Preschool News: Term 3 Week 4
Hello everyone,
It’s been another busy week in Preschool, with lots of familiar interests continuing alongside some new experiences that have quickly captured the children’s attention.
Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to Kimberley Playground on Monday. After all the rain over the weekend, we decided the park would simply be too wet and muddy. We are hoping to try again this Monday, although with more rain looking likely over the weekend and into Monday, it may be doubtful again! Fingers crossed the weather surprises us.
Despite the rather blustery start to the week, there was plenty happening in Preschool. Inside, children moved between drawing and writing, watercolour painting, puzzles, construction, home corner and dramatic play. Cubby houses continue to appear in all sorts of forms, with the gym mats and other loose materials regularly being transformed into houses, hideaways and spaces for imaginative games. Plus Plus, blocks, Lego, Hot Wheels and Beyblades have also been well used, with children sharing ideas, solving construction problems and adapting their designs as they play.
Our group times offered lots of variety this week. Children made a new batch of khaki playdough, played bowling games and enjoyed a particularly successful game of charades led by Lida. The children were so taken with charades that the game continued well beyond the original group time, with children later initiating their own games, taking turns to act out ideas while their peers tried to guess what they were representing. It was lovely to see an adult-led experience so quickly taken up and reshaped by the children themselves.
On Monday, Kym joined us for music and was particularly impressed by the children’s ability to keep a rhythm using their feet. Music continues to provide wonderful opportunities for children to listen closely, follow patterns and join together as a group.
Wednesday brought a lovely visit to Lane Cove Library. The children are becoming increasingly familiar with the routines of our library visits and continue to enjoy choosing books, sharing stories and spending time together outside Preschool. These regular outings are also giving the children increasing confidence in moving through and participating in our wider community.
The Octonauts continue to inspire some wonderfully collaborative dramatic play. This week the game moved out onto the decking, with a whale shark brought from home joining the adventure, alongside a rather persistent great white shark! Children negotiated characters and storylines, added new ideas to one another’s play and kept the game going over extended periods. These shared imaginary worlds provide rich opportunities for cooperation, communication, negotiation and problem solving.
We have also enjoyed taking advantage of the patches of sunshine when they appeared. Picnic blankets and books made their way onto the top deck, while other children continued with puzzles, drawing, construction and physical play. Chris was with us again offering sewing, with interested children able to develop their ideas and work through the process of creating something of their own.
Alongside all of these experiences, we have continued supporting children with the social complexities that naturally arise in a busy preschool community. Negotiating entry into play, coping when somebody has a different idea, sharing resources, recognising when someone is feeling excluded or upset, and finding the words to solve a problem are all significant areas of learning. We will continue to spend time together talking about kindness, what we can do when problems arise in play, and when it is important to ask a teacher for support.
As always, Morning Meeting has remained an important part of each day, with children chairing meetings, listening to one another, raising ideas and having a genuine voice in what happens within their Preschool community.
Have a lovely weekend everyone, and fingers crossed for a little less rain!
Preschool