Week Commencing 2nd November 2026.

We have been so impressed by how beautifully the children have settled straight back into our nursery routines after the half-term holiday. They returned full of energy and eager to see their friends, diving right back into their learning with great focus. This week, the children have been exploring the changing seasons, learning about cultural celebrations, and developing both their big and small muscles through purposeful play.

Plan, Do, Review!

The adults have been incredibly impressed with our “Plan, Do, Review” sessions this week and have loved joining in with the children’s imaginative play. These sessions are wonderful for encouraging children to think ahead, voice their ideas, and look back at what they achieved.

During one particularly exciting session, a child had a big idea: they wanted to climb high, just like Spider-Man! Together, we talked about what they would need to make this happen, and they decided that ropes were the perfect tool for the job.

Once the ropes were found, the children worked together to decide how to use them safely. They figured out that the ropes needed to be tied up high, which we helped secure right at the top of our fence. What followed was a super display of sharing and physical skill. The children patiently took turns attempting to climb the rope up the fence, cheering each other on as they tested their strength and balance to scale the heights like the real Spiderman!

Creating Fireworks

Following the excitement of recent celebrations, we spent time watching short video clips online of spectacular firework displays. This sparked wonderful conversations as the children eagerly shared their own experiences of watching displays at home with their families.

We then went on to capture that magic on paper. Instead of using traditional brushes or glue spreaders, the children used the straight edges of cardboard strips to carefully “dab” glue onto their paper. Once the patterns were made, they practiced their control by gently sprinkling vibrant glitter over the top. The children loved capturing the sounds and sights of a real firework show!

Celebrating Diwali: Beautiful Rangoli Patterns

We have also been learning all about Diwali, the festival of light. We talked about how people celebrate by lighting lamps and creating beautiful, welcoming patterns on the ground called Rangoli.

To try this ourselves, the children worked with paint and cotton buds. This required lots of focus and precision: we challenged the children to just dab carefully to create intentional, intricate patterns rather than using sweeping strokes to paint the whole page. This deliberate “dapping” motion is fantastic for developing the fine motor control and hand-eye coordination needed for early mark-making and writing.

Outdoor Helpers & Autumn Treasures

We always try to make the most of our wonderful outdoor environment, and recently, it needed a little bit of teamwork to tidy up all the fallen leaves!

Armed with brooms and wheelbarrows, the children got to work sweeping and collecting. This was a brilliant workout for their gross motor skills, as pushing heavy wheelbarrows and balancing while sweeping helps build strong core muscles and physical confidence.

The fun didn’t stop once the garden was tidy! We brought our collected leaves indoors to create beautiful autumn artwork. Using our fine motor skills, we carefully threaded real leaves into paper templates to make textured hedgehogs and leafy autumn trees. It was lovely to see their individual ideas and designs come to life using natural materials.

Parents as Partners

Next week is National Nursery Rhyme Week. We will be celebrating by singing, signing, and exploring different rhymes together every single day.

This week, we have already been getting into the rhythm, and some of the children’s favourites have been Wind the Bobbin Up, Incy Wincy Spider, and Baa Baa Black Sheep.

Singing nursery rhymes is so much more than just a fun daily routine- it plays a vital role in your child’s early development such as developing language & sound Awareness, early maths skills and physical coordination.

You are your child’s first and most important teacher! You can support their learning this week simply by singing favourite rhymes together at home – during bath time, in the car, or at bedtime. Ask your child to show you the actions or pause before the rhyming word to see if they can fill in the blank!

Just a friendly reminder to families regarding no food, drinks or sweets in bags or children’s pockets please. You can talk to a member of staff about this if you need further clarification.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership,

The Nursery Team