Nursery
May 18th Ideas for this week.
This week let's learn about animals at 'the zoo'. I hope you managed to catch some of the animals live on Friday at Chester Zoo. My favourite was learning about the rhino! It was amazing watching the lady feed the rhino. I would love to feed different animals at the zoo!
Daily activities you could do with your children could include recognising and writing the sounds sent home in your pack. Writing their name. Counting out loud forward and backs to and from 10. As well as a number hunt and counting small groups of objects to 10.
|
Area of Learning |
Activities |
|
Physical Development |
Visit You Tube to move about like different animals to one of Nursery's favourites 'Busy Feet'. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MugzDjGDYjo
What other animals can you move about like? Can you move like a lion? How would a lion move? What sound would it make? Could you try a monkey, snake, bear, elephant? I am sure you could think of even more!
|
|
Literacy/ Communication and Language |
Read or listen to the story of 'Dear Zoo'. Could you retell the story with your grown up? You could make up your own version with different animals. On Wednesday 20/05/2020 I will be telling the story of Dear Zoo so have a listen.
Justin Fletcher reads 'Dear Zoo' with puppets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UywEnHKTMXk
Visit the 'Dear Zoo' website to play this listening game. What animals can you hear? Copy and paste the link into your browser. http://www.dearzooandfriends.com/
|
|
Maths |
Visit the 'Dear Zoo' site to play this matching pairs game. Can you find all the pairs? How many pairs will you try 2, 3 or 4! Copy and paste the link into your browser. http://www.dearzooandfriends.com/
When you go out and about for some fresh air look for numbers they are everywhere! What numbers did you see?
|
|
Expressive Art and Design
Understanding the World
|
If you have access to a printer there are some lovely activities including masks, mazes and dot to dots. http://www.dearzooandfriends.com/activities
Hear is a 'sing along' version of the story 'Dear Zoo'. Have a go and join in. It is wonderful. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kzl9IyeMWto
Could you draw a picture of your favourite zoo animal. My favourite is a giraffe!
Use the internet to find out information about the different animals from 'Dear Zoo'. Where does it live (when not in the zoo), what does it eat, how big is it? Here are a few websites you could use. https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/category/discover/animals/
https://animalfactguide.com/animal-facts/
|
Centipede!!!!
Tadpole Update!!! (Video 1)
(Please watch the videos in order, 1 and then 2).
Setting the frog free! (Video 2)
May 11th Ideas for this week.
This week let's learn about animals on 'the farm'. The farm is such a wonderful place to learn and have fun so we will try to do it from our own homes. Visit topmarks website;
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/Search.aspx?q=farm%20animals. There are lots of fun activities including a 'scene maker', 'virtual tour' and several songs.
Daily activities you could do with your children could include recognising and writing the sounds sent home in your pack. Writing their name. Counting out loud forward and backs to and from 10. As well as a number hunt and counting small groups of objects to 10.
|
Area of Learning |
Activities |
|
Physical Development |
Could you go for a walk near standalone farm? There is a lovely walk where you can go round the edge of the farm. What animals can you see? If this walk is not possible then go for a local walk to see what animals you can spot.
|
|
Literacy/ Communication and Language |
Watch the story 'Farmer Duck' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gug6P8l1q6c Talk about the 'lazy farmer'. Ask what would you do if you were the farmer? Would you help the duck? Talk about team work and how jobs are easier when you do them together. What jobs can you do at home together?
Use this website to help you teach the names of the adult and baby farm animals. You could also learn about the names of the males and females as an extra challenge! https://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/animals/Animalbabies.shtml
|
|
Maths |
Download this counting worksheet onto your phones or tablets. Your children can practise counting the farm pictures. https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-n-494-my-counting-worksheet-farm-animals
|
|
Expressive Art and Design
Understanding the World
|
Sing the nursery rhyme 'Old Mac Donald had a farm'. What animals will you have in your song and what noises do they make?
