Welcome to 2025: Settling In, New Adventures, and Exciting Learning!
After a lovely and festive Christmas break, we’re so excited to welcome everyone back to nursery for a brand-new year! The children have been sharing wonderful stories about their holidays, from family traditions to exciting adventures. It’s always a joy to hear how each child experienced the magic of Christmas, and we’ve loved seeing their creative expressions through drawings, stories, and role-play.
Exploring ‘Poles Apart’ – The North and South Poles
This term, we’ve embarked on a fantastic new topic: Poles Apart! We’re diving deep into the fascinating world of the North and South Poles, learning about the Arctic and Antarctica, and the incredible animals that call these icy regions home. From polar bears and penguins to seals and whales, the children have been amazed by the adaptations these animals have made to survive in such extreme conditions.
We’ve been exploring the differences between the Arctic (the North Pole) and Antarctica (the South Pole), learning where they are on the map and what makes each place so unique. The children are loving discovering how the animals in these regions have different habitats and ways of living, and we’re looking forward to more exciting learning about these two icy worlds in the coming weeks!
Phonics Fun: Learning the Sounds of Letters
In addition to exploring the world of the poles, we’ve also begun our phonics journey! The children have started learning the first two sounds of the alphabet: s and a. Through engaging activities and games, they’re developing their recognition of these sounds, as well as learning how to blend them together. It’s such an exciting time, and we’ve already seen their confidence growing!
Next week, we’ll introduce the sounds t and p, which will allow the children to start building simple words! It’s a thrilling milestone as we begin to see them combine sounds to create and read words, and we can’t wait to watch their phonics journey unfold in 2025.
Story of the Week: ‘Going on a Bear Hunt’
This week’s story has been a big hit with everyone: ‘Going on a Bear Hunt’! The children have loved acting out the sequence of events as we journeyed through tall grass, swishy swashy rivers, and snowy woods. To bring the adventure to life, we transformed our outdoor area into a ‘bear hunt’ trail. The children followed the path and explored the different obstacles, just like in the story.
After our bear hunt adventure, we created our very own Bear Hunt Books, helping the children remember the sequence of events and encouraging them to retell the story in their own words. It’s been such a fun, hands-on way to explore storytelling and build up literacy skills! And, of course, we couldn’t forget to create bear faces using art materials, allowing the children to get creative and express their love for the story.
A Year Full of Exploration and Growth
As we continue our journey through this term, we’re excited about the many opportunities for learning and discovery ahead. With our Poles Apart theme, phonics activities, and engaging stories, the children are settling in wonderfully and beginning the year with enthusiasm. We’ll keep encouraging them to explore, learn, and have fun, while also nurturing their curiosity and creativity.
Here’s to an amazing 2025, filled with new beginnings, exciting adventures, and all the magic that learning brings. Happy New Year from all of us at the nursery!
