This term at Speedwell Nursery School, children across both Wren Room and Owl Class have been getting active, building coordination skills, developing descriptive language through storytelling and, in Owl Class, learning to use real tools with precision.
Following guidance that children under five need 180 minutes of physical activity each day, both rooms have been focusing on big movements with coordination. Children have been building and attempting obstacle courses, finding creative ways to move over, under, around and through obstacles. In Wren Room, children have been copying animal movements described in From Head to Toe by Eric Carle — stomping like an elephant, clapping like a seal or wriggling like a crocodile. In Owl Class, children have continued practising throwing and catching and enjoying movement play, all whilst using balance, agility and spatial awareness.
Both rooms have used core stories to develop positional and descriptive language. Wren Room has been acting out and retelling We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, mapping their journey through the garden and using positional language to talk about routes and obstacles — under tunnels, over blocks, behind trees. Owl Class has been doing the same with Rosie’s Walk, following the hen’s adventure and the fox’s mishaps, and exploring maps, globes, atlases and map-based books and stories, even creating their own maps.
In Owl Class, children have also been introduced to woodwork this term, learning about different tools, their names and uses, and how to use them safely and effectively with precision and purpose. This fine motor skill development builds confidence and capability.