What we’ve been up to this month…
During this month, we explored the theme of Minibeasts & Bugs, focusing on small creatures and the habitats they live in. The children enjoyed a wide range of hands-on activities, outdoor discoveries, and imaginative play, which helped them develop a greater understanding of the natural world and the importance of caring for living creatures and their environments.
The children took part in a variety of small world activities, where they explored different minibeasts, learned about where they live, and discovered how they survive in nature in an engaging and age-appropriate way. They thoroughly enjoyed bug hunts, creating habitats, exploring natural materials, and learning about life cycles, all of which encouraged curiosity, investigation, and a love of discovery.
Throughout the month, the children also enjoyed celebrating Great Big Green Week, World Ocean Day, Father’s Day, and Make Music Day. They participated in a range of themed activities, creative experiences, music sessions, and group celebrations, making wonderful memories while developing new skills and knowledge.
What’s happening next month…
We will be looking at Summer & Water Fun, with a focus on exploring the warmer weather through sensory play, outdoor learning, and hands-on experiences.
The children will enjoy investigating water in different ways, helping them develop their understanding of the world while having fun.
We will be taking part in a variety of water-based activities, including splashing in water play, ice melting investigations, and floating and sinking experiments. These experiences will encourage curiosity, problem-solving, and early scientific thinking while supporting communication, physical, and social development.
The children will also enjoy celebrating International Tiger Day (29th July) through themed arts and crafts, storytelling, and small world activities, helping them learn about tigers, their habitats, and the importance of protecting wildlife.
July Preschool focus:
Throughout July, our Preschool children will take part in a range of fun, practical mathematical experiences to build their confidence and support their transition to school.
Through indoor and outdoor play, they will enjoy number hunts, counting games, measuring, sorting, matching, and problem-solving activities.
Our focus will be on developing subitising skills, number recognition, counting, and confidently recognising, ordering, and representing numbers to 20.
The children will also practise linking numerals to quantities, using mathematical language, and exploring numbers through hands-on play-based learning to help build the confidence and skills they need for school.
Activities we will do at nursery:
- Ice Painting using paint and water
- Beach-Themed sensory tray with homemade boats
- Water Play Station in the garden with filling and pouring activities with pipettes
- Floating and Sinking Investigation using everyday objects
- Ice Rescue Challenge using spray bottles
- Tiger Mask creating and painting
- Summer Nature Hunt in the garden
- Fruit Ice Lolly Making with water and fruit
- Handprint suns
Some ideas to do at home:
- Go on a Nature Walk – Look for signs of summer such as flowers, butterflies, bees, birds, and different types of leaves.
- Exploring Water Play – Use bowls, cups, jugs, and sponges in the garden or bath to practise pouring, filling, and splashing.
- Freeze and Explore Ice – Freeze small toys in ice and encourage your child to melt the ice using warm water and different tools.
- Try a Floating and Sinking Experiment – Fill a bowl with water and test everyday objects to see whether they float or sink.
- Read Stories About Summer or Tigers – Share books together and talk about the characters, animals, and settings.
- Make Healthy Summer Snacks – Prepare fruit kebabs, smoothies, or homemade fruit ice lollies together.
- Create Summer Artwork – Paint, draw, or make a collage using natural materials collected on a walk, such as leaves, flowers, or grass.
- Learn About Tigers – Talk about where tigers live, look at pictures or videos together, and discuss why it is important to protect wildlife and their habitats.