We have been working with the PE coaches on our football skills. We have listened carefully to their instructions and we have started to recall information from one week to the next so that we can build on and improve our skills weekly.
PE
Category : Communication and language
Potion Shop! 🧪✨
We have really been enjoying spending time outside in the Autumn sunshine, especially when we decided to set up our very own Potion Shop! We worked together as a crew, all with very different roles – making the potions, selling the potions and requesting more stock when we ran out, and buying the potions. It was lovely to hear such positive, kind, and polite language from everyone, and see leadership skills in action.
Crew challenge – parachute fun!
In our Crew Challenge, we were working as a whole crew to listen carefully to follow Miss McGlone’s instructions. We used the parachute as ‘waves’ and made big waves, little waves, and still waves. We then added a ball to the parachute as ‘sea treasure’ and we had to listen carefully and work together to move the ‘waves’ to the size that Miss McGlone called out, all without letting the ‘sea treasure’ roll off! We then added a smaller ball and had to try to keep BOTH pieces of sea treasure on the waves!
We then really tested our listening skills because we had to listen carefully to see if Miss McGlone shouted our name. If she did, we had to swap with the other name that was called before our crew brought the parachute down!
We worked really well together as a crew and we kept all the sea treasure safe! We felt really proud of our crew – great work Crew McGlone!
Crew challenge – build the tallest tower!
In Crew Challenge, we had to work in small teams to build the tallest free standing tower. We worked hard in our small sub-crews to try to communicate effectively so that our towers were not only tall, but capable of standing on their own without falling down! We enjoyed this challenge, and in our debrief we were very honest about how we could improve certain things to do this challenge again. We also talked about the things we found tricky, but said that these things were things to help us to do better next time.
Being a kind and respectful crew
This week we have continued to build on becoming familiar with our learning environment, working beautifully with other members of our crew, and treating our resources with respect. It has been lovely to see our crew being kind during choosing time.
Puppet Show
During Case Study 1, we talked about how the seaside is a special place, especially for families in the past. Puppet shows were, and still are, an important element of entertainment at the seaside. We watched some examples and decided to put on our own performance!
Cricket!
This week, Crew Frost were given another exciting opportunity to take part in a PE session with Legacy. The children showed fantastic enthusiasm and engagement throughout the session as they developed a range of important physical and social skills through team games and ball activities.
The stages of learning were carefully scaffolded to support the children’s understanding and confidence. We first began by practising simple rolling skills, working in teams to roll the ball back and forth to one another. Once the children became more confident, we moved on to practising aiming and throwing the balls at pins to score points for their teams, helping to develop hand-eye coordination, control, and turn-taking skills.
Finally, the children were introduced to bats and learned about the role of a bowler, including fetching the ball after it had been hit. The children absolutely loved this part of the activity and showed great excitement as they explored the different roles within the game. It was wonderful to see many of the children making links to their own past experiences and confidently talking about games and sports they have played before.
Activities like these help to build important skills for Reception, including listening and attention, following instructions, teamwork, coordination, and resilience. We were incredibly proud of the children’s amazing listening skills, positive attitudes, and encouragement towards one another throughout the session. Well done, Crew Frost!
Stay away from the sharks!
Last week, the children were busy developing and strengthening their balancing skills through a fun and exciting physical development activity. Together, we created our very own “bridges” to carefully walk across whilst making sure to stay away from the sharks underneath!
The children absolutely loved this activity and showed fantastic levels of concentration and determination as they carefully balanced their way across. It was wonderful to see the children naturally using their arms to support their balance and thinking carefully about how to move their bodies safely and with control. Activities like this are so important for developing core strength, coordination, spatial awareness, and overall gross motor skills, which all support children’s physical development and readiness for writing.
What made the activity even more special was watching the children encourage, motivate, and help one another as they took turns crossing the bridges. Crew Frost showed fantastic resilience when things felt tricky and demonstrated such kindness and teamwork throughout the activity. We are so proud of the way the children supported each other whilst building their confidence and physical skills. Well done, Crew Frost!
Fine motor building
One day each week in Crew Frost, we spend time focusing on developing our fine motor skills through activities such as using scissors to cut along lines and around shapes. Cutting is an excellent skill to master in the Early Years, as it supports so many of the important skills children need as they begin their writing journey.
The children are learning how to separate and strengthen the muscles in their fingers and hands whilst carefully controlling the scissors. They are also developing their hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills as they work out how to move the paper and scissors together whilst trying to stay on the lines. This takes a huge amount of concentration, control, and perseverance.
Alongside this, we have been practising our “ready to write” positioning by sitting with our tummy to the table and all six chair legs on the floor. Developing core strength, balance, and posture is a very important part of early writing development, helping children to gain the stability needed for mark making and pencil control in the future.
Although cutting may look simple, it is actually a very tricky skill that requires children to coordinate many different movements at the same time. We are so proud of the resilience, determination, and focus Crew Frost have shown whilst practising these important skills. Well done, Crew Frost — it is much harder than it looks!
Interventions
During our choosing time, Crew Frost have been developing their early mathematical skills through a range of practical, hands-on interventions linked to the EYFS Development Matters guidance. This week, the children have focused on recognising, extending, and creating their own two-part patterns, as well as organising and comparing objects by size from biggest to smallest.
The children showed great curiosity and engagement as they explored pattern and shape through play. They were encouraged to use mathematical language to describe what they could see, including words such as pointy, corners, sides, stripy, and edges. This supported the children in talking about and exploring shapes and patterns around them.
These activities help to build strong foundations within the Mathematics area of learning, particularly in noticing patterns, comparing size, and developing spatial reasoning. Crew Frost have worked incredibly hard to explain their thinking, solve problems, and apply their learning independently during provision.
We are so proud of the progress Crew Frost are making as they continue to grow in confidence and prepare for their transition into Reception. Well done, Crew Frost!
