The Gibbons tried baby gymnastics this week for the first time. The children balanced on beams and did role-polys with help on our brilliant new gym matts. From gymnastics to yoga, the children listened to relaxing music and snag slow songs and practised stretching their arms and legs in the air. This week in the Gibbon room, the Reggio table had animal prints on the table and animals that matched the prints. There were also different textures for the gibbons to feel such as sand, leaves, grass and bamboo sticks. The Gibbons were little bakers this week, when they made some delicious banana pancakes. They chopped and mashed banana, cracked eggs and mixed it all together. Once they were cooked they ate it for their snacks. Mary Berry would be proud!
That’s a strike! This week the Baboons have been using sensory bottles and taking it in turns to knock them down. From becoming little bowlers to gymnastics, the baboons have been learning stretching and balancing in our dance room on the new matts. The Baboons finished listening to the Hungry Caterpillar this week. They were promoted to fill in the missing phrases and throughout the week fed a piece of fruit to the Caterpillar. Over to the messier side of the week, when our Baboons used flour to create shapes and lines. They used stencils and paint brushes but most of all they like to clap the flour in their hands and watch it fall like snow. As well as flour, the baboons used ice and glitter this week mixing the two with paint and discussed the different temperatures s and textures. In the Baboon group time this week the baboons discussed hygiene and wiping faces and nose in this cold January weather!
This week, the Gorillas have been discussing similarities and differences getting ready for our multi-cultural week in February. They looked in the mirror and painted themselves using the paints to show their different skin tones. Emotions and feelings were Gorillas group discussion this week. Choosing whether they are happy/sad etc. to tell us how they are feeling and how we can help people feel happy. Fire drill this week was also a scary moment for our Gorillas with the loud ringing sound. But our Gorillas were very well behaved in getting out safely and enjoyed learning about fire safety afterwards.. Actually it was discovered that a cheeky Gibbon had set the alarm off but an impromptu practice is never a bad thing. Mathematical genius are clearly among our Gorillas, as this week they were solving maths problems working on their additions Using coloured sticks and buttons to practise their counting; Einstein watch out! In our sport sessions, this week, Nadeem set up 8 spots in a circle and had groups of four children stand on a spot. They had to follow Nadeem’s instruction and only step on the spots to cross the paths without touching the floor. Our Gorillas proved to have excellent balance in this task. From stepping to jumping and hopping between the different spots This proved to more difficult for the Gorillas with balancing but much more of a laugh! Well done Gorillas
As Nature Kids has been super muddy and icy the children have been making things for it, ready for when our woodchip is down and the surfaces safer and more comfortable. We have been up there digging the final spaces and covering the soil so when we uncover in the Spring it’ll be great for growing. We are awaiting the arrival of chestnut poles for borders and fruit bush frames and then the delivery of a tonne of woodchip. Once this is down, hopefully by the end of next week. Then the children can come up and place their many natural wild bird feeders and wooden painted signs etc. We have now made a really good contact with an incredibly passionate member of the RSPB who will be advising us on how to encourage our very own natural haven for wildlife – they are even going to come to Nature Kids to give us first hand advice on how to encourage the endangered hedgehog, the incredible bee and much more. We are VERY excited about this (can you tell?) and will be working very closely with them in the future, starting with subscription to wildlife magazines for children so your little ones can become little nature experts. You never know we may discover the next David Attenborough!
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