Children at Cashmore Early Years Centre have settled into the new term with animal stories in Hippos and Giraffes, a shopping trip and pizza making in Tigers and Zebras, and a theatre visit for everyone.
In Hippos and Giraffes, hello and goodbye songs are helping children learn each other’s names. Animals have been a big favourite, with children naming them and trying out their noises through stories like Dear Zoo and Doing the Animal Bop, and now Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? Old MacDonald Had a Farm, Down in the Jungle and Five Little Monkeys have been on repeat too. At group time, children have been building with Duplo, magnetic bricks and small wooden bricks, and fitting pieces into pegboards.
Tigers and Zebras have been settling into new key groups and talking about feelings. Children practised making different faces and talked about safe things to do with big feelings, such as stamping their feet when they are angry or having a hug when they are sad. Their interest in shopping led to cutting pictures from magazines to make shopping lists and singing Five Currant Buns with coins. Then, in small groups, they walked to Lidl. Each child found what they needed, scanned it, put money in the machine and brought the shopping and receipt back to nursery.
That shopping included pitta bread, tomato purée and cheese, so back at nursery children made their own pizzas, following the steps in order, spooning on the sauce and sprinkling the cheese before the adults baked them. Families can try this at home too: mix the tomato purée with a little water so it spreads easily, and add favourite toppings like sweetcorn, peppers or herbs.
Both groups also went to see The Travelling Light Theatre Company at Wellspring Settlement. Children played, listened to music and moved together before watching the performers on stage, and they joined in and paid attention brilliantly.