Letter hunt – for all different abilities. From finding letters from their name to building words using newspapers, wrappers and magazines.

Making a scrap book
It can be a variety of things, one page could be how many numbers you can find in an old paper, magazine or food wrappers and boxes.
Next it could be some different leaves you find in the garden, google the types of trees and add some labels on there.

Drawing pictures of family and friends, explore differences and talk about height, hair, features.

Collage of different materials around the house, you can use anything. Lots of different wrappers are a variety of materials. Old clothes could be cut and used.
Your favourite story character.
Your favourite dinner.
Your favourite TV program.
You can draw, wrote and learn together.
Anything you do can be a learning if you add a little extra fun!

Outdoor scavenger hunt (in your garden if you have one).  Attach double sided tape to a strip of card. Collect things outdoors and stick them on to the tape. These can be random or around a theme like perhaps signs of spring, all about green, I can find a rainbow etc. If they are not too bumpy the finished strip can be laminated.

Use recycled plastic containers such as yoghurt pots, varying sizes of milk bottles, etc with a pan for an exploration of capacity at the kitchen sink. Add food colouring if you have any. Ask your child, how many pots it takes to fill the pan? talk about full, half full, empty. If you have plastic tea set, use this to find out how many cups you can fill with the teapot.

Hidden sounds
Find pairs of household objects that make a noise-eg pans and wooden spoons, shake a bunch of keys, scrunch a crisp packet, shake rice in a jar etc
Hide one set of objects behind the sofa and put the other in front of you.
Ask your child to sit with the hidden objects
You make a sound, can your child make the same sound. If you play an rhythm can they copy it?
Have fun together and make a band!

Make your own kite- then see if it will fly!

Make a potion.  Find things in your garden to add to your potion - grass, twigs, leaves etc.

Have some number fun this week! 

Please post photos of your amazing activities on class dojo.

Below is a link to a few games we play in nursery

https://www.topmarks.co.uk/maths-games/3-5-years/counting

The link below is great for parents as well as children explaining how maths is everywhere.  It explains how we use maths everyday without even thinking about it.  There are lots of tips and ideas to make maths fun. 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups/help-your-child-with-maths

How many different number rhymes do you know?

Here are a few to start you off:

1,2,3,4,5, once I caught a fish alive.

5 currant buns in a bakers shop.

5 little monkeys.

Can you think of some more?

Counting games outside

Count how many birds can you see out of your window or in your garden.

How many flowers can you see?

How many bugs can you find?

Use chalk to have a go a writing your numbers.

The Eden Project have some great ideas too.  Follow this link to make some 'curious eyes' to help you look for birds, flowers and bugs.

https://www.edenproject.com/sites/default/files/documents/curious_eyes_template.pdf

Have fun with shapes this week:

• Go on a shape hunt indoors or outdoors – how many different shapes can you find?  Do you know what shape it is?
• Cut out shapes to make a monster picture or whatever you like.

Other ideas:

• Build a den using blankets or sheets.
• Cut out pictures from magazines of your favourite colour/character/letters in your name (This idea came from one of our parents).
• Make your own instrument to bang or play on Thursday evening when we clap for the NHS and carers (again an idea from a parent).

There are also some great ideas on this website:  https://hungrylittleminds.campaign.gov.uk/

Don’t forget, the everyday things you do are so important

You can help your child to learn through the little things you do with them, for example:

• everyday conversations help to develop listening, speech and language as well as knowledge and understanding.
• make-believe play develops the imagination.
• games with numbers or letters help with counting and number and letter recognition.
• reading together is so important and a very special time to share together.
• involving them in the things you are doing, such as household chores, and talking with them about it, why do are doing them and how they can help.

Most importantly, have FUN with whatever you do!

I know lots of you love The Gruffalo story.  Here is a link to some great Gruffalo activities:

https://www.forestryengland.uk/resource/gruffalo-spotters-activity-shee

If you have a garden or are able to go out for a walk, see how many different flowers you can find.  Take a photo of them and send them to me on Class Dojo.  See if you can name them too.  I will see how many I can find as well.  I wonder who can find the most?

