One day this term we all awoke to a lovely surprise. It had snowed during the night. Out of the window went all the 'plans' for the day and in came spontaneity. Children brought snow into school in their packed lunch boxes, plastic bags and hands and this was used as the basis of a day of fun( and learning). Snow was put in small trays to see how long it took to melt in different parts of the room. It was patted, moulded and looked at with magnifying glasses. Snowflakes were looked at on numerous web sites on the computer resulting in some amazing hexagonal cut outs from the children. No two the same! White paint and a roll of black paper facilitated a mural of a snowy landscape.

As they painted, the children discussed and negotiated the placing of snowmen etc. Despite it being February the local supermarket had a supply of ready made ice cubes which the children used in the tuff spot to make igloos for the small lego people and dens for the polar bear. As the ice slowly melted they added whales and sea lions to enhance this small world play. With stories, an exciting half hour in the playground and many other 'snow' based activities, every area of the Foundation Stage curriculum was covered, in a fun-filled day.

Toys is the theme for the term. We have looked at many different types of toys, particularly those of yesteryear. The children sorted pictures of toys into different types and usage. Tthe investigative table had a different toy added each day, most were reproductions from yesteryear. The most popular, with all ages, parents included, was the humming top.
During the term, the children made several simple toys using card, paper and various recyclable materials. The most popular hand-made toy was the Jack-in-a-box. Although making these proved quite challenging, they were very successful.