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W/c 8th December 25 – Christmas Story

  • Story retell with props or puppets.
  • Singing Christmas songs and rhymes.
  • Santa’s Workshop – present wrapping.
  • Christmas craft.
  • Christmas music and movement: float like a snowflake, act like a reindeer.
  • Snowball relay races.
  • Sort decorations by size, shape or colour.
  • Paperchain garlands.
  • Tracing Christmas shapes.
  • Create Christmas lists.
  • Build Winter villages with blocks.
  • Melting experiments.

W/c 1st December 25 – Gingerbread Man: Baker

  • Role play bakery with aprons, hats, bowls etc.
  • Cottage themed home corner.
  • Bake playdough Gingerbread.
  • Gingerbread man tuff tray.
  • Gingerbread man hunt.
  • Scented ginger / cinnamon dough.
  • Predictions: What will happen if we get a gingerbread man wet?
  • Bake Gingerbread men – observe changes.
  • Count buttons on gingerbread people.
  • Positional language: where is the Gingerbread Man?
  • Have races on the playground.
  • Use tweezers to pick up buttons / pom poms.
  • Build a bridge from large construction.

W/c 24th November 25 – When I grow up / Occupations

  • Occupation dress up corner.
  • Artist studio-colour mixing palettes.
  • Menu writing on chalkboards.
  • Finger tracing letters in oats.
  • Bulb planting and watering.
  • Firefighter spray bottles at targets.
  • Small world construction area tuff spot.
  • Place pom pom decorations on cakes with tweezers.
  • Whisking bubbles.
  • Nuts and bolts tray.
  • Thread leaves on pipe cleaners.
  • Bandage wrapping on soft toys.
  • Measure dough snakes with cubes.
  • Balance scale – compare tool weights.
  • Discuss safety equipment for jobs.
  • Roll the dice and play the correct beats.

W/c 17th November 25 – Whatever Next / Space

  • Read Whatever Next – talk about the Author, encourage children to retell it.
  • Learn new vocabulary: space, rocket, astronaut, moon, planet, orbit, solar system.
  • Role play: astronaut base with space rocket.
  • Make rocket models from boxes.
  • Create solar system using round sponges and paint.
  • Use instruments to create space sounds.
  • Moon dust’ salt and mark making cards.
  • Collect stars from hair gel with tweezers.
  • Scoop floating planets from water tray.
  • Create moon craters in the sand with hidden meteor rocks.
  • Rocket races on the playground.
  • Thread planet beads to make solar system.
  • Sing 5 little men in a flying saucer, Twinkle Twinkle little star, Plants round the sun.

W/c 10th Nov – Peace at Last – Night time sounds

  • Talk about our bedtime routines.
  • Read Peace at Last story.
  • Talk about how Mr Bear is feeling.
  • Create a calm, cosy, comfort corner.
  • Match patterned pyjamas.
  • Paint a moonlit sky using sponges & glitter.
  • Make faces using loose parts.
  • Build bear beds using blocks.
  • Gentle stretching and sleepy yoga.
  • Make bedtime soup in the mud kitchen.
  • Learn new facts about nocturnal animals.
  • Talk about people who work at night.
  • Listening game – what’s that night time sound.
  • Sequence the story.
  • Bedroom role play area.

W/c 3rd Nov 2025 – Fireworks – Light & Sound

  • Set up “fireworks night” area with pretend snacks, tickets and glow sticks.
  • Talk about how we feel during fireworks.
  • Create “friendship flames”.
  • Play “What’s that sound?” matching game.
  • Use storybooks for sequencing and recall: Billy’s fireworks night, Bernie Sparks etc.
  • Build a “bonfire” with sticks.
  • Make fireworks pictures outside using different techniques.
  • Discuss why we see fireworks.
  • Make simple sound shakers.
  • Floating fireworks – using coloured oil.
  • Explore light and dark using torches.
  • Use Jackson Pollock painting technique.
  • Create shape rockets with 2D shapes.
  • Threading glow bead necklaces.

W/c 20th October 2025 – Diwali

  • Talk about celebrations at home.
  • Set up “celebration table” in role play.
  • Turn taking game – pass the light.
  • Listen to Diwali story.
  • Hide shiny gems in the sand.
  • Create rangoli art with coloured rice.
  • Make chalk paint.
  • Make diya lamps and paint.
  • Explore 2D shapes through Rangoli.
  • Make repeating patterns through colour.
  • Diwali puzzles.
  • Listening game – identify Diwali sounds.
  • Dance with ribbons.
  • Mud kitchen – make festival treats.
  • Simple light investigation.