With your grown up could you design your own farm. What animals would you like on your farm? How many of that animal will you have? Together draw your farm and where the animals would live. (See below for ideas.) You could also do this on 'topmarks' site.
Go on a virtual farm trip. Use any of the links below to visit a farm from your sofa! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hg2ZX0PF-jI http://www.virtualfarmwalk.org/teachers.html (for this tour you will need Adobe Flash Player or you can sign up for free to download the tour). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqq4H6JsP5A (Go on a farm tour with Blippi!) |
Look what we have been up to at home....
Roscoe has been having lots of fun at home learning with his family. Roscoe has been cooking, growing, tasting new food, playing in the water, writing his letters and lots more!
Well done Sophia for running outside in the fresh air! for your 30 minute challenge!
Well done Raheem for doing your 30 minute challenge on the trampoline!
Mrs Jones doing her 30 minutes of exercise!
Mrs Gear doing her 30 minutes of exercise!
Salt Dough (Wednesday 06th May 2020)
Did you know that doves are a sign of love and peace? In keeping with our ‘bird’ theme I thought it would be lovely to make a plaque to display in your windows to send love and peace out to everyone who walks past.
Below is the recipe for salt dough. It is super simple. Just flour, salt and water. Add all the ingredients into a bowl. Mix it together. Roll it out flat with your hands or a rolling pin then press your hand print into it. (Remember to make two small holes at the top for ribbon.) Cook it on a very low heat in the oven for 3-4 hours then paint once cool.
Mental Health Move It Challenge
At Stonehill we have decided to join in and promote the 'Mental Health Foundations' excellent challenge!
This is a new challenge for May to get everyone moving, keeping active, healthy and feeling good. The theme this year is kindness.
So be kind to yourself and get involved daily by being active for 30 minutes.
How will you spend your 30 minutes? Walking, running, dancing or maybe something else?
Click on this link to find out more!
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/events/take-action-get-active-2020
May 4th Ideas for this week.
Here are some activities this week linked to 'birds'. Let's continue to learn about nature and the world around us! Check out the RSPB website for lots of fun activities, facts and games. Click below for fun games all linked to birds and nature.
https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-kids/games-and-activities/
Daily activities you could do with your children could include recognising and writing the sounds sent home in your pack. Writing their name. Counting out loud forward and backs to and from 10. As well as a number hunt and counting small groups of objects to 10.
|
Area of Learning |
Activities |
|
Physical Development |
'Mental Health Challenge'. Get active for 30 minutes daily. Be creative and think how you could do this in different ways. I will be posting how I will be keeping active later on this week!
Physical development is also about being healthy with what you eat. Get a collection of food from your fridge and cupboards and sort the food into 'healthy' and 'unhealthy' foods.
|
|
Literacy/ Communication and Language |
Click on this link to read a story about a 'blue tit'. https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-kids/kids-stories/little-orphan-blue-tit/ Talk about what you could do to encourage birds outside your window. Here are lots of practical ideas that you can do to help birds where you live. What will you do to help them? I would love to have some photographs of what you get up to. https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/advice/how-you-can-help-birds/ |
|
Maths |
Make a tally chart of garden birds. You could include pigeon, sparrow, blackbird, blue tit, magpie, crow, starling. (See example of tally charts below). Visit https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/wildlife-guides/bird-a-z/ This has a fantastic 'bird guide' with photographs and information about different types of birds.
Make a 'bird spotting area' on a window in your home and make a mark each time you see one of the birds on your chart. Which bird do you see from your window the most? |
|
Expressive Art and Design
Understanding the World
For Fun! |
Sing the nursery rhyme 'Two Little Dickie Birds'. Can you make finger puppets to go on each finger to help with performing the song?
Make binoculars using two toilet rolls to spot your birds. (See pictures below).
