Week commencing 1st May 2023 - Acorns59

Welcome to our weekly blog post.

We hope you enjoy reading about our week and the fun activities we have shared at The Acorns.

It has been a busy week, packed full of activities to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles.

The children have enjoyed making crowns, bunting and flags.

We talked a lot about the special day and that people might celebrate by decorating their houses, having street parties with friends or possibly watch it on the television at home.

What are your Coronation plans?

Mrs Harsent has decorated the outside of her house and will have a party in the local park with her friends.

Mrs Franks is having a street party on Sunday with her neighbours and friends.

Mrs Young will be celebrating with her family at home and will watch the Coronation on the television.

Mrs Neve is planning to bake a special Coronation cake.

Mrs Irwin bought a special treat for the children on Friday - It was a chocolate Coronation cake and it was decorated with crowns and corgies - Thank You Mrs Irwin.

We hope that however you decide to mark the occasion you have a fun time and enjoy the bank holiday weekend together.

Our focus this week has been on Physical Development and staff have been observing how the children are developing their skills. Both fine and gross motor movements were observed.

Examples of the observations we make –

Can they negotiate the space around themselves?

Are they showing a preference for right or left hand?

Can they manage their own clothing?

Can they drink from an open cup?

How do they tackle stairs and steps?

Can they wash their own hands effectively?

Do you ever wonder how do we decide what to observe ?

I am sure you have all heard of the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage)

It is the document that sets the standards for learning, development and care for young children from 0-5 years old.

The children will still follow the EYFS when they move onto school and are in reception class.

At The Acorns we choose to use a supporting document called Birth to Five Matters to help us gauge where the children are within their learning journeys and to help us plan for their next steps.

If you would like to chat to Mrs Franks about the EYFS or learn more about Birth to Five Matters – please arrange a time.

Would you like to see more in the blog regarding the EYFS and Birth to Five Matters? Please let us know.

We have spent lots of time in the garden this week exploring and experimenting with movement.

We played throw and catch together, played football, we climbed and balanced, ran, hopped and jumped.

We used our community play things blocks to make a course and the children enjoyed building their own tracks to follow too.

Some of the blocks are super heavy so we had to work as a team to move them around the garden.