This week we have focused on understanding the world, our weekly theme has been based on learning all about Europe, different cultures, homes and languages. Activities we have enjoyed include, alongside other child initiated activities:

On Monday we investigated and learnt about French culture. We made French flags, had a French snack and learnt how to say 'Hello' in French. We also looked at google earth, zooming around areas of France and comparing it with the village of Chesterton. We looked at French landmarks and sang French songs. We made a collage picture of France and wrote a postcard from France.

On Tuesday we explored the country of Italy. We made an Italian flag, listened to Italian nursery rhymes and songs.
We played 'Simon says', enjoyed a snack of breadsticks and olives. We decorated pizza pictures and practiced our cutting and sticking skills. We looked at Italy on google earth and their famous landmarks. We also practiced some Italian words.

On Wednesday we pretended to visit the country of Spain, we decorated a Spanish flag, looked at famous landmarks on google earth. We dressed up and did some Spanish dancing. We looked at famous art and made a Picasso inspired picture. We also enjoyed a snack of tacos, cucumber and tomatoes.

On Thursday we learnt all about the UK. We enjoyed a cream tea for snack, decorated a British flag. We learnt about famous landmarks, the royal family and decorated a crown. We watched some Irish dancing and had a go at doing it. We learnt about Wales and made a picture of their national flower of a daffodil. We also learnt about Scotland and played some active highland games.

On Friday we reviewed our week and talked about all the different places we had learnt about and we also made pasta necklaces, inspired by Italy, and made some mosaic pictures inspired by some artwork we had seen throughout the week.

During we week we also enjoyed lots of other activities including:

• lots of mark making in various forms: water painting, wipe board marking, pencils, pens, tracing patterns
• guessing the objects games
• having fun in our role play café
• creating stories with farm animals and cars
• lots of matching games
• learning about different 2d shapes and their properties
• lotto games and puzzles
• painting and creating some lovely artwork
• name writing practice and practice finding and recognising own name
• lots of listening games, songs and rhymes
• developing our superhero skill of putting on our own shoes
• making models with play dough
• counting games, songs and rhymes
• playing games with balls outside
• playing on bikes and scooters outside building models with stickle bricks
• lots of fine motor activities to help develop hand strength
• listening to lots of stories

Please see the links below for home learning ideas related to our topic.
For further home learning ideas you can look back through the previous weeks to find more ideas of things you can do at home.

Best wishes, Julia, Claire, Hannah, Lisa and Adam

Home Learning Activities
Past and Present
People Culture and Communities
The Natural World