NATURE

September 16, 2016 Samart, early childhood development, loose parts, small worldLeave a comment

All our little ones are passionate about nature and caring for the earth…They love discussing how to look after nature…We chatted about how to care for the earth, it’s creatures and resources…A big theme this week was discussion around negative actions that destroy the beautiful land we love and how it makes us feel and what actions we can do to keep nature beautiful…

We had fun with different art forms and activities…

Great fun with sensory sorting and nature loose parts…

And some art to remind us of all our meaningful nature discussions this week…

SHOPPING!

August 22, 2016 Samcounting, loose parts, play, shopping theme, sorting activitiesLeave a comment

Probably one of our most exciting themes of the year! The children just love their little shop and have spent hours buying, selling and chatting…There has been a lot of discussion around the concepts of money, saving and spending… Listening to them chatter amongst themselves and organise their shopping while sharing and taking turns has been exciting!

We have had fun with sensory & counting activities and plenty of time for process art.

And some art to remind us of our fun at the shops!

FUN ON THE FARM!

August 13, 2016August 26, 2016 Samart, farm theme, loose parts, play, sensory play, small worldLeave a comment

So many budding farmers at school this week! The children have loved talking about and exploring the farm… Of course farm animals are always a favourite but there was also a deeper level of discussion around our food and where it comes from…Caring for animals and our responsibilities towards nature as well as a sense of gratitude for farms and farmers were also hot topics this week!

There were plenty of opportunities for open ended creative activities as well as great sensory play…

Creative and memorable art to remind us of our week on the farm!

SPIDERS & INSECTS

July 29, 2016July 29, 2016 Saminsects and spiders, light and shadow, loose parts, ohp, play provocationsLeave a comment

It’s been a week of creepy crawlies at school this week! The children have come up with some amazing ideas about the insect and spider world…We have had big discussions about insect & spider habitats, what they eat and who eats them, what they do and what makes them all unique.

We’ve had opportunity for sensory play, loose parts, cutting and matching and sorting…

Fun with light and shadows…

Opportunities to explore through art…

And even discovering our own friends in the garden…

finding snails.jpg

BACK TO TERM 3!

July 21, 2016July 22, 2016 Samart, loose parts, play provocationsLeave a comment

We are back to term 3 after a rather long holiday and the school has had a revamp and paint… It’s been a great time to de-clutter and find old treasures! Plenty of time to think about what was on our shelves and whether what was available encouraged creativity, imagination and open ended learning…

This week we have a selection of loose parts and simple provocations…

The week has mostly been about settling back into our rhythm of school mornings and reconnecting with our friends…

NUMBER FUN!

June 5, 2016 Samloose parts, numbers, ohp, shadows, sorting activitiesLeave a comment

The children have been exploring numbers and number concepts this week… They have had great fun with number loose parts, sensory sorting activities and number shadows…

Plenty of opportunities to have fun, ask questions and play together…

FAIRYTALE AND FANTASY

May 24, 2016 Samfairy tale, light table, loose parts, ohp, play provocations, playschoolLeave a comment

In the wet dark days of winter we’ve decided to create a little magic at play school… Nothing like a little “fairytale” magic to brighten our darker colder days and put a spring in everyones step! We had great fun with indoor and outdoor fairytale small worlds…

We had fun with loose part play, sorting and construction…

We experimented with different art forms and used up lots of our watercolour bits and pieces to remind us of our favourite fairy tales…

Of course nothing better than some sparkles, light and shadows to turn a dreary day into a magical world… The children had a wonderful time finding treasures and experimenting with their shadows…

RAINFOREST!

May 13, 2016 Samloose parts, play, play provocations, rainforest1 Comment

The children have had great fun learning about the rainforest this week! There have been many questions and opportunities to learn as they have discovered all the hidden treasures of the forest! Fascination with creatures big and small and how important the rainforests are to our earth…

We surrounded ourselves with all sorts of play provocations this week…

Some loose part and small world play…

Many opportunities for getting creative and exploring colour…

Sensory, animal sort and snake threading play…

Creating some of our favourite rainforest friends…

And finding hidden rainforest friends in our own outdoor forest…

AUTUMN PLAY

April 22, 2016 SamAutumn, early childhood development, light, loose parts, play provocationsLeave a comment

Somehow Autumn always arrives just in time for us to explore another season! This year is no exception…suddenly the days have gotten chilly and there are plenty of leaves floating around to remind us Autumn has arrived! In between playtime we have had hot chocolate breaks to warm us up and chat around the table while Autumn play provocations and colours have surrounded us…

The children have been fascinated by the earthy smells and textures of Autumn. There has been a lot of discussion around the changing colours of Autumn and how nature prepares for the coming winter…

We have had fun playing around with different art forms and incorporated our Autumn finds into them…

Changing light and temperature during the Autumn mornings has not gone unnoticed by the children so we incorporated some fun light and shadow play to encourage experimentation and discussion around this…Such fun!

EASTER FUN!

March 16, 2016 Samart, easter, loose parts, play provocations, playschool, sensory activity, sorting activitiesLeave a comment

The last few days before term have been filled with Easter fun! The children seem to sense there are holidays ahead and the priority is to fill each morning with as much play time together as possible… We’ve been enjoying the last of the warmer days before term 2 with plenty of outdoor fun and easter anticipation…

We’ve had fun easter play provocations in the classroom…