Water, water everywhere and lots and lots to drink! Exploring water has been very messy, very wet and very enjoyable.

Personal, Social and Emotional Development
The children discussed the ways they use water in their everyday life from drinking it to keep alive to swimming in it for fun. They also talked about what would happen if we did not have water and this led to discussions on the parts of the world where there is very little or no water and how people survive there. As the weather is hopefully getting warmer we talked about the importance of drinking water even before we felt thirsty!

Communication, Language and Literacy
The experience of playing with water in different forms made for good conversation between children and with the staff. They explored water using and discussing how their five senses answered the question “what is water?” During the topic the children looked at books showing water in many contexts, the water cycle, homes on water and living in water. We also read storybooks featuring- Mr Gumpy’s Outing, Rainbow Fish, Mr Archimedes Bath and many more.

Maths
Maths was explored by using water for measuring, both quantity and weight. How many cups of water does it take to fill that jug and how many jugs to fill that bucket? Does that big bottle weigh the same as those two small bottles?

Physical
The best use of water for the children’s physical development has been the swimming pool. Over this term the children have been floating on their backs, practising sitting dives and retrieving “treasure” from the bottom of the pool. Using the cd of Carnival of Animals the children used the piece of music Aquarium to dance and move to. Pouring water in jugs, bottles, funnels etc. helped the children improve their fine motor control and hand / eye coordination.

Knowledge and Understanding of the World
The children explored many aspects of water.
Add water to sand and it becomes mouldable – castles, tunnels shapes etc. Add water to oil and it mixes at first but leave it to stand and what happens? Add glitter to water in a sealed bottle and shake! Add water to dry rice or pasta and what happens?
Put water, golden syrup and cooking oil in a bottle, add various objects- a metal nut, a piece of cork, a Lego brick, a grape etc. and see where they float!
Is water always a liquid?
How many Lego people can you float in your home made boat before it sinks?
Water and washing up liquid – BUBBLES GALORE oh what fun.
All this and we haven’t even talked about fish and The London Aquarium

Creative Development
Water was added to the dry sand and the children built elaborate castles with it. Water was added to sterile compost and this made it into a material that could be used with stones, pebbles, shells and pieces of wood, to create landscapes and gardens. Different amounts of water were added to powder paint to make different thicknesses. Runny paint was dribbled over paper to make patterns. Blotting paper was folded and dunked into water based dyes and then opened out. Dyes were dripped onto absorbent paper to make the primary colours run into each other to make secondary colours. Dye was added to water and washing up liquid to make bubble prints.
Songs were sung featuring water – I Hear Thunder….etc.
During the dance part of gym the children listened to and interpreted through movement, various pieces of music featuring water.