Noah's Ark
Pre-school

Another action packed and fun filled week was had at Noah's Ark with the children creating a host of exciting ideas. A pop up cafe appeared where herb infused teas, fresh fruit and a selection of other tempting treats could be ordered. With the warm weather others decided they would head for the beach with their surf boards to catch some waves or perfect their diving skills. For those who wanted to journey further afield some children decided to build a rocket! Shells that ha

At the moment we are anticipating that there might be snow coming our way, but this week the children experienced anticipation in a number of ways. From wondering what mini beasts they might find under logs and leaves, or how high the frogs will jump; to experiencing colour changing rice and warm buttered crumpets possibly for the first time. Imaginative food was high on the menu too this week with fabulous creations with play dough and coloured rice made for snacks to eat du

The wonderful weather we have been enjoying has fired up the children's imagination this week. Creative hands were supported by the team to build a camp fire on which marshmallows were toasted and tea brewed. Whilst some enjoyed a cuppa others went on mini beast hunts or engaged in a bit of bird spotting. For those children wanting a challenge to stretch their physical aptitude we constructed zig-zag bridges to navigate. Meanwhile other children used their ingenuity to make

In 2014 the Government published a document called "The Children's Happiness Scale". This research however involved gathering the views of children in care, getting help from social care services, living away from home in boarding schools, residential special schools or residential further education colleges, and care leavers. But how can we find out if our youngest children in pre-school are happy? Do we know if they are settled and learning as they play? So how can a child

As the days count down to the end of the summer term it means we will soon be saying our goodbyes to the children who will be leaving to begin new and thrilling adventures at their new schools. Over the past few weeks the children have continued to have exciting and energising ideas as well as being eager to explore the invitations to play that the team have created. Yes we had the builders in again but this time they built an extension to the sand pit and added a kitchen and

Every season has its own sights, smells and sounds and Autumn at the moment is giving us an abundance of sensory gifts. From the vast array of different coloured leaves, the glorious sunsets, the texture of different seasonal fruit, the sound of geese flying south, the sight of squirrels hiding food for winter and soon the smell of bonfires. Giving children the opportunity to explore colour and manipulate materials encourages and supports their imagination and thinking proces

The past fortnight has flown by but what a fun packed 2 weeks we've had! It was lovely to see children new to Noah's Ark and returning children from last year begin to explore their new environment and start to become acquainted with the staff and new friends. Once everyone had relaxed into the rhythm of the sessions we saw creativity emerging, interests developing and play initiated. With the change of the season upon us this brings lots of different opportunities for us to

As a staff we have been looking at play and brain development, focusing on the new book by Dr. Jaqueline Harding, "The Brain that loves to Play" and how play, curiosity and engagement all trump formal learning when it comes to developing our children's brains, ensuring we have future adults who are resilient, flexible thinkers and problem solvers. Check it out here https://www.drjacquelineharding.com/about/

Little did we know at the start of the week that the children's interests would involve lots of activities beginning with M! Mixing paint to create different colours and shades was popular both inside and outside alongside other mark making media . Mathematics was explored in a variety of ways from making mosaics using the coloured shapes, matching numbers in the environment, exploring clocks, all the way through to measuring how tall everybody was. Magnifying glasses,

We were delighted to welcome new friends to Noah's Ark who have quickly settled in and begun their own adventures and learning journeys. Indeed the past few weeks have been filled with industrious, imaginative and creative play encompassing a variety of aspects that are important to children's development. It's not just the children who learn through play but the adults too. In order to support and foster children's play the team are often researching different elements, for

According to Amanda Morgan of the Not Just Cute Podcast https://notjustcute.com/podcast/ "before we ever put a pencil in a child's...

Hands up who likes maths? The word "mathematics" can conjure up a myriad of emotions, sometimes not always positive, but if we are asked about the word "play" then reactions can be very different. However on a daily basis children are learning maths all the time through a wide variety of play experiences and this week is no exception. Playing with water and sand this week offered children opportunities to explore shapes, volume, capacity, concepts such as bigger, smaller and

We have had some very busy weeks recently with the children having the opportunity to meet their new teachers both at their new schools and here at Noah's Ark. This time of the year, transitioning from pre-school to Reception classes, can be a period of mixed emotions not just for children but for parents and staff too. Anxiety, excitement, trepidation are all palpable emotions that are present around times of change and that is why it is important we share information on wha

With snowdrops and other signs of spring appearing in the garden it is lovely to see friendships and imaginations begin to flourish too. Indeed the environment plays a vital role in children's learning and development. According to Loris Malaguzzi "there are three teachers of children: adults, other children and their physical environment" . The environment can influence children on a daily basis and provides a wealth of learning opportunities that encourage them to explore

The warmer weather has meant that we are spending more time outdoors and that in turn opens up lots of opportunities for a variety of...

There has been a lot of building activity recently at Noah's Ark with a variety of materials being used. Construction play, in any form, using different materials, supports children to build self confidence, creativity and encourages their independent learning. Observations showed that the children modified their creations if things didn't work out in the way they had hoped. This have-a-go attitude stands children in good stead when faced with difficulties. Overcoming problem

This week the children were using the 5 senses we usually think of: sight (visual), taste (gustatory), touch (tactile), hearing (auditory), and smell (olfactory) . But they were also getting input from another 3 that we're possibly not so familiar with: vestibular (balance), proprioceptive (movement) and interoceptive (internal). Vestibular input gives us information about where our head and body are in relation to space. It helps us stay upright when we sit, stand and walk.

We have all been fascinated with the insects and mini beasts that visit our outdoor space. The children are always curious and excited to...

The sun did make a brief appearance this week however the children have been brightening up the days by experimenting with colour mixing using an array of different mediums from palette paints, coloured water, chalk and food colouring in rice. Other children decided to build cars, buses and trains so they could get a way to sunnier climes. Things did start to get hotter later in the week when we had to escape from the lava monster who was very scary! Luckily Batman was around

Laughter draws people together in ways that trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body as well as boosting our immune system. So with the beginning of the season for coughs, colds and sneezes upon us we were lucky that all the fun activities the children engaged in produced lots of smiles and giggles. There were some budding volcanologists learning about where lava came from and what happened when it cooled as well as explorers who were discovering more about