Theme of the Week: Growing Language, Curiosity & Confidence Through Playful Learning
This week, our Baby Dragons explored language, communication, sensory science, and physical play through a range of engaging, hands-on experiences. From singing in Mandarin and practising Makaton to creating poppy crafts and exploring early science concepts, the babies were busy developing early speech, fine motor skills, and curiosity about the world around them. It was a joyful week full of shared moments, learning, and discovery.
Our Baby Dragons explored communication in many fun and meaningful ways. During Music Time, the children enjoyed singing songs and rhymes, practising turn-taking with our magical monkey and using kind words like “my turn” and “thank you.” We reinforced this learning using Makaton signs for please and thank you, helping the children understand how words, gestures, and expressions work together during communication.
In our Mandarin session, the children sang “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” in both Mandarin and English. They learned the word for star — 星星 (xīng xīng) — and used gestures to match the song, tuning into new rhythms and sounds with excitement. Throughout the week, we continued using Makaton during mealtimes, play activities, and routines, supporting expressive communication, good manners, and early social skills.
To mark Remembrance Day, the babies created their own handprint poppies using red, black, and green paint. As they pressed their hands into the paint, we explored texture and colour, talking gently about remembering and caring for others.
We then combined all the children’s poppies to create a beautiful poppy garden display. The babies enjoyed noticing the different shapes and sizes of the flowers, celebrating how each poppy was special—just like each of them. This activity supported fine motor development, creativity, and sensory exploration.
The children explored sinking and floating, watching closely as different objects moved through water. They were fascinated to see some items stay on top while others sank, helping them build early observation and thinking skills.
We also experimented with water, oil, and food colouring, watching how the colours swirled while the oil stayed separate from the water. This magical effect captivated the babies and introduced them to early ideas of cause and effect, movement, and colour mixing. These sensory-rich activities encouraged curiosity, exploration, and new vocabulary such as float, sink, and colour.
Outdoors, the children strengthened their physical skills through playful movement. They practised throwing soft balls into a goal, supporting hand–eye coordination while learning new words like throw, ball, and goal. The excitement grew each time a ball landed successfully!
Tricycle racing was another favourite. With the familiar words “ready, steady, go!” the babies pedalled, pushed, and glided along the path, developing balance, coordination, and confidence. They explored action words such as go, stop, fast, and slow while engaging in joyful movement and social play.
The babies enjoyed a calming sensory play session with Miss Molly, exploring soft textures, gentle sounds, and soothing sensory lights. This session supported focus, sensory awareness, and self-regulation.
The week ended with a lively music session led by Ella Sparkles. The children joined in with songs, actions, and rhythms that encouraged participation, confidence, and early musical awareness. It was a joyful and energetic finish to the week!
A big thank you to all our parents for your continued support and encouragement. Each week, your little ones bring so much joy and curiosity to our nursery
This week, our Blue Dragons explored phonics, sensory play, maths, and cultural learning through engaging, hands-on activities. From forming the letter S in sand and experimenting with pouring to creating playdough poppies and joining lively specialist sessions, the children were busy building early skills in communication, motor development, and creative expression. It was a joyful week full of learning, movement, and meaningful conversations.
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Through water play and pouring activities, the children explored the ideas of capacity and volume using words like empty, half, and full. They experimented with different containers, strengthening hand–eye coordination, concentration, and early mathematical understanding in a hands-on, playful way.
This week’s phonics goal was to recognise and say the sound ‘S’. The children traced the letter in sand, enjoyed the sensory experience, and explored pictures of familiar S-words such as sun, snake, sock, and star. They excitedly named objects beginning with S and ended the week singing the Jolly Phonics song “Snake in the Grass”, practising the sound with actions and big smiles!
To mark Remembrance Day, the children made their own playdough poppies using red, black, and green dough. They rolled, pressed, and shaped the dough while describing textures using words like soft, squishy, and round. This activity supported fine motor skills and gave the children a simple and meaningful introduction to why poppies are important.
The toddlers enjoyed an energetic session, practising running, balancing, and moving in different ways. These activities supported their physical development, teamwork, and confidence.
During sensory play with Miss Molly, the children explored calming textures and sounds. This session helped promote focus, fine motor skills, and sensory awareness in a calm and welcoming environment.
The week ended on a musical high with Ella Sparkles! The children joined in with songs, rhythms, and movement games — building confidence, listening skills, and expressive communication.
This week’s Mandarin story was “Spot’s Birthday”. As many children have birthdays around this time, they loved linking the story to their own celebrations. They practised vocabulary such as 生日 (shēng rì – birthday), 蛋糕 (dàn gāo – cake), 礼物 (lǐ wù – gift), and 朋友 (péng yǒu – friend). The session helped them make meaningful language connections and share personal experiences in Mandarin.
A warm thank you to all our families for your continued support and enthusiasm. Each week, your children bring so much joy and curiosity into our classroom
This week, our Dragon Flight children explored big feelings, creative expression, cultural discovery, and community values. Through hands-on art, meaningful discussions, specialist sessions, and a lovely excursion, the children strengthened their emotional awareness, confidence, imagination, and connection with others.
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We introduced a range of emotions—happy, sad, excited, frustrated, anxious, and angry—and discussed what makes us feel these ways. The children shared their own experiences and learned strategies to calm down when feeling upset.
For our art activity, they painted “gentle hands”, reflecting on how hands can be used kindly to help and comfort others. These colourful creations now remind us to use calm hearts and gentle hands every day.
Continuing our South American exploration, the children discovered the world of Frida Kahlo. They learned how she expressed feelings through her bold colours and floral designs. Inspired, the children created their own expressive self-portraits decorated with bright flowers—beautiful reflections of creativity and individuality.
On Tuesday, we observed a gentle two-minute silence and talked about why we remember people who help keep us safe. The children then created meaningful poppy flower crafts using red and black materials, encouraging gratitude, kindness, and reflection.
We ended the week with a fantastic trip to the local market and playground.
At the market, the children explored colourful fruit, vegetables, and flowers, meeting stallholders and learning where our food comes from—using all their senses along the way.
At the playground, they enjoyed climbing, balancing, running, and playing together, showing teamwork, confidence, and joy.
With Miss Molly, the children blasted off into an imaginative space adventure, learning about rockets and moon travel through storytelling, movement, and music.
In sports, our coach focused on coordination and balance as the children practised skipping with ropes—working on timing, rhythm, and teamwork. Their persistence and excitement were wonderful to see!
A heartfelt thank you to our Dragon Flights families for your continued encouragement and support. It’s been a magical week of learning, laughter, and light
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