Autumn 1 - 2026
2nd September - 22nd October
What a wonderful first term we've had at playgroup! It has been lovely to welcome everyone back after the summer and to meet our new children. We have all settled back into our routines and it has been lovely to watch the children grow in confidence as they explore, play and learn together.
Throughout the term, we have been focusing on physical development and gross motor skills, providing lots of opportunities for the children to get moving, develop their coordination, build strength and challenge themselves through active play. From climbing and balancing to running, jumping and exploring, the children have been developing the physical skills that will support them as they grow.
This term we have also been exploring themes of all about me and my family, celebrating what makes each child special . Through conversations, activities and shared experiences we have been learning about ourselves and the people who are important to us. These experiences have helped us to build relationships, develop our communication skills and strengthen our sense of belonging within playgroup!
Our focus book this term has been the much-loved The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson. The children have thoroughly enjoyed exploring this fantastic story, and it has inspired us to take our learning far beyond the pages of the book! We have been discovering the wonderful world of woodland animals and thinking about where different creatures live. We have looked closely at leaves, noticed their different colours and textures and used natural materials to inspire our play.
The story has provided so many opportunities for imaginative play, new vocabulary, creative arts and designs and instilled a curiosity about the natural world. It has been wonderful to see the children making connections between the story and their own discoveries..... and of course no gruffalo adventure would be complete without something delicious! We brought our learning to a tasty conclusion by making our very own Gruffalo (Apple) crumble. The children had the opportunity to get involved in the preparation, explore the ingredients and enjoy some gruffalo inspired cooking. What a lovely way to bring our story to life!
As we reached the end of term, our attention turned to pumpkins! We have been getting hands-on with pumpkin explorations, giving the children opportunities to investigate their interesting textures, colours and shapes. These experiences encourage the children to use their senses, ask questions, develop descriptive language and explore the world around them. Whether investigating something new or simply enjoying the squishy messy fun, there has been plenty to spark cuiosity and conversation.
It has been a busy and exciting first term, full of stories, discoveries, creativity and opportunities to learn through play. We are so proud of the children's growing confidence, developing skills and willingness to explore new experiences.
Thank you to all our families for your continued support throughout the term. We hope you have a lovely half-term break and we look forward to welcoming everyone back for another exciting term of play, learning and discovery!!
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