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…

FATHERS DAY FUN!

June 20, 2016 Samfathers day, play, play provocationsLeave a comment

We had great fun chatting about our dad’s and how much they mean to us! The children spent a lot of time telling stories about their special fathers and preparing some special love gifts to take home to them!

We’ve also had great fun with various play provocations indoors while the weather has been cold and blustery outdoors…

Of course always time for art, activities and plenty of fun with our friends!

UNUSUAL ANIMALS

May 27, 2016 Samanimal theme, play, play provocations, sensory, small world, sortingLeave a comment

We’ve had great fun this week learning about animals we don’t get to see naturally in the wild in our part of the world…The children have loved every minute – learning new songs, getting familiar with weird and wonderful creatures, dramatic play and art…

Small world discovery, sensory play and colour and shape sorting…

Of course lots of different art to remind us of our fun week!

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!

NURSERY RHYME FUN!

April 22, 2016 Samart, nursery rhymes, play, play provocations, playschoolLeave a comment

We eased into the term with some nursery rhyme fun! The children had so much fun re-enacting their favourite nursery rhymes and learning some new ones! Nursery rhyme sensory tubs, felt boards and activities were great tools to encourage discussion and play…

Of course plenty of art to help us remember our rhymes and teach our friends!

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…

Lots of loose parts to sort and play, sorting trays to explore, sensory colour baskets and colour sorting…

Great excitement playing with rainbow rice…

And easter art to take home and enjoy!

COLOUR FUN!

March 4, 2016March 10, 2016 Samactivity, art, colour, loose parts, play, play provocationsLeave a comment

We’ve had great fun discussing the colourful world around us this week! It’s been a time to reinforce our colour knowledge and explore colour through various art forms and craft…