Copy this link into your browser to watch a live webcam of an owl and her eggs. Watch the mummy owl to see what happens. Thank you to Sophia and her Mummy for sharing this with us. It is wonderful to see. https://www.sdzsafaripark.org/cams/burrowing-owl-cams
Watch this short animated clip. Something to make you laugh! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK13SW0QW04 Talk about the moral of the story and link it to theme kindness. Are the little birds kind to the big bird? |
Bird Spotting and Binoculars!
Family Fun Day!!! (01/05/2020)
You have all been working so hard, parents and children. Why not take a trip to the beach. (A virtual beach that is!) This link will take you to the beach; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHPEKLQID4U&t=1772s
Why not pack a picnic, run away from the waves and have lunch together at the beach! Talk about what you would do if you were at the beach. Build sand castles, look for crabs, bury each other in the sand and even have an ice cream.
Please remember to share your pictures with me if you do. We went today and had a wonderful time!
Getting Ready for Reception
At this time of year we begin to think about the children being ready for Reception. For example getting dressed independently and going to the toilet without support. All children will start Reception in different places and this is nothing to worry about. This website has some useful things think about before September. If you have any questions please email me. https://www.pacey.org.uk/working-in-childcare/spotlight-on/being-school-ready/#readyforschool
School Ready! Some good ideas to think about.
Look what we have been up to at home....
Leo has been very busy doing lots of different practical activities. It looks like Leo is having a wonderful time at home. Thank you for sharing.
Wednesday 29th April 2020
I hope you are having lots of fun with the mini-beast activities so far this week! Click on the link below to join in an active yoga session whilst being part of 'The Hungry Caterpillar'. Perfect for a rainy day!
Look what we have been up to at home....
Phoebe has been busy practising writing her name. Well done Phoebe. Fantastic writing!
Look what we have been up to at home....
Thank you Tyler for sharing photographs from your walks to look for wild life around Letchworth. Tyler found tadpoles just like Mrs Gear did as well as lambs. Good spotting Tyler!
April 27th Ideas for this week.
Here are some activities this week linked to 'mini-beasts'. Mini-beasts is a great topic with lovely stories, songs and activities.
Daily activities you could do with your children could include recognising and writing the sounds sent home in your pack. Writing their name. Counting out loud forward and backs to and from 10. As well as a number hunt and counting small groups of objects to 10.
|
Area of Learning |
Activities |
|
Physical Development |
Visit YouTube and learn the song 'The Ants Go Marching'. This is a great song to march around your living room to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2S__fbCGwOM
Use cushions, blankets, boxes, teddies to make an obstacle course in your house or garden. How quickly can you go round your obstacle course? Can you build part of your course where you have to climb over something or crawl under something?
|
|
Literacy/ Communication and Language |
Listen to The Hungry Caterpillar on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75NQK-Sm1YY Can you make up your own version of the story using different food from your home? Maybe the hungry caterpillar will eat 1 banana and 2 carrots!!
Email Mrs Gear Week! If you send me an email this week I will send you a video message especially for your child reading them a story I think they would like. If you have already sent me an email then a video will be coming your way. Buddy will be there to say hello as well! Don't miss out! My email is; clairegear@stonehill.herts.sch.uk |
|
Maths |
Have a go at these two games on Topmarks; https://www.topmarks.co.uk/learning-to-count/ladybird-spots
https://www.topmarks.co.uk/ordering-and-sequencing/shape-patterns
|
|
Expressive Art and Design
Understanding the World |
Visit the Oxford Owl page following the link below. Scroll down to find and learn the rhyme 'Three Little Frog'. Can you learn the actions too? https://home.oxfordowl.co.uk/reading/early-reading-skills-age-3-4/
Can you do a drawing of the hungry caterpillar? Look carefully at the colours used and see if you can make your caterpillar look just like the one from the story.
Watch 'Come Outside' to learn about the life cycle of the butterfly. |
Friday 24th April 2020
Good Morning Nursery. I have been for a lovely walk this morning and I was very excited by what I saw! Watch the video below to see what I saw!
Lambs!
Look what we have been up to at home....
