Educational Goat Visit Enhances Local Community Learning
Children at Speedwell Nursery School recently enjoyed an exciting educational trip to visit goats residing on a local playing field, demonstrating this Bristol nursery’s commitment to connecting early years learning with the immediate community.
The carefully planned outing provided valuable opportunities for children to practise road safety skills, holding hands and listening attentively to early years practitioners whilst crossing roads. Upon arrival, the children were introduced to the goats, Florence and Felix, creating memorable connections with local animals.
Whilst Felix displayed natural shyness, Florence proved more curious about her young visitors, approaching the fence to investigate. The children experienced hands-on animal care under careful supervision, gently offering leaves to the goats with guidance from a local volunteer who was feeding the animals.
This community-focused approach to early years education allowed children to return to the Bristol nursery with exciting stories to share, enhancing their communication skills and building confidence in recounting experiences.
Creative Expression Through Travelling Light Theatre Workshop
Speedwell Nursery School welcomed the professional team from Travelling Light Theatre Group for an inspiring morning of creative exploration and movement. This Bristol early years setting regularly incorporates arts experiences to support children’s creative development and self-expression.
The session began with circle time activities where children copied movement sequences, developing their listening skills, coordination, and ability to follow instructions. The workshop then evolved into free exploration, allowing children to investigate various materials at their own pace.
Early years practitioners observed children experimenting with mark-making techniques on corrugated card, whilst others created unique patterns and arrangements using small foam pieces. This child-led approach to creative learning supports individual interests and encourages innovative thinking within the Bristol nursery environment.
Problem-Solving Adventures Inspired by ‘The Enormous Turnip’
Term 5’s core story, ‘The Enormous Turnip’, provided rich learning opportunities for children at this Bristol early years centre. The early years team shared the narrative through multiple approaches, helping children develop retelling skills using story maps and visual supports.
To deepen understanding of the story’s central challenge, early years practitioners created real-life problem-solving experiences. Children discovered large logs in the nursery garden that needed moving, perfectly mirroring the story’s premise.
Referring back to their story book for inspiration, the children identified rope-pulling as a potential solution. The practical experiment revealed that one or even two children couldn’t move the heavy logs alone, naturally leading to collaborative problem-solving as more friends joined the effort—exactly as demonstrated in the beloved story.
This hands-on approach to early years literacy demonstrates Speedwell Nursery School’s innovative methods for bringing stories to life, encouraging teamwork, and developing problem-solving skills through meaningful, age-appropriate challenges that connect directly to children’s reading experiences.
