What we’ve been up to this month…
This month, we explored Growing Things, focusing on new growth, life cycles, and plants. The children learned about how nature changes in spring, spotting blooming flowers, new leaves, and minibeasts.
We introduced simple life cycle concepts by planting seeds and observing how they grow. Through stories, play, and discussions, children explored what plants need, such as water and sunlight, and shared their own experiences.
Activities included planting, watering, garden exploration, and minibeast hunts, alongside observing seasonal changes.
We also celebrated key events including World Book Day, British Science Week, Mother’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, and World Water Day.
What’s happening next month…
Next month, we will begin our topic Our Planet and Nature Explorers, focusing on reducing, reusing, recycling, and caring for our environment.
The children will learn simple ways to look after the planet through activities such as sorting recyclable materials and reusing everyday items in creative play. We will explore different habitats including forests, oceans, and woodlands, learning about the animals and plants that live there and how to protect them.
Through hands-on experiences like junk modelling, nature walks, and outdoor exploration, children will develop curiosity about the world around them while building positive habits such as tidying up and caring for their environment.
We will also celebrate Easter, National Sibling Day, Earth Day, St George’s Day, and International Dance Day.
April Preschool focus:
This month, we will focus on caring for our planet through simple activities like recycling and reusing, alongside celebrating Earth Day to help children understand how small actions can make a difference.
We will explore community roles such as firefighters, police officers, and vets through play and discussion, helping children understand how people keep us safe and care for others.
In preschool, we will continue supporting school readiness by talking about new schools, exploring them together, reading stories about starting school & encouraging independence, confidence, good listening, and positive behaviour.
Activities we will do at nursery:
- Nature sensory trays: Exploring soil, leaves, flowers to learn about plants and minibeasts.
- Recycling play: Using shredded paper, cardboard, and bottle tops to create collages and 3D models.
- Ocean and woodland trays: Using sand, pebbles, shells, and water to explore forest and ocean habitats
- Making construction play dough
- Talking about the golden rules and why we use them
- Paper plate earths
- Making family shields
- Making Eater crafts
- Handprint chicks with paint and feathers
- “saving the animals” in a water tray with tissue paper
- Making paper plate turtles
- Categorising what we recycle in a matching game
Some ideas to do at home:
- Recycling at home: Let your child help sort items like paper, plastic, and cardboard.
- Create junk modelling using boxes, plastic bottles, and cartons.
- Go for a walk and talk about how to keep the environment clean
- Encourage turning off the tap while brushing teeth and explain why water is important.
- Pretend to be firefighters, police officers, or vets using toys or dressing up.
- Discuss people you have seen in the community & what they do.
- Encourage caring behaviour by “checking” on toys like a vet.
- Look at your child’s new school website together and talk about what they might see there (classrooms, playground,teachers).
- Read books about starting school and talk about feelings
- Encourage your child to put on their own coat, use the toilet independently, and tidy up their toys.