As always the children have been choosing to spend lots of time outdoors. They are using the loose parts during their play which means that the resources have many different uses depending on the children’s own imagination. Some children built a sleigh for Santa using the crates. Others spent lots of time in the mud kitchen cooking and when it was too busy they improvising with a log as a mobile stove (great problem solving and negotiation skills).
The children were interested in the ice the formed in the containers and on the resources around the garden. The have been experimenting to see if different things make the ice melt slower of faster.

Although it has been raining the children have still enjoyed playing outside. While outside they have been creating obstacle courses to encourage active play. As there has been so much rain the children have also been using pots and pans in order to collect the rain drops and talking about how empty and full each pot is. The children have also took part this month in road safety week where they went out a walk around the local community and discovered how to safe when out walking. 

In the strawberry pod we have been exploring all things autumn and the children have enjoyed watching the trees changing colour daily. We have also been enjoying going over to the school garden where the children have been looking at different flowers and also practicing their balancing on the obstacle course. As it has been a wet Autumn we have also all been wearing out waterproofs and jumping in puddles to see how big a splash each child could create. While out in the garden on bonfire night the children were watching the fireworks and talking about all the different colours.  

The children have shown interest in the outdoor area as they have been discussing the changes in the weather.  Staff have been encouraging the children to make choices and develop their own learning and share this with others.

While exploring the outdoors some of the children have been transporting water around the garden as they make tea parties for staff and friends. Also some children have been discussing the change in the trees as well as the different colours.

They have explored our local surroundings as we went a walk around the school grounds collecting leaves and sticks. The children have also been learning a new autumn song. Reflecting on the song the children took this opportunity to paint their hands and make leaves.

The children have been spending most of the session outdoors exploring the
mud kitchen and have been looking for mini beasts. They have been taking
indoors outdoors and doing lots of painting on the fence and using chalk on
the ground to draw different shapes. They also have been building dens with
tarpaulin and loving sitting inside it reading books.