As the nights draw in this winter, we have been supporting children's understanding of light and dark. 
In each classroom children and staff have created dark, cosy spaces with fabric and tents. 
​They have introduced torches, safe candles, lamps and kaleidoscopes to encourage children to experience the dark and light interacting with each other.  
Children experience light and dark in their own lives through experiencing day and night. 
Children have been sharing talk about darkness: many children were able to say it is dark at night. Some knew the moon appears in the sky at night time and sometimes we can see it. 
One or two children shared knowledge that the sun gives us light. They also shared lights, lamps and candles in their homes do the same. 
We have started to use some specific vocabulary and talk about 'nocturnal' animals that come out at night: foxes, bats, owls and hedgehogs are sometimes seen in London. 
Children have started to share their feelings. Basil said "I feel scared!" when he was inside the dark tent. 
Children have been supported to share information and story books to support their understanding. 
A small group of children and families are visiting the Science Museum this week. More to come on that... along with more photographs of learning later in the week.

At Children's House Nursery School our community is used to coming together to help others. 
We help each other in school and at home and we help people we don't know who may be in need.
This year we held a Teddy Bear's Picnic and all the children brought a toy to school to share in the joy. 
Children brought in 50p to go to the Children In Need charity for children who need help across the UK.

All week the children have been learning about what a picnic is.
They have also been following recipes to bake delicious biscuits for a bake sale after school.
There were also Pudsey Bear hunts in the garden and at tea time everyone sat down and shared some snacks and talk.

Thank you all for taking part and we will let you know how much we raised early next week.

You can still donate direct to Children In Need by clicking here.

​We know the importance of sensory exploration to support children's development. 
In nursery we offer children many opportunities to explore their senses - through taste, smell, sight and touch. 
Over the past few weeks children have been supported to explore clay. Clay can be a tricky material to explore as it is not as malleable as playdough and some other sculpting materials.
First using their hands and whole upper body strength to explore:

pressing
squeezing
rolling
stretching
squashing

Children were supported to use the vocabulary as they explored.
They also had opportunities to use tools to make marks in the clay.
After a visit from one of our families who shared their Hindu celebration of Durga Puja, we thought about diva (diya) lamps that Hindus use to celebrate Diwali. Children looked at lamps and images and some children created their own lamp using clay. 
After the clay was dry, children returned and selected paints they would like to use and painted their sculptures. Most children were able to sustain concentration for the whole process and showed pride in their creations.  

You can buy air-drying clay in The Works: why not try sculpting at home - it is a lovely thing to make for a gift to a loved one.