This week's theme is:
Splash into Summer!

This week our theme is all about the changes that occur in nature during the summer season. It is an opportunity for children to do lots of exciting, creative activities, while learning about this bright and colourful season.

Friday

Today we would love you to get active and do a beach themed yoga session. Use it to help you relax and stretch out all of  your muscles. It will also give you some ideas of what you might need for a trip to the beach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wLajweVeo0

Alternatively, you could practise some of these yoga positions and pretend you are some of the things that you would see at the beach: https://www.kidsyogastories.com/beach-yoga-poses/

Grown ups – In school we will often do activities like this to relaxing music. You could add some seaside noises or wave noises and have a bit of relaxation time.

Activity 1 - Today we are going to get creative and use ice cream pictures to help us with our number recognition and counting skills. Use the activity on this webpage to make your own ice cream pictures. Make sure you have the right number of scoops! https://www.education.com/activity/article/ice-cream-math/

Grown-ups – On the web page the activity is done in order up to ten. If you want to make this simpler, start by only going to 5. Don’t feel like it has to be a collage. If you don’t have the resources, then just do the same activity with coloured pencils or felt tips. If you draw or make the cone and write on the number, check your child can recognise the number. Then they can count out, or draw, the correct number of ice cream scoops. Have fun!

Activity 2 - Let’s go on an imaginary trip to the seaside today. Have a think about all the things you would like to take. Pack your bag and ask your grown- up if you can have a picnic. In your bag you can include a bucket and spade, beach related books and favourite toys. Remember your sunhat and sun cream. Your grass can be the beach and if you have a paddling pool, that can be the sea. Put your blanket down and your grown-up might be able to find you some beach music. Have a fun day at the beach!

Activity 3 - After your fun day at the beach you can create your own beach scene. Just use the resources you have available at home to make your picture. Here are some ideas of what you could include in your picture.

You can also listen to the story of Lucy and Tom at the Seaside once again, to help you with ideas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAzz_vMO1I8

We hope you have all enjoyed this week's activities, despite the rainy weather!

Have a lovely weekend!

The Nursery Team

X

Thursday

Let’s start the day off with a shape song. Follow the link below to remind us of some of our 2D shapes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEbRDtCAFdU

Activity 1 - Talk about and describe some of the shapes you have seen.

• Can you make a shape picture?
• Can you name the shapes you have used in your picture?

Activity 2 - I thought it would be fun today to make a sunshine hat. All you need is a band of paper and a picture of a sunshine to stick on the front. Remember, it won’t protect your head from the Sun, but it will be fun to wear indoors. You can decorate the band with lots of bright colours. Wear your proper sunhat when you go outside!

Activity 3 - If you have a bucket and spade and some sand, you can do the sandcastle challenge. How many sandcastles can you build in 5 minutes? Ask your grown-up to time you! Remember to count your sandcastles carefully. If you don’t have sand you can draw and decorate your own sandcastle.

Activity 4 - Let’s finish the day off with a story. Follow the link below to listen to The Very Quiet Cricket by Eric Carle:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdiGEjz5b0Q

The story is about an insect called a cricket. Here are some facts about crickets:

• Crickets prefer warm weather.
• Crickets rub the upper and lower part of their wings together to create a chirping sound.
• We do have crickets in England, but they are very common in Mediterranean countries.
• The warmer it is the more crickets will sing.
• You can hear crickets singing on hot summer nights in some parts of the country.
• Crickets do not sing when it is cold.

Can you draw a picture of a cricket? Remember some of the facts about crickets as you draw. This link will help you with your drawing: https://dragoart.com/tut/how-to-draw-a-cricket-for-kids-11914

Wednesday

Let’s start the day with our counting song. Follow the link below to join in with the counting. Challenge yourself to count to 100: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TgLtF3PMOc

Activity 1 - During the summer, lots of people go on trips to the seaside. Follow the link below to listen to the story of Lucy and Tom at the Seaside: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAzz_vMO1I8

Now try and answer the following questions about the story:

• What is the title of the story?
• Who is the author of the story?
• Can you remember some of the picnic food the family took to the beach?
• What does Tom enjoy doing in the sea?
• Name the insects that try and join in with their picnic?
• What does Lucy find on the beach?
• What do the children have a ride on at the end of the day?

Activity 2 - Lucy and Tom helped their grown-ups pack for the trip to the seaside. If you were going to the seaside, what would you take? Write a list of things to take on your trip to the seaside. You could draw pictures of the items as well.

Remember to:

• Say the word to your grown-up.
• Sound out the word carefully.
• Write the letters down in sequence.
• Write each item on a new line.
• See the example below:

1. bucket
2. spade
3. sunglasses
4. beachball

Activity 3 - Let’s finish the day with a song. Follow the link below and join in with a Day at the Beach song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9WmgZHUQBc

Tuesday

Activity 1 - Today we would like you to listen to the story ‘Mr Gumpy’s Outing’ by John Birmingham:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi_DV_DWN8M

Now try and answer the following questions about the story:

1. Where was Mr Gumpy’s house?
2. There were 8 different animals in the story. Can you remember them all?
3. How did we know the story was set in the summer?
4. Can you retell the story to your grown-up?

Activity 2 - Today we are going to think about weight. Think about the animals in the story.

Rabbit, cat, pig, sheep, chicken, calf (a baby cow or bull) and a goat.

Which animals do you think would be heaviest? Which animals would be lightest?

• Choose two different animals to compare.
• Which animal do you think would be heavier?
• Which animal do you think would be lighter?

Now go on a weight hunt around your house. Choose a selection of your toys that you can pick up. Now put them in order from the lightest to the heaviest.

Activity 3 - If you get the chance today, go for a summer walk with your grown-up. Have a look around for things that tell you it is summertime. Can you spot any animals on your walk? We live in a city so you might not see the same animals that Mr Gumpy saw on his outing, but if you look closely you will still see lots of creatures. Look closely for bugs, birds and small animals like squirrels.

Activity 4 - Now draw a summer picture and write a list of the things that remind you of summer.

Remember to:

• Tell your grown-up what you are going to write.
• Write each word on a new line.
• Sound out the words carefully.

• sun
• hot
• flower

Monday

This week we will be thinking about summertime. To get us in the mood for summer, follow the link below and join in the summertime song:

https://vimeo.com/34326526

Activity 1 - Talk to your grown-up about the things you enjoy doing in the summer. It might be playing outside, eating ice-cream, going to the beach, etc.

Story of the Day: Summertime Bounce

Follow the link below to hear all about the antics of a beach ball during the summertime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0htGZFzR3i4

Now you can make your own picture of a beach ball. Remember a ball is actually a 3D shape, called a sphere. Your picture will be a flat, round 2D shape called a circle.        

You can use the back of a paper plate, or with help from your grown-up, you can draw around a circle shape and cut it out. You can decorate it with lots of different colours. You could even try and put your colours into a pattern!

Activity 2 - Let’s do some number work and explore the games in ‘Bud’s number garden’.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/games/embed/education-ivor-starting-school?exitGameUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fbbc.co.uk%2Fbitesize%2Farticles%2Fzd4b382%20%EF%83%98Investigate%20weight%20(links%20to%20Mr%20Gumpy%E2%80%99s%20boat).%20Order%20objects%20by%20weight.

     
I have just received some exciting news about an art event that is happening in school over the next three weeks...

If you click on the PowerPoint below it will give you lots of ideas and remember to send your pictures to:

reception@mostonlane.manchester.sch.uk

Powerpoint.pptx