Through March the Hive have been focussing on the key themes below having observed children’s interests.
Being physical: climbing on the toddle boxes and equipment both inside and outside. As practitioners we have supported this by building on and developing their language by pretending the boxes are cars, boats, buses, speed boats, planes and carts.
Both of the slides have been very popular, inside and out and we’ve been enjoying shouting one, two, three, weeeeee; to squeeze in a little bit of numeracy!
In the role play area we’ve been channelling our very own take on fashion week and we’ve all been dressing up and trying on different hats and headpieces and practising putting on dresses and shoes. This is a great activity that the children take in their own little directions. It can lead into discussions about where they are going, what their job is, who they are, how they put it on etc and it’s another great open ended activity that can tell us a lot through careful observation about the interests of your little people.
Outside we’ve jazzed up the water play area with glitter and animals. Animals really encourage little ones to mimic their sounds and enrich their imaginary play; and the glitter...well who doesn’t like glitter?
In the Hive we are also the proud new owners of some moveable digging pits. Learning theory explains that part of a child’s development takes place by schematically learning. A bit like picking a scheme and exploring it to make sense of the world. One of the key themes that is popular amongst a large group of children in the Hive is the transportation schema, otherwise known as lugging things from A to B for no apparent reason. Fear not though, there is method in your child’s seemingly random behaviour. They are sizing things up, measuring, manipulating, weighing and problem solving, whilst they are making a mess in your house. They are learning through play.
But breathe a sigh of relief because the digging pits are filled with sand and mud. We have been leaving buckets, containers and digging tools nearby and your children have been enjoying fully embracing their transportation schemas.
Peekaboo! Where are you?
Another schema is the enclosure schema, this one is easily explained by the old phenomenon that dictates a toddler will always prefer the box their large Christmas present arrives in, rather than the Christmas present itself.
With this in mind, the camouflage nets have been moved and a new metal framed den that comes complete with a transparent cover or nighttime cover have been really popular throughout March. For the children dens can be shops, rooms, kitchens; you name it. They can also be quiet spaces to relax and think, which is also a crucial process for their little minds.
One of our favourite times that really helps the children to feel safe and secure in their environment is our Circle Time in the Hive.
These little signposts within our daily routine are so crucial in making the little ones feel welcome and part of our little Free Rangers’ family that we’ve really focussed in on them, especially because we’ve welcomed quite a number of new faces, and here we’re referring to the children and staff. During Circle Time at the moment we have been looking at pictures of ourselves and each other and learning and saying our names and attempting the names of our new friends.
We’ve also been singing and waving during the “Hello Song.”
Notices
The week commencing 24.04.17 will be Bee Week in The Hive.
We’d love it if your child came in dressed up as a bee or in bee colours (black and yellow) as we’re trying to raise money in the lead up to a small team of us from Free Rangers completing the Three Peaks Challenge. All monies raised will be given to three Free Rangers families that greatly need our help.
Suggested donation: 50p - £1.
Throughout March the children who will be moving to the Burrow after Easter have had a few settling in sessions, getting accustomed to the main nursery building, their new friends, the room layouts and really importantly their new key people.