The Chronicle

To celebrate the unexpected snowfall this week, the children have been busy creating enchanting 'winter wonderland' pictures. They dipped conkers in vibrant paint and rolled them across sheets of black paper, adding a magical touch with plenty of glitter to complete their masterpieces. The result is a stunning display of creativity and winter magic!

The Dormice have also been exploring primary colours. They enjoyed an engaging activity where they sorted colourful counters into the corresponding cups. This hands-on exercise not only helped them learn about primary colours but also improved their sorting and matching skills. It's wonderful to see them having fun while learning!

Lastly, some of the children expressed their enthusiasm for cooking by preparing a delightful dinner for Miss Emma and the dolls. They took great care in planning and 'cooking' their pretend meals, showcasing their creativity and imagination. It was a heartwarming activity that allowed them to practice their social and fine motor skills while having a lot of fun. Badgers and Hedgehogs have truly embraced the Winter Wonderland this week. For many children, it was their first encounter with ice and snow, so we seized the chance to integrate our learning with the seasonal weather.

Bundled up in warm winter coats, we ventured out into the flurry of snowfall and blanket of snow, greeted by squeals of excitement and joy. The children caught snowflakes on their tongues, crafted snowballs to line up tiny snowmen along the fence posts, giggled with delight during a snowball fight with the staff, and explored the sheet-ice that had formed over the large puddle on the sandpit cover.

Indoors, as part of our continuous provision, they counted chocolate chips on cookies and built corresponding ice cube towers; filled cylinders of various volumes with snowball pompoms; drew around circles of different diameters to create a massive snowball fight; chalked snowmen; painted snowstorms; and explored a large tray of frozen sparkles, watching as the ice blocks slowly melted to reveal hidden treasures. During circle time, they mimed various snowy activities and suggested fantastic topical vocabulary during phonics.

Our big science experiment for the week focused on investigating different methods to thaw ice blocks. The children brainstormed numerous creative ideas, which we recorded on a large chart. We ultimately decided to dress the ice blocks in winter wear to 'warm them up': a hat, a fleecy jacket, a glove, and a blanket were checked at regular intervals throughout the day to monitor how long it took for the ice blocks to melt.

We have had such wintry fun, thanks to the snowfall, which provided a delightful opportunity for us all to share!