09.01.26
Our topic this week is Winter! We have been talking about how the season has changed and the signs of winter.
Books we have read:
- When Winter Comes
- One Snowy Night
- The Gruffalos Child
- The Snow Thief
- Squirrels Snowman
- Jack Frost
Activities/provision this week:
- The children shared photographs from home and talked about their Christmas break.
- Winter forest small world play – The children played with a winter forest e.g. houses, trees, people, winter animals.
- Winter playdough – Making snowflakes and snowmen using cutters. The children also played with reusable ice cubes.
- Snowflake craft – Painting and decorating snowflakes using pens, paint and tissue paper.
- Ice painting – We talked about and showed the children how water turns into ice. They later painted the ice cubes in a large tuff tray using water colours.
- Exploring winter/arctic animals – The children played with winter animals in a sensory tray, talking about animals you might find in cold habitats.
- Snowflake soup – Experimenting how to make ‘snowflake soup’ using spoons, bowls, water, ice cubes etc.
- Painting snowflakes – We covered the table in foil, and the children used cotton buds/corks to paint snowflakes on top.
Phonics: Rhythm and Rhyme
This term our phonics focus is Rhythm and Rhyme. The children are learning to experience and appreciate rhythm and rhyme and to develop awareness of rhythm and rhyme in speech. We have been reading rhyming stories to develop awareness of words that rhyme such as, ‘One Mole Digging a Hole’ and ‘Oi Frog’. The children have practising identifying rhyming words by playing matching games.
Nursery rhymes:
This term we will be learning the nursery rhymes:
- Five little ducks
- Five little monkeys
- Five crispy pancakes
- Polly put the kettle on
- Hot cross buns
- Mary, Mary quite contrary
- Round and round the garden like a teddy bear
- Little peter rabbit
- Doctor Foster
Maths: Exploring and understanding number one
The children have been learning how to:
- Use number name one and match to one unit.
- Use one in a sentence e.g. “I see one apple”.
- We sang ‘One finger, one thumb keep moving”.
- We played ‘Simon says do one…clap/stomp/spin/star jump…’.
The topic next week will be: Winter
Important information
- Please can the children bring in any winter books to share at circle time.
- Applications for starting primary school in September 2026 open on 15th November 2025 and close on 15th January 2026. The date that all allocations of school places are announced in England is known as ‘offer day’. For September 2025 primary school starters this will be on 16th April 2026. Apply online at the Citizens Portal.
- Please send in WOW moments for your children to share at circle time – pre-school@bishopstawton-primary.org
- Our next stay and play session is Friday 30th January 8.45am-10.00am