Pumpkin Play, Seeds and Sensory Activities

This is a great time of year to get outside, harvest the vegetables, brush the leaves, reveal what's inside a pumpkin and learn about the life cycles.

The Ladybirds and Butterflies have been painting leaves, pine cones and what a wonderful opportunity the tuff tray brought to the messy room.....pumpkins galore! The children were able to explore the inside of a pumpkin. They also had plenty of opportunity to make marks with the paints and use tools to make prints with.

In Outdoor Learning the children have been de-seeding the Sun Flowers and learning all about the root systems. There was 'heavy work' a plenty when the children dug up the very tall plants and heaved them out of the ground. Then there was opportunity to develop their fine motor skills, dexterity in their hands and hand-eye coordination, (all huge pre writing skills), by using a pincer movement or using tongs. We know that the seeds make a tasty meal for the birds but we also know that seeds need "sun, and soil and the rain in the watering can" which one three year old pointed out on Wednesday!

Perhaps you have seen our lovely Autumn bedding plants by the front door? The children have been sprucing up the garden and digging over the vegetable patches.

Some children have chosen to make their own play dough at the 'Playdough Station' and added herbs. Some children mixed their own powder paint and painted the pumpkin. When too much water was added to the mixture, the children thought it was "colourful" and "like lights".

Megan, who co-ordinates our Physical activity sessions throughout the week, invited the children to recognise shapes, colours and explore the sensory experience of paint on their feet! Children were creative with ways to paint their feet in order to make prints onto the paper. They even painted Megan's!