Well can you believe it, we are at the end of the Summer term and it has been quite a journey.
Now it is time to relax, have fun and enjoy seeing those people we haven’t been able to see for a long time.
We are so proud of all of the children, they have come such a long way since September and they continue to shine, we are incredibly sad our journey together was cut short but we are honoured to have spent the time we did together.
This week we are sharing some fun ideas to do to sum up the children’s time in Nursery or Reception as well as sharing a few things to bare in mind during the Summer holidays.
Please take your pick of the activities available. This week these are for both Reception and Nursery.
Look at your learning journey (file or Tapestry) and talk with your grown up about your favourite parts or your memories. Can you remember making that model? Can you remember when we did that?
Draw a picture to share your favourite memory.
Look through your learning journey and see how far you have come, what was your first picture like and what is it like now? Could you try drawing the same thing again and look at the differences.
Here are some of the teachers favourite stories to check out; maybe you have them at home, if not check out Youtube to listen to them;
Mrs Nelson’s favourites:
You’re called what? by Kes Grey
Pig the Pug by Aaron Blabey
There’s a dragon in your book by Tom Fletcher
Mrs Jones’s favourites:
The bear who went Boo! by David Walliams
Gordon’s Great Escape by Sue Hendra
The Smeds and the Smoos by Julia Donaldson
Mrs Watson’s favourites:
Zog by Julia Donaldson
Keith the cat with the magic hat by Sue Hendra
The Tiger who came to tea by Judith Kerr
Mrs Ward’s favourites:
Alfie gets in first by Shirley Hughes
Mog the forgetful cat by Judith Kerr
The Jolly Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Ms Turner’s favourites:
How to catch a star by Oliver Jeffers
Only one you by Linda Krantz
Oh the places you’ll go by Dr Seuss
Can you write about your favourite part of the book? Write about your favourite story? Pass your favourite book to a friend to borrow and see what they think.
Draw your favourite character from the story.
Maths
Hopefully the weather will be kind so please find some ideas for how you can find maths outdoors.
Take a metre piece of string outside and use it to check and measure the things you come across.
Collect a number of flowerpots of different shapes and sizes, and turn them upside down for your child to use as drums. Do the bigger pots produce a different sound?
Get your child to estimate distances using large steps, set them challenges like, “How many steps is it to the next lamp post?” Estimate then check, and see how they become more accurate with practice.
A good activity for kids who love sports. Take a ball outside and challenge your child to copy a pattern that you make up, such as ‘bounce, roll, throw.’ Say the instructions out loud. Can your child come up with their own pattern for you to copy.
Use large sticks or broom handles lashed together with rope to create the frame of a den in a variety of 3D shapes, like cube, cuboid, square-based and triangular pyramids. Talk about the properties as you’re building, and let your child help using a variety of different materials.
Read a map. Rather than always using the satnav, take the time to go exploring using an Ordnance Survey map: a really helpful way to learn about movement and direction. Or you could make your own maps of your walks.
Draw a line on the ground using chalk, and arrange five natural objects (a stone, a leaf, a pine cone, etc.) on one side of the line. Your child has to find five matching objects and copy your layout as a mirror image on the other side of the line: a good lesson in symmetry.
When you are outside, look for numbers that occur in the environment, for example on front doors and road signs. What’s the biggest number your child can find? What’s the smallest? Can they find a number in an unexpected place? Take photos of numbers and then try and put them in order – going forwards or backwards at home.
Sum up all your hard work on dinosaurs.
Think about what you know now about dinosaurs – can you answer these questions…
1. Name 2 different dinosaurs.
2. What’s the difference between a carnivore, herbivore and omnivore?
3. What is fossilised dinosaur poo called?
4. How do we know what we do about dinosaurs?
5. Where do all dinosaurs come from?
6. What has been your favourite dinosaur activity? 
Summer Ideas
Check out Spread the Happiness (The disco dough lady – Shonette Bason) 50 things to do in Summer 2020. https://www.spreadthehappiness.co.uk/product/50-things-to-do-for-summer-2020/
How many can you tick off before September. For the Nursery children staying with us going into Reception – can you share any of them on Tapestry?
Remember to share baking and cooking experiences:
Check out https://www.bettycrocker.co.uk/recipes/baking-with-kids
https://www.bakingmad.com/recipes/kids-baking
Could you try making any of the following?
– Cupcakes
– Biscuits
– Krispie Cakes
– Mars Bar slice
– Chocolate Brownies
– Ice Cream Cone Cakes
What about doing a bit of science still.
Check out https://www.sciencefun.org/kidszone/experiments/
You could make a lava lamp or a rainbow in a glass.
Try to continue a little bit of something over the hols, things like…
Nursery
1. Games like I-Spy
2. Counting out treats – such as how many sweets? How many pieces of fruit do you have?
3. Look for numbers and shapes when you’re on a walk or a journey in the car
4. Add some pictures to Tapestry
5. Paint with water outside – your name/a picture
6. Use chalk on the pavement
7. Play board/turn taking games
Reception
1. A little bit of regular reading 2 or more times a week
2. Writing whilst playing – write cards, postcards, birthday cards etc, write shopping lists, birthday lists, invitations to come and play
3. Write outside with water or chalk
4. Solve simple problems – We have four people for tea, how many knives and forks do we need altogether?
5. Play board/turn taking games
Most importantly….
Have fun, laugh, smile, hug those you can tight and remember always that you are amazing.
Come back a little bit taller, a little bit older and with a massive smile for us – we will be excited to see you in September.
Kind Regards
Mrs Nelson, Mrs Jones, Mrs Ward, Mrs Watson, Miss Turner,
Mrs Storey, Mrs Wallace, Mrs Hewitt, Mrs Yule, Mrs Tipton and Mrs Bell.
