We started the week with a lovely walk around the school grounds. Our focus was to identify objects in the environment using our identification sheet. The children found ivy berries, conkers, crab apples, and beech nut shells. The ivy berries were still green and so we had a discussion about the different types of birds that like to eat them.

In particular, we spoke about how redwings migrate from Iceland and Scandinavia to the UK. One of their favourite foods is ripening ivy berries.

As an extension activity, I showed the children a picture of a redwing and pointed out that part of the reason for its name is in fact due to the distinctive red colour under its wing.

On Tuesday, we made yummy pizza and they all used their super strong muscles to knead, poke and squeeze the dough. Afterwards, they chose their toppings and then we had a discussion whether the pizzas should go in a hot or cold place to cook. I must say, I was quite tempted to eat all the pizzas but the Robins reminded me that I must do good sharing. I hope they managed to share a little piece with you at home!

On Wednesday, we enjoyed a yummy hot chocolate in the outdoor classroom. The children remembered to hold their cups with two hands to minimise any spillages. It was great to hear the trains whoosh past and one of the children told us that the train was going to London.

As part of our topic, the children enjoyed junk-modelling and it was wonderful to see their creations.They used a variety of boxes, cups, stickers, tape and glue. The Robins enjoyed sorting the coloured objects into the correct bowl. Great colour sorting, Robins! A short while later, we watched A Whale’s Tale on the CTouch as this explained the importance of disposing of our rubbish to keep our seas clean and free from litter.

Lots of news was shared from the Home/School Journals. It was lovely to share everyone's photos and activities. In particular, one of our Robins was super thrilled to show his classmates his pictures and it gave us a little insight into his Nigerian culture. I am so thrilled that some of our Robins brought in some empty boxes to reuse in our home corner. This promoted a good discussion about reduce, reuse, recycle. Afterwards, we watched a video on the CTouch board and each child enjoyed recycling different objects.

As the warmer weather is subsiding, the Robins were thrilled to discover a special delivery from Postman Pat or should that be Mr John. They enjoyed exploring the fine green sand and lots of fun was had, filling and emptying different-sized containers. A huge emphasis is based on the outdoor environment as it provides our Robins with a wealth of learning experiences. I planned a special treat on Thursday and it was certainly enjoyed by all. The children enjoyed exploring the woodland area safely and independently. They were able to navigate around the trees and not go past the cones. There were also cars, bikes and trikes for them to use on the Paddock and the Robins liked wearing the all-in-one suits which were great for the current weather. After lots of fun, we all sat down for a warming hot chocolate and biscuit… delicious!

Our friend Cyril the Squirrel was back again this week and I think he approves of our new red feeder. Fingers crossed that he does not nibble through it! It’s been lovely spotting blue tits and robins on our feeding station. Continuing with the bird theme, we have been busy learning about different types or birds and identifying whether they nest in trees or near/ on the ground. Hopefully, the children can share their love of birds with you during our coffee morning… which is fast approaching!

This week we have explored the children’s interests and spent more time exploring the wonderful outdoor environment. There is nothing quite like spending time outside, listening to the birds singing and the trains whooshing past.

Next week’s topics are Harvest Festival and Space. Perhaps your child might like to bring in something linked to our topic. There are lots of fun activities planned and we will try a variety of Harvest-themed foods. The children will be making a wheatsheaf and a spiced pumpkin cake as well as other things.

We hope you can all attend our Harvest festival on Wednesday. 

Have a lovely weekend.