Thank you Sophia for sharing your brilliant drawings with us. Such amazing detail! I really love the rabbit too. Very creative.
Wednesday 22nd April 2020
Today is Earth Day!!!
Visit 'google earth' and search for your home, Stonehill Primary School Letchworth and other places significant to your family. Disneyland is quite a popular place to visit!! Watch as the satellite zooms in on these places.
Talk about what you do to help to look after the earth (recycle, put rubbish in the bin, walk to school and elsewhere).
https://earth.google.com/web/@51.99275213,-0.24096367,758.19822132a,18197648.74953747d,35y,-0h,0t,0r
Click on the link below for a lovely song with an important message about Earth Day.
April 20th Ideas for this week.
Here are some activities this week linked to 'tadpoles'. Scroll down to see our class tadpoles swimming around.
|
Area of Learning |
Activities |
|
Physical Development |
I hope you have been enjoying 'go noodle'. Click on the link below to take part in a 'follow me dance'. Its called 'Little Green Froggy'. Its great fun! https://family.gonoodle.com/activities/little-green-froggy
|
|
Literacy/ Communication and Language |
On separate pieces of paper adults to write the letters from your child's name. Hide them around your home or garden for the children to find. Ask them to arrange the letters in the correct order to make their name.
Visit 'Oxford Reading Tree' website. Click on link below; https://www.oxfordowl.co.uk/for-home/find-a-book/library-page/ You need to make an account which is free and takes a few minutes. You can then read or listen to'The Frog Prince'. Turn to page 30 to talk about the story. |
|
Maths |
Learn the song '5 Little Speckled Frogs'. After each frog jumps into the pond work out how many frogs are left? Could you change the song to '10 Little Speckled Frogs' and count backwards from 10? https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-five-little-speckled-frogs/zjjbnrd
Could you make up a 'points scoring' game to play with your family. For example bowling, throwing a ball/ beanbag into a box. Make a tally to see who gets the most points. My family and I are going to play 'Duck Bowling'! See below for a picture. |
|
Understanding the World |
What can you find out about tadpoles and frogs? I have had the tadpoles for a few days now. There is fresh water and weeds in there. Is there anything else they need? What can I feed them? When you find out some facts for me then please email me at; clairegear@stonehill.herts.sch.uk There are some facts if you click on the link below or perhaps you could find your own; |
Duck Bowling!
Summer Term 2020
I hope you all enjoyed the Easter holidays and ate lots of yummy chocolate.
During the holidays I collected a surprise for the Nursery children. Tadpoles!! I will be keeping you all updated on how they get on. Hopefully the children will see them before I have to release them into the wild.
Please explain to the children that they started as frogspawn. I collected them once they had hatched from the frogspawn into tadpoles.
Here are a few websites for you to show your children where they can learn about the
life cycle of a frog!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07y694z/hey-duggee-series-2-9-the-tadpole-badge (Hey Duggee)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6yuy5HV20s (Ben and Holly)
https://www.kidzone.ws/lw/frogs/facts3.htm (Froggy facts!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0x6M42m3IY (Come Outside! Mrs Gear's favourite)
The tadpoles are kept in a little tank in my garden with a net over the top to keep them safe!
Tadpoles!
Tadpoles!!
Holiday news (17th April 2020)
Thank you to JJ and Tyler who have shared their Easter news with me. I was pleased to see lots making and baking going on!
Holiday news (16th April 2020)
Thank you to Phoebe and Isabel who have shared their Easter news with me. Have a look at all the wonderful things they have been up to.
Easter!!
Friday (10th April 2020)
Have some fun and silliness this weekend. Visit https://www.gonoodle.com/ for fun songs and dances.
I hope you all continue to enjoy your family time during the Easter holidays. A big thank you to everyone who has sent me emails, photographs and letters to Buddy. It is lovely to stay in touch. I will continue to be available during the next two weeks so please feel free to email me at any time.
