Weekly Bulletin 3 - Covid-19

Weekly Bulletin – Week 3 – 29th June – 2nd July

This week’s topic is about ‘The Beach’ and all the fun things you can do there. When you visit the beach, ask the children about the things they can see, hear and feel. You could collect some pieces from the beach to make an interest table at home, this is always a great talking point.

 

Activity 1: Ice Cream counting craft and counting game 

ice cream.png                                 

What you will need:

  • Paper
  • Pens, pencils, paint (stuff to decorate your ice cream)
  • A dice
  • Sticker dots or something to use as sprinkles!

The Method:

  1. Create your ice creams (you could use our template or encourage your child to draw their own) but don’t put any sprinkles on top yet! You will need to make an ice cream for each person who will be playing.
  2. When your ice cream is decorate (and dry) make lots of sprinkles (or you could use sticker dots or pompoms) but don’t put them onto your ice cream yet!
  3. When your sprinkles are ready grab a dice and play the counting game (best dice is the ones with spots on).
  4. Each player takes it in turns to roll the dice and add that many sprinkles on top of their ice cream… the winner is the person who has the most sprinkles after 4 turns!

Things to talk about whilst creating

  • Talk about what you would like to put on your ice cream, thinking about the colours of the different flavours (Expressive arts and designs – being imaginative)
  • What is the same / different about each ice cream (Understanding the World – The World)
  • How many sprinkles are on top, do simple math’s; you have 3 on top if you add 1 more or take 1 away what number do you have then? Count in a random order and see if you get corrected. (Mathematic development – Numbers)
  • At the end of the activity ask your child to estimate (guess but no counting) how many sprinkles they have and get them to check by counting the sprinkles (Mathematics – Numbers)

Extending the activity:

  • Role play Ice Cream shop.
  • Enjoy a lovely ice cream together!


Activity 2: Footstep printing

footprints.jpg      

What you will need:

  • Large paper
  • Paint
  • Bowl of water for cleaning feet
  • Outside space!!!

The Method:

  1. Set up the large paper outside
  2. You could use trays for different colour paints, or just squirt blobs of paint on the paper
  3. Set up a ‘feet washing’ station
  4. Allow your child to walk around the paper, mixing colours, creating patterns and exploring the texture of the paint.
  5. Wash feet before moving onto the next activity.

Things to talk about whilst creating

  • What happens when you mix paint together? What colours are you making? (Expressive arts and designs – Exploring and using media and materials)
  • What does it feel like? Textures (Expressive arts and designs – Exploring and using media and materials)
  • How many footprints is the paper? (Mathematics – Numbers; Shape, space and measure)

Extending the activity:

  • Sensory footprint walk.
  • Other footstep printing using toys and cars etc.
  • Footsteps in sand (at the beach).


Activity 3: Movement session with a focus of moving like sea animals

dancing.jpg                             

What you will need:

  • Something to play some music videos on
  • A space to dance about

Music Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5EWUs6FCDs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqZsoesa55w

The Method:

  • Put the music video on and have fun, copy the actions and encourage the children to move about and think about how the creates are moving (You may need to skip the adverts).

Things to talk about whilst creating

  • How each creature is moving (Physical development – moving and handling; Understanding the World – The World)
  • Talking about what exercise does to your body and how it keeps you healthy (Physical development – Health and self-care)

Extending the activity:

                 

Activity 4: Flapping Fish Races

flappy fish.jpg                    

What you will need:

  • Scissors
  • Newspaper
  • Fish template (or you can create your own)

The Method:

  1. Cut out the fish shape
  2. Create a starting point and a finishing point
  3. Decorate the fish
  4. Place fishes on the floor
  5. Use the newspaper to waft the fish
  6. The winner is the first person who can get their fish across the line!

Here is a little video of the game; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pp-8kZvm0A

Things to talk about whilst creating

  • How to hold and use the scissors safely (Physical development – health and self-care)

Extending the activity:

  • What other animals or shapes can you waft – what ones work well?
  • Paper plate fishes.
  • Make your own fish bowl

 

Some extra ideas and activities:

  • Story of the week – Sharing a shell (Julia Donaldson) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpJumAZx1t8
  • 2nd Story – What the Ladybird heard at the seaside https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyEtj3q_VCo
  • Song of the week – The sharing a shell song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxbYzI4_DDg
  • Have a look at https://www.gruffalo.com/ for some great activities from Julia Donaldson… you may have to scroll through the pages to find the two stories above.
  • Making your own ice lollies or ice cream.
  • Seaside colouring pack (see attachment).
  • A vast amount of role play ideas; Pirates, transport to the beach, ice cream shop, beach café and lots more.
  • Seaside cut out activity (see attachment).
  • Seaside counting activity (see attachment).
  • For the older children Seaside word search (see attachment).
  • Seaside spot the difference – there are 2 sheets; one easier and one harder (see attachment).

We hope you enjoy exploring these activities!