Author: lottie jones

Dear Nursery Parents, We hope you have all had a lovely Easter break and enjoyed some special family time together, along with eating lots of chocolate. We are very much looking forward to welcoming the children back for our summer 1 term!
This half term, we will be learning all about our different emotions and feelings. We will explore kindness and friendships, how our friends make us feel, and how we can be a good friend. We will also be learning how to care for and grow plants. Last half term, we planted lots of flowers and vegetable seeds, which we will continue to observe and look after. We will also be learning about the people who take care of us, as well as how we are all different and why this is special.
Our upcoming stories and themes include:
Week 1 – How do you feel when you go on a walk? Book: Hairy Maclary by Lynley Dodd We will be talking about different feelings we might have when we go on a walk, such as excitement, happiness, or feeling unsure in new places. The children will be encouraged to share their own experiences and explore how different situations can make us feel different emotions.
Week 2 – How do friends make me happy? Book: The Smartest Giant in Town by Julia Donaldson We will be exploring how friends make us feel happy and how we can show kindness to others. The children will learn about friendship through the story and talk about times when friends help, share, and play together.
Week 3 – Why do I want friends? Book: How Can I Make Friends? by Ashe de Sousa We will be exploring why friends are important and how we can make new friends. The children will talk about friendship, sharing, taking turns, and how we can make others feel happy and included.
Week 4 – How do we take care of plants? Book: Jack and the Beanstalk by Mara Alperin We will be exploring how plants grow and how we can take care of them. The children will enjoy the story of Jack and the Beanstalk and think about growth, change, and what plants need to stay healthy.
Week 5 – Which grown ups look after me? Book: When the Moon Smiled by Petr Horáček We will be thinking about the different grown-ups who care for us, both at home and at nursery. The children will explore feelings of safety, care, and routines, especially linked to bedtime and night-time.
Week 6 – Have you ever felt different from others? How did that make you feel? Book: Elmer by David McKee We will be exploring the idea of being different and unique. The children will talk about how it feels to be the same or different from others and learn that everyone is special in their own way.
Phonics
In phonics this half term, we will be focusing primarily on oral segmenting and blending. The children will be identifying initial sounds and practicing to orally segment words into their individual sounds and blend them together.
Mathematics
In maths, the children will explore shape, space and measure through practical activities, including position, routes, and early puzzle-solving. They will develop their understanding of numbers through a range of songs and rhymes such as 5 Little Ducks, The Ants Go Marching, 10 in the Bed, 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, 1,2,3,4,5 Once I Caught a Fish Alive, and 10 Green Bottles. The children will also begin to create and continue simple patterns, develop early subitising skills through games and actions, and practise counting confidently using resources and everyday play.
P.E. In PE, the children will take part in a range of games-based activities linked to different transport themes, including cars, aeroplanes, cyclists, buses, boats and trains. Across these sessions, they will develop key physical skills such as running, stopping, throwing, balancing and moving safely in space. The children will also learn how to follow instructions, take turns, work co-operatively with others, and understand different roles within games, helping to build teamwork, confidence and control.
We will continue our regular gross and fine motor activities, including Dough Disco, Squiggle, and Penpals, alongside daily fine and gross motor activities within our provision. All children will continue to take part in their Talking Time interventions, which they have been thoroughly enjoying. We will also continue our weekly cooking sessions, and Mrs Giles from Shropshire Music Service will be returning to deliver her fantastic music sessions on Friday afternoons.
We are very much looking forward to a busy and exciting half term filled with stories, exploration, sunshine and new learning experiences. Thank you, as always, for your continued support. Please do not hesitate to speak to Miss Jones, Mrs Harris or Miss England if you have any questions. We will continue to share updates and photographs on SeeSaw. Please look out for the weekly newsletter on SeeSaw which I will continue to upload at the beginning of each week. This will be a brief explanation of the learning we will be covering that week and will hopefully provide some helpful context to the photos and updates you receive on SeeSaw.
Warm wishes, Little Treasures’ Nursery Team