This week, our Hatchlings explored African culture and language through Mandarin animal names, sensory play, and a fun safari experience. We built confidence, curiosity, and creativity through rich, hands-on learning.
Come see how our Hatchlings grow through language, discovery, and creativity
Hatchlings practiced Mandarin words for body parts and animals like zebra (Bānmǎ), elephant (Dà xiàng), and giraffe (chángjǐnglù). Using toys and movement, they connected vocabulary to their bodies and the animals they were exploring.
We wrapped up our Eastern Europe theme with a sensory sand activity on Russia’s Eurasian brown bear, then shifted to Africa with a hands-on fufu-making experience and an exciting mini safari. The children loved stretching like giraffes and making animal sounds!
Children explored animal words and matching games using a sensory tray. These literacy activities supported story recall, fine motor skills, and vocabulary development in a fun, tactile way.
Miss Molly led a musical session with bubble fun and bee songs that helped with counting and rhythm.
As part of our Eastern European focus, babies explored Russian Matryoshka dolls—enhancing cultural understanding and motor skills.
Sporty Minis included traffic light games and ladder walks to improve coordination, listening, and gross motor skills
As part of our African theme, the children learned about traditional African jewellery and created their own colourful necklaces using paper plates and dot markers. This hands-on art activity nurtured creativity while introducing them to the meaning and beauty of African cultural traditions.
We warmed up with high-energy jumping and stretching, then practiced balance and coordination with floor ladder walks. The traffic light game helped children build listening skills and respond to instructions—all while having a blast!
We warmed up with high-energy jumping and stretching, then practiced balance and coordination with floor ladder walks. The traffic light game helped children build listening skills and respond to instructions—all while having a blast!
This week, our preschoolers launched into a vibrant exploration of Africa! From African rain drums and Elmer elephants to coding robots, ice cream role play in Mandarin, and mindfulness stretches, it’s been a week full of creativity, culture, and confident learning.
We began our African adventure with African rain drums, where children painted swirling and dotted patterns inspired by traditional art. Storytime brought Handa’s Surprise to life, followed by a sensory tray where children matched animals to fruits—building language and story recall. We located Africa on the globe, sang the Continents Song, and celebrated diversity by creating colourful Elmer elephants after reading Elmer the Elephant.
In STEAM, children worked in teams to guide Bee-Bot across themed playmats using directional commands. This activity built early coding logic, spatial awareness, and collaborative problem-solving—all essential skills for future learning.
Our Mandarin lesson turned into a playful ice cream shop! Children practiced the word for ice cream (冰激凌 – bīng jī líng) and used it in fun sentences like “我喜欢吃冰激凌” (“I like to eat ice cream”). They explored flavours, colours, and numbers while building confidence through role play.
From energetic warm-ups to traffic light games and ladder challenges, this week’s session helped children improve coordination, listening skills, and balance.
Miss Molly introduced gentle yoga poses, stretches, and breathing exercises set to calming music helped children relax and become more aware of their emotions and bodies.
Thank you for another exciting week of learning and growth—see you next time!
Hatching Dragons is proud to support our founder Cenn John, running the Cardiff Marathon this October to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital. Inspired by the loss of a sibling to congenital heart disease and Down’s syndrome, this fundraiser aims to help children facing life-threatening illnesses.
We would love for our Hatching Dragons community to join us in supporting this cause. Every donation, no matter how small, can help change a child's future.
In case you missed our update last week regarding important changes—including the new fee structure starting 1st September 2025—we kindly ask you to review the details.
Please take a moment to catch up and see how this may affect your family:
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