Here are a few fun activities for you to do if you need any ideas. Stay safe and I hope to see you all very soon. Happy Easter.
1. Cook eggs in different ways. Which way is your favourite? What is the rest of your family's favourite egg? How could you record this?
2. Using the play dough from your pack make patterns and shapes to decorate the outline of the Easter egg also in your pack.
3. I am sure that you will get lots of chocolate over the next few weeks. Melt some of the chocolate. What happens to the chocolate when it melts? What did it look like/ feel like/ taste like before and after?
4.On Cbeebies watch how Toby prepares for and celebrates Easter. You can also watch the Easter story illustrated through sand art!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/watch/lets-celebrate-easter
5. Look in your pack for 'Easter Home Learning Challenges'.
Look what we have been up to at home....
Thank you JJ for sharing your birthday news and fun activities with us!
Letter to Buddy (April 3rd 2020)
Thank you Marnie for your message to Buddy. He loved hearing from you!
Letters to Buddy (April 1st 2020)
Thank you to Isabel, Sophia and Freddie for your letters to Buddy. He was so excited to read them and write a reply. He cant wait to get more!
Look what we have been up to at home....
Thank you Lily for sharing all your fun activities with us!
Look what we have been up to at home....
Thank you to Phoebe, Tyler and JJ for showing us the different things they have been doing.
Look what we have been up to at home....
Thank you to Sophia and Isabel for showing us the different things they have been doing.
April 2nd
I love this activity and it is a quick and easy way to recycle the toilet and kitchen rolls. Can you make a toilet roll tunnel? All you need is toilet or kitchen roll and tape. With a grown up discuss where to place each roll so that the ball will land into a box at the bottom. What things can you put down your tunnel? Try to make two tunnels and then race different objects to see which one lands in the box first! Which object is the fastest? Why?
April 1st
I was doing some gardening in my garden yesterday. I went to the bottom (I do not normal go down there as it is very messy!)
I found this tunnel!! (See picture below).
Who do you think lives in there? Do you think it goes anywhere? I could not see the back of the tunnel so I think it must go somewhere! I was too big to fit inside.
With your grown up could you make up a little story about the tunnel and who lives in there. I will be making up a story too and posting it on here later in the week for you to read. Parents if you write down what the children say you can read it back to them. We did this in Nursery a lot and they love it.
March 31st Buddy Bear!!!
Hello Nursery
It is Buddy Bear here. I miss playing with you all in Nursery and having lots of fun. Mrs Gear took me home with her so you do not need to worry about me. I have been very busy making things, playing in the water, looking for shapes and lots more. I would love to hear from you all. If you send an email to clairegear@stonehill.herts.sch.uk I will send you an email to say 'hello' and answer any questions you may have asked me. I cant wait for your messages.
Love from,
Buddy Bear
(Parents when you send an email if you could focus on 'to' and 'from' as well as a question for Buddy Bear that would be fantastic. Thank you.)
March 30th Ideas for this week.
You may still have some activities left in your pack as there were quite a few ideas in there. Here are a few more ideas. If you have photographs of anything you get up to please email them to me and I can put them on our page. I hope you have fun doing the activities.
|
Area of Learning |
Activities |
|
Physical Development |
Could you help prepare a healthy snack with one of your grown ups for your family. Help to peel, chop and grate different fruits and vegetables for a special snack one day. Talk about foods that are healthy for you and snacks that are not as healthy.
We love 'Busy Feet' at Nursery. Play the video at home and get the whole family to join in! https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=busy+feet
|
|
Literacy/ Communication and Language |
Using the pasta in your pack or other small objects make the letters in your name. I used small stones I found in my garden. (See my name below).
Collect some toys/ toy animals from around your home. Make up names for them beginning with the same letter. For example 'Lizzy Lizard', 'Bertie Bear', 'Dean Dog' or 'Rachael Rabbit'. |
|
Maths |
On the internet go onto the website 'topmarks' https://www.topmarks.co.uk/early-years/shape-monsters. Play 'shape monster game' then go on a shape hunt around your home to see what shapes you can see.
