This half term started by meeting new friends when some children joined Tadpole class. We all worked hard to welcome them and make them feel at home and comfortable by being friendly and kind. We helped them to learn where things are in the classroom and to understand the rules and routines that we follow. 

This has also been a half term all about vehicles which the children have loved. We looked at photos of their experiences with vehicles and they enjoyed talking about them. 

One important aspect of this half term was to learn about being safe around vehicles and we discussed road safety. We talked about how to cross a road safely and to use a zebra crossing if possible. We created our own zebra crossing on the playground to help us to practise this. 

We also had a visit from a parent who makes engines for submarines. The children were enthralled and even had a go at asking some questions. They were able to make comparisons between the submarine and other vehicles they had learnt about such as noticing that a submarine has a propellor just like a helicopter! We enjoyed talking about other occupations that people might have, especially related to transport. 

The temperature certainly dropped early on during this half term. It gave us the opportunity to observe the weather and identify changes around us such as how the water froze. The children enjoyed trying to rescue animals and toys that had got stuck in the ice! 

Towards the end of this half term, the temperatures increased and we started to see signs of spring such as snowdrops starting to grow in the sensory garden. 

Pancake Day

The children have loved talking about pancake day and what they do at home. There are lots of different toppings that the children like on their pancakes!

In school, we practised mixing ingredients and looked at how they changed while we mixed and then when they were heated in the frying pan. Some of the children even had a go at flipping a pancake. They needed to use good hand-eye coordination. 

It was important to talk about the safety of being around hot cooking equipment!

The best part was tasting our pancakes and the children really enjoyed choosing their toppings.