Term 2

Term 1

Retelling The Three Little Pigs (Computing) - Weeks 5 & 6

Over the past two weeks, we have been exploring the traditional tale of The Three Little Pigs through lots of exciting, hands-on and creative activities! The children have loved listening to the story, talking about the different characters and retelling the events in sequence. We created our own story maps and used stick puppets to bring the story to life, developing our storytelling skills, imagination and confidence when sharing ideas.

In our literacy learning, we explored words linked to the story, including pig, mum and big, listening carefully to the sounds within each word. We also developed our observational and drawing skills by looking closely at pictures of pigs and noticing their different features, such as their snouts, ears, eyes and curly tails. The children then used these observations to draw their own pigs, thinking carefully about the details they could include.

Our creative activities gave us lots of opportunities to experiment with colour and texture. We explored colour mixing, combining different colours to create our own shades of pink before using our homemade paint to bring our pig drawings to life. We also investigated different building materials both indoors and outdoors, including straw and sticks, comparing their textures and properties before using them to create our own little houses. We thought about which materials might make the strongest house and why.

We also became little programmers using our Bee-Bots! The children worked together to create a map inspired by The Three Little Pigs, using the programmable robots to navigate their way around the story. Over the two weeks, we explored giving and following instructions, thinking carefully about direction, sequencing and how to programme the Bee-Bots to reach a chosen destination. The children enjoyed predicting where their Bee-Bot would travel, testing their instructions and making changes when things didn't quite go to plan!

Discovering The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds (Art) - Weeks 3 & 4

The Dot – Peter H. Reynolds

Over the past two weeks, we have been inspired by The Dot by Peter H. Reynolds and explored the idea that everyone can be creative. We talked about how sometimes the hardest part is simply having the confidence to make a start, just like Vashti in the story.

The children experimented with a variety of materials and painting techniques to create their own dots, circles and patterns. We used conkers, bubble wrap, wooden tubes and cotton bud ends to make different circular prints, as well as brushes for free painting. This gave the children opportunities to explore how different tools create different marks and effects, while developing their small-motor skills and control.

We also became colour scientists, exploring the three primary colours – red, yellow and blue. The children experimented with mixing colours and observed how combining paints created new colours. They enjoyed making predictions, experimenting and discovering the different colours they could create.

The children had opportunities to make independent choices about the materials and techniques they wanted to use, developing their own ideas and expressing themselves through art. We encouraged them to explore freely and celebrated the fact that every piece of artwork was unique.

To celebrate our learning, we finished the project by holding our very own art gallery! The children proudly displayed their artwork for children from KS1, Cherry and Mango class. They enjoyed looking at and talking about their creations, sharing their ideas and celebrating the artwork of their friends.

Most importantly, we celebrated the message from The Dot that there is no “right” or “wrong” way to be creative. The children have grown in confidence, discovered new ways to make their mark and shown us that their ideas and creativity really do matter!

 

Our Jeskyns Trip

Following our learning around Rain by Sam Usher, the children took their learning outdoors during our exciting trip to Jeskyns. Inspired by the rain in the story, they were challenged to build dens that would keep them dry.

Working together, the children experimented with fabric, cardboard and tarpaulin, using logs, pegs and string to construct their shelters. They predicted which materials would be waterproof before testing them with water and observing which materials kept the water out.

The children showed fantastic teamwork, problem-solving and perseverance as they adapted their dens and thought carefully about how to prevent the rain from getting inside. It was a wonderful opportunity to bring our learning from Rain to life while exploring materials, waterproofing and construction in the great outdoors!

 

Exploring Rain by Sam Usher (Science) - Weeks 1 & 2

Apple Tree have been exploring the wonderful story Rain by Sam Usher. We have used the story as a starting point for talking about our own experiences of rainy weather and thinking about what we might need when it rains. The children have developed understanding of stories by recalling and sequencing key events from Rain, using pictures to help them retell what happened. We have also explored the story through our continuous provision, creating our own flooded streets in the water tray with houses, people, cars and road signs. The children investigated which objects sink or float and enjoyed creating their own boats and adventures.

They have also experimented with drawing what happens on a rainy day, creating patterns and adding meaning to their marks, with plenty of opportunities to develop their name writing skills on their work.

In Expressive Arts and Design, we have explored different ways to represent rain. The children used sponges and circular printing tools to create puddles, listened to rainstorm sounds and created their own painted interpretations. We also made clouds using cotton wool and explored different materials, colours, sounds and movements to express our ideas about rain.

It has been wonderful to see the children using their imaginations, talking about their experiences and developing their confidence as they explored Rain through play, stories, and creativity. ☔️🌧️

 

 

Settling In

Apple Trees have had a great first week, getting to know their new friends! We read the story 'The Colour Monster goes to School' and talked about how it feels to start school, what the different emotions are and how we can support our friends to settle in too!