This Week in Nursery: Learning About Personal Boundaries
This week, we’ve been helping the children learn about the importance of keeping their private parts private. At this age, it’s perfectly normal for children to be innocently curious about their own and others' bodies. Sometimes, this curiosity can lead to children wandering in and out of the toilets or showing each other their private parts.
To support the children in understanding personal boundaries, we’ve had some gentle, age-appropriate conversations about saying “no”, setting boundaries, and speaking to a trusted adult if they ever feel unsure or uncomfortable.
We used the NSPCC’s friendly dinosaur character, Pantosaurus, and his catchy song to help us explain these important messages in a fun and engaging way. The children responded really well and were keen to join in with the singing and actions!
If you’d like to watch the song at home with your child, you can find it here:
PANTOSAURUS
As always, if you have any questions about what we’ve covered or would like to know more about how we approach this topic, please feel free to get in touch.
We Do the Muddy Mess So You Don’t Have To!
This week, the children had a fantastic time creating their very own muddy puddles during the hot weather. They took the initiative to source the containers themselves, filling them with water from the water butt. Then, they carried the water over to a dry spot under the tree, where the ground had become hard and cracked from the sun.
Using sticks, they dug into the earth, fascinated by the change they could make. The children were completely absorbed in their play, and some got muddier than others – all part of the fun! They continued for quite some time, thoroughly enjoying the experience of getting stuck in (quite literally!) with nature.
Water Play Fun: Exploring, Experimenting, and Learning!
This week, the children have had a fantastic time continuing their water play adventures! We've been focusing on the simple joys of filling and pouring, which is a brilliant way for them to develop their hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. To keep things exciting, we changed the colour of the water each day, sparking lots of curiosity and engagement.
The children used a variety of resources, including gutters, the water tank, and the tuff tray, to explore the properties of water. Through their play, they’ve been experimenting with how water flows, observing cause and effect, and developing early scientific thinking. It's also been a wonderful opportunity for them to engage in imaginative play, working together and sharing their discoveries.
We're so proud of the children's growing confidence and their ability to take the lead in their own learning. Water play offers such a rich environment for exploration and learning, and it's been lovely to see them so engaged and excited throughout the week!
Creating and Conquering Obstacle Courses!
This week, the children have been busy designing and building their very own obstacle courses outside, a fantastic way for them to develop their physical skills and creativity. We all worked together to build a tunnel, which the children absolutely loved! It was wonderful to see them collaborate and share ideas as they brought their course to life.
Once the tunnel was complete, the children used crates, hoops, and slides to design a circular path that allowed them to travel from one challenge to the next. This kind of activity not only helps with their coordination and balance, but it also encourages problem-solving and teamwork. The children were so focused as they worked together, adjusting the course and figuring out how to make it just right.
It’s been wonderful to watch them develop their confidence in physical play while also engaging in collaborative and imaginative thinking!
Teamwork and Threading Fun in Finger Gym!
Two of our clever little learners really impressed us this week during our finger gym activity! What began as simple threading, carefully threading string through cotton reels, quickly turned into a brilliant example of creativity and teamwork.
The boys used every reel they could find, filling up their piece of string. Then, with great determination, they tied on another length of string and carried on threading, eager to see just how long they could make their creation! It was lovely to watch them working together, problem-solving, and celebrating each new section they added.
This type of fine motor play helps to strengthen the muscles in their hands and fingers, which is so important for early writing skills. Even more, their collaboration showed wonderful communication and perseverance, skills we love to see growing in our setting!
Marvellous Mark Making!
There’s been a real buzz around mark making this week, with the children eagerly exploring lots of different ways to make their marks! They absolutely loved using the large whiteboard, where they had the freedom to draw, write, and sometimes even go a little wild with their scribbles! While it might look like random marks to us, those scribbles often hold meaning for the children—whether it’s a story, a letter, or something entirely from their imagination.
Mark making is such an important part of early writing development, helping children to build confidence and develop the fine motor control they’ll need for writing later on.
We also had lots of fun creating mini envelopes together. The children were really engaged in drawing pictures and writing messages to pop inside, such a lovely way to encourage purposeful writing in a playful, meaningful context. Watching their creativity and communication blossom through these little letters was a real joy!
Brilliant Bug Hunters!
Our little explorers were thrilled to go on a bug hunt this week and what an exciting discovery they made! The children found a baby caterpillar wriggling through the grass, which caused a real buzz of excitement, especially since we read The Very Hungry Caterpillar just a few weeks ago. It was a lovely moment of making connections in their learning!
We had a great chat about how to look after mini beasts, reminding ourselves to observe carefully without touching, so we don’t harm them. It was wonderful to see the children showing such care and respect for living things, an important part of understanding the world around them.
Creative Collaging in the Art Area!
In the art area this week, the children have been putting their brilliant collaging skills to work! They were given the opportunity to recreate a flower using a selection of creative materials and they rose to the challenge beautifully.
With the same resources left out on the table throughout the week, the children explored different ways to shape and stick their pieces. Some chose to carefully tear paper with their fingers to get just the right size and shape, while others used scissors with growing confidence. It was fantastic to see them using their fine motor skills in different ways, showing independence and creativity in their approaches.
This activity also encouraged the children to look closely at shape, colour, and pattern—developing their observation skills and expressing their own artistic ideas. We loved seeing their individual interpretations and the pride they took in their creations!
Fantastic Pattern Play!
This week, the children have done some brilliant independent work exploring patterns. During their key group time, they have been practising creating patterns using a variety of objects and through mark making.
The photo below shows some wonderful examples of children applying their new skills all on their own, without any prompting or support! It’s such a joy to see them confidently putting their learning into action and showing real pride in what they’ve achieved.
Encouraging independence like this helps build their confidence and deepens their understanding in a fun and meaningful way.
