Nursery - Spring 1

During the Spring 1 half term, our nursery children loved exploring our topic, “We Are Story Tellers.” We focused on traditional tales including The Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, The Three Billy Goats Gruff and Little Red Riding Hood. Through these stories, the children developed their listening skills, confidence in speaking and ability to retell familiar events. They especially enjoyed joining in with repeated phrases and acting out parts of the stories during their play. Our favourite story was The Gingerbread Man. When he “escaped” around school causing mischief, the children loved investigating clues and predicting where he had gone.

Every Friday, the adults performed the stories in the school hall in a fun pantomime style, using costumes and props. The children were completely captivated! They laughed, joined in enthusiastically and became more confident in retelling the stories themselves. These performances really brought the stories to life and inspired lots of imaginative play back in the classroom.

In maths, we have been developing our counting skills, focusing on careful one-to-one counting and recognising numbers. The children have practised ordering numbers and matching numerals to quantities through practical activities and games. We also explored 2D and 3D shapes, going on shape hunts and identifying shapes in our environment. Positional language such as “under,” “behind,” and “next to” has been introduced through both play and adult-led activities.

We are continuing to practise writing some letters from our names and are becoming more confident with mark-making. Role play has been very popular this half term, particularly the home corner, shop and vet, where children have enjoyed acting out real-life experiences.

Nursery - Autumn 2

We had a lovely and exciting Autumn 2 in Nursery! The children enjoyed lots of fun learning and making special memories together.

We began the term by sharing the story Meg and Mog. The children loved dressing up, acting out the story, and retelling it using puppets. We also had a special EYFS dress-up day, where the adults performed Room on the Broom in a fun theatre-style show, followed by a dance in the big hall. The children really enjoyed watching and joining in.

Throughout the term, we went on adventures around the school grounds, looking closely at changes in the natural world. We searched for signs of Autumn and, more recently, signs of Winter. We spotted frost and holly—but sadly no robin yet!

We also learned about celebrations. The children talked about birthdays and how people celebrate special days. As Christmas got closer, there was great excitement when a cheeky elf came to visit our classroom! We loved finding him each day and chatting about his mischief.

In maths, the children practised counting, recognising shapes, and comparing groups to find who had more or fewer objects, using lots of hands-on activities.

We ended the term with our Christmas Nativity. The children sang beautifully, wore their costumes proudly, and were very brave performing in front of others. We are so proud of them!

It has been a wonderful term full of fun, learning, and happy memories. Well done, Nursery! 🌟

Nursery – Autumn 1 

This Autumn 1 term at Ainslie Wood Nursery has been full of exciting learning, discovery, and new friendships. As we welcomed both new children and familiar faces back to the setting, we spent lots of time getting to know each other, the adults, and our learning environment. It has been wonderful to see the children settling in, building confidence, and forming positive relationships.

Our theme this half term has focused on Autumn and all the changes it brings. The children have explored the natural world around them, collecting leaves, observing colour changes, and learning about woodland animals. Our favourite learning has been all about Autumn animals – from squirrels gathering food to owls flying at night. This tied in beautifully with our class story Owl Babies, which helped us talk about feelings, family, and being brave when things change.

We also enjoyed reading So Much, which supported our learning around families, celebrations, and emotions. Another highlight has been learning about Diwali, the Festival of Lights. Through stories, songs, and creative activities, the children explored light and dark and created beautiful artwork inspired by Diwali traditions.

In maths, we have been focusing on matching objects, exploring size and height, and developing our number knowledge through play-based activities. Outdoor learning has been just as exciting. In the garden, the children have enjoyed bird watching, going on number hunts, and challenging themselves with balancing activities on beams and stepping stones.

The children have shown great curiosity and enthusiasm this half term. They are developing their independence, communication skills, and a real love of learning. We are so proud of how they have embraced all the opportunities Autumn has brought, and we can’t wait to see what the next term has in store!