In the bathroom sink/ bath or water tray outside fill up containers of different shapes and sizes. Talk about which one holds the most water and why. Use the vocabulary 'full', 'half full/ empty' and 'empty'. |
|
Expressive Arts and Design |
Watch and learn the song 'Spring Chicken' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEey4LZLeGw
Using a potato masher and paint make Easter eggs which you can cut out. Make 5 to 10 and ask your grown up to write numbers 1-5/10 on them and then hide them round your home to do an Easter egg number hunt. See below and just add numbers. |
March 27th Shapes
Using tape make shapes and lines on the floor (circles are very tricky). Play a game asking the children to stand in the different shapes and lines. You can add to this my saying one foot in the shape, hop in the shape, balance in the shape and more! Fun for all the family.
March 26th Rabbits
I am starting to get excited about Easter. We would be doing lots of Easter crafts at this time of year. With all the toilet rolls rolling around I have found these two rabbit themed activities using toilet rolls. They use very little resources which hopefully most of you will have at home. I will post the ones we make on here later. Please feel free to email me anything you make and I will post them on our class page.
March 25th Dice Game
Using a recycled box wrap it in paper and drawer dots fro 1 to 6 on each side. On another piece of paper write the numbers 1 to 6. Roll the dice and cross off numbers when the dice lands on each number. This activity is about matching quantities to numbers. Roll away!
March 24th Get Moving!
After doing Joe Wicks PE lessons for the last two days which are fantastic I have feel that for 3 and 4 year olds it may be a little too long and difficult. On Cbeebies I have found Andy's Wild Workouts. There are plenty of short exercises on there perfect for Nursery. I have done two today! I hope you and your little ones enjoy Andy as much as older children are enjoying Joe.
March 23rd Ideas for this week.
|
Area of Learning |
Activities |
|
Physical Development |
Watch Joe Wicks on YouTube ‘PE with Joe’ (this is on daily)
1 minute game. How many jumps/ claps/ hops/ star jumps/air kicks/ reach up high then touch toes…..can you do in 1 minute? You could even record this!
|
|
Literacy/ Communication and Language |
Go on a sound hunt. Look for things around your home beginning with ‘m’ and ‘a’.
Read the story from your ‘home learning pack’. Suggest a different way the story could end. |
|
Maths |
Using the number cards and toys or household items make groups and match the numbers. It is so important for children to know what is 3? etc. Choose a number and collect that many in different ways. For example 3 teddies, 3 spoons, 3 cushions,
Play hide and seek. Hide a favourite toy in different places. Take it in turns to give clues where to find the toy. Use vocabulary such as under, on top of, next to, inside. |
|
Expressive Arts and Design |
Children to teach parents ‘Knock, knock said the wolf, he said let me in, no way not by the hairs on my chinny chin’. (To the tune of Row row your boat’).
Put on favourite tunes and have a dance about, all the family. Who has the best dance moves? Who has the funniest dance moves? My family’s favourite song to dance to at the moment is ‘Shot Gun’ by George Ezra. |
School Closure
Packs are being sent out on Friday 20th March for all Nursery children. Please keep these packs safe as they will be referred to in weekly ideas.
Ideas for home learning will be shared regularly via Marvellous Me and on this page.
The Early Years focuses on play based learning. You can continue this through the home learning ideas shared on here. Should you need any support during this time I will be available via email. My email has been shared via Marvellous Me. If you have not signed up to Marvellous Me then please contact the office who will give you my email.
Stay safe everyone.
Class Letters
We want to know all the amazing things your child is doing at home. Please fill out a Wow! sheet when your child has a Wow! moment.
Stonehill School, Western Close, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, SG6 4SZ admin@stonehill.herts.sch.uk 01462 620262
All website content copyright © Stonehill School : Website Policy Website design by PrimarySite.net