At Children's House we follow the seasons, rhythms and festivals of the year. 
Over the past two  weeks we have explored and celebrated Lunar New Year in school.
Children looked at some beautiful images and artefacts from family celebrations of Lunar New Year from around the world. They talked about what they could see and asked questions to gather information.
Some children made their own traditional money wallets, problem solving and talking about their designs. A group shopped for, prepared and cooked stir fry. They then shared it with others. At story time some children explored the story of the animals of the zodiac, using books, songs and props to support their learning.  In the garden children listened to music and responded, dancing with ribbons and scarves and a dragon which they had created themselves!
A small group of families and staff travelled on the underground to China Town. They explored the sights and enjoyed sharing some food. The reported back on the beautiful red lanterns, interesting smells, tastes and sounds they experienced.

Have you ever been to China Town?
It is not too far on the underground to Tottenham Court Road (Central Line) or Embankment (District Line).

We know that children need first hand experiences to develop concepts and understanding. 
This week children have been supported in developing an understanding of size.
Across the nursery we have been reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears. 
This is a great book which introduces language related to size: Baby Bear's tiny chair, Mummy Bear's middle-sized chair and Daddy Bear's big chair. 
Children have shared the story at carpet time, used props and visuals at carpet time as well as in their play. Whilst building, children have been targeted to begin thinking about size and using language related to size when building collaboratively with their friends. 

Who can build the tallest tower? 
Which creature has the longest tail?
Can you find a brick shorter than this one?
The bowl of porridge was huge!

When children hear language and explore them in a range of contexts then they begin to develop understanding.
Some children's learning was moved on when they measured objects using unit cubes and comparing lengths.
Some children were keen to count the cubes and knew which numeral matched the length.
At home, talk to children about size and maybe measure how tall they are.
Do you have a doorframe you could pencil their height on?
Children love to measure themselves and it's exciting to see them grow every few months.
Look at buildings and vehicles when you are out and about: use language related to size.
And most of all, have fun!

Happy New Year & a Special Announcement!

Happy New Year to all of our Children's House Nursery School community.
We hope 2023 is a healthy and joyful year, filled with growth.

We were delighted to learn that Chris Lewis, our much-loved ex-head teacher at Children's House, was named in the New Year's Honours List.  Chris has been awarded Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to education.
Chris led our school from 2007-2021 and has a long career in education, with a specialism in special educational needs. Chris has always been a wonderful advocate for all our children.
We hope you will join us in congratulating Chris in this incredible recognition of her commitment to teaching.

When I spoke to Chris this week she said she would like to share her MBE with the Children's House staff team, the children, families and local community who she worked so closely with.

We will update you when Chris goes to Buckingham Palace to meet King Charles III.