Water, water everywhere!

This week our new water wall was completed and it is safe to say that it has been a big hit! The children have been really good at remembering to get themselves covered up in waterproof gear and have started to look to their friends for help when they have issues with zippers and buttons, making them all the more independent. The guttering on the wall can be moved and repositioned, so as to create different pathways for the water, which necessitates critical thinking and cooperation skills. The water reaches the top of the wall via a manual pump on the side, which the children have to pump up and down. It takes some effort (and develops shoulder strength and stability, which in turn help in the development of mark making and writing) and the children came up with a system of booking their turn by writing their names on a clipboard and each counting out 20 pumps before moving onto the next person.

Our welly walk this week started with a leaf challenge. The children had to try and find 5 leaves that were different colours. We then observed them more closely and noted similarities and differences in colour, shape and size. In the pictures you will see that time is given to exploration in the wooded area and that the children are constantly working on social interaction skills, as well as learning more about the environment. This week, we had nests, fairy houses and stick men being created!