For those starting school in September here is a great link full of information and ideas.  

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/collections/starting-primary-school/1

Also, don't forget to practise the 10 things we hope a child can do before starting school.

Here is a reminder:

(1) Happy to leave their parents with a smile :-))

(2) Be able to go to the toilet independently and wipe their own bottom.

(3) Pour their own water/milk at snack time without causing a tsunami!!

(4) Know traditional stories/fairy stories such as Goldilocks, Little Red Hen, Gingerbread man, etc.

(5) Know a range of Nursery rhymes

(6) Be able to put on their own coat, shoes and socks and have a go at dressing and undressing independently.

(7) Be able to follow one instruction and carry it out successfully and ideally be able to follow more than one instruction (eg: go and get your book bag and water bottle before sitting on the carpet)

(8) Put lids on pens when you are using felt tips.....listen for the click as it shuts so the pens don't dry up!!

(9) Tidy up - put things back after using them.

(10) Have a go!!! Persevere and be willing to have a go at anything asked :-))

New activities to try for this week

Here are great skills to be learning at home:

Independence

• Dressing and undressing
• Make your own lunch, chopping fruit and vegetables (with adult supervision), butter your own bread for your sandwich.  Choose your filling, remember healthy eating!

Fine motor skills

• Cutting - Freely, straight line, curved line (see below)
• Practise holding a pencil/brush - painting with water, chalk drawing or just use your finger to make marks or draw with paint/cornflour/flour (if you have managed to get some!)

Rhyming words – Here is a link to a game to play.  See if you can match the rhyming words:

 https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/phase-2-rhyming-words-powerpoint-t-l-527505

Celebrate VE day with these activities:

•  Make your favourite sandwiches and cakes and have a picnic in your garden
•  Have a barbecue in your garden
•  Make flags and bunting to celebrate VE day (see below)
•   Play games in your garden
•   Dance!

Templates for craft activities:

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/search?term=VE+day++activities

Most of all stay safe and have FUN!

New Home Learning Ideas

Challenge:  What can you make with a cardboard box? 

Will it be a robot, car, garden, or a house?  Give it a go!

Making patterns – can you make a pattern using household objects or things you may find in your garden.

Also, here is a really useful booklet that has just been released.  It has lots of very useful information, tips and ideas to support your child and it covers all ages in Early Years.  

https://www.skipforeyeducators.co.uk/booklet/covid19_familybooklet_poster.pdf

Here are some new activities to try at home:

Floating and Sinking – Experiment to see which objects float and which objects sink.

Here is a link to give you some ideas:

https://www.learning4kids.net/2014/04/15/floating-and-sinking-science-activity/

Fine motor skills

Here is a link to give you some ideas:

https://theimaginationtree.com/40-fine-motor-skills-activities-for-kids/

Can you make a pattern with objects in your house or garden?

If you go to Class Dojo you will see some I have made.

Here are some links covering a range of topics:

Ages and stages – speech and language

https://ican.org.uk/i-cans-talking-point/parents/ages-and-stages/

Activities:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/activities/zjh8hbk

Nursery rhymes and songs:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/nursery-rhymes-and-songs-collection

A few emotion ideas from Twinkl:

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-s-1056-how-do-you-feel-today-emotions-chart

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-s-1122-when-im-angry-i-can-strips - Thought this might be a nice idea for parents to make with their children, they could make their own and personalise it.

https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resource/t-t-2151-blank-faces-templates

To help your child talk about their feelings:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/z7xmmfr

Feelings check

https://www.hacw.nhs.uk/download.cfm?doc=docm93jijm4n1128.pdf&ver=2076

Story ideas:

https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/duolingo-abc-learn-to-read/id1440502568  Duolingo App

https://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/have-some-fun/storybooks-and-games/

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE5MZB5pedUPvv6dZAY4wLYWmLhfEpaYp

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGj_MrOZeQkVb7FCD-ogNPA

https://www.booktrust.org.uk/