what I was about to do. I threw my boat into the pond and it balanced lovely on the water, most the children smiled and some even cheered!
It was then time to get the children to make some boats; with all our different age ranges they all needed different help and support. The children would hold the cork in one hand and insert the stick into the other side; this is when an adult will help as it’s a little stiff to push the stick into the cork. This activity helped the children use their fine motor skills, gross motor skills and communication skills.
Once the children had made their boat it was time to throw the boats into the pond, I think this was a big part of the activity. All the children seemed to love throwing them in and seeing whether they float; which luckily they all did! Some of the boats went so far they ended up in the reeds and one is still abandoned on the lily pads due to a big throw from one of our boys! After all the boats were in the water we counted how many we had made and spoke about why and how they float. This allowed us to talk about mathematics.
As the week drew to an end we reflected on what the activity bought to the children and how the children found it. The team have discussed next week talking about buoyancy and which of our toys may float or which ones will sink.
Thanks for reading,
Lauren