Children in Willow Room at The Limes Nursery School have been inspired by the windy weather and the changing environment in the nursery garden this month, exploring fallen leaves and observing caterpillars through creative and scientific activities.
The children have been busy gathering fallen leaves and using them in a variety of creative ways. They explored sticking leaves onto sticky paper and enjoyed the careful process of leaf rubbing, noticing the different textures, shapes and sizes as they worked. These activities supported children’s curiosity, fine motor skills and early creative expression as they experimented with natural materials.
Alongside this, the children have been sharing Eric Carle’s much loved story The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This has linked beautifully with real life experiences, as the children have been observing their own caterpillars eating, growing and changing. Watching this process has encouraged thoughtful conversations, close observation and early scientific thinking, helping children to make connections between stories, the natural world and their own experiences.
These rich experiences help children develop language as they talk about what they see and feel, build understanding of the world through hands-on exploration, and nurture curiosity through the combination of outdoor learning and storytelling.