Here at Highgate we have enjoyed getting back to basics this summer, remembering to enjoy the little things in life that help children learn more effectively, by engaging in fun with hands-on activities that stimulate children’s natural curiosity, with activities such as baking, gardening, nature exploration and outings.
Cooking club
In June we were lucky enough to have had Kath join our team as the nursery cook. Kath has a passion for cooking, and has been working in kitchens for over twenty years. She also enjoys spending time with the children in the rooms when she can, which is when we decided to start a weekly cooking club. Kath goes into the rooms and teaches the children a new recipe. So far the children have helped make apple crumble and jam roly poly – yummy! Baking allows the opportunity for so much learning, such as developing motor skills, social and emotional skills, numeracy skills and much more. How about searching for a new recipe for you and your child to make at home?
Trips to the local park and shops
During the hot weather, we try to avoid the sun at peak times, so it was nice when the weather cooled down to allow multiple trips to our local park. We are very lucky to have a large green space nearby, allowing the children to reduce any stress, enhance focus, and use their imagination. A trip to the park does so much more than “burn off energy”, it helps children build strength and muscle, problem-solve, and encourages them to use their imagination. Do you know where your local park is? If not use the link below to find out where it is.
sheffield.gov.uk/parks-sport-recreation/parks-green-spaces
The children also enjoyed lots of visits to the local shops to buy supplies for their baking activities. A favourite was when they made healthy pitta pizzas using various toppings. The children used their fine motor skills to help chop the vegetables, and slice the cheese, to put on top.
Dentist visit
Our Pre-School room had a visit from Total Orthodontics https://www.totalorthodontics.co.uk/our-locations/sheffield, who spoke to the children around the importance of toothbrushing and oral hygiene. This was followed by some fantastic activities which the children loved taking part in. The children also received dental goody bags to take home. Thank you again to Total Orthodontics for visiting!
Lunch club
The children from our Pre-School room visited our local church to have lunch with some members of our elderly from the local community. They attend a weekly lunch club there, and the children enjoyed chatting to the new people they had met, and showed curiosity around names and where the people lived and came from. The children had a delicious lunch of jacket potato, cheese and beans, and stayed afterwards to sing some songs. Thank you again to Handsworth Methodist Church https://handsworthmethodist.org.uk/ for having us, we will be back again soon!
Au revoir!
We would also like to take the opportunity to say thank you, and good luck, to all our children that we have waved off to big school this year, many having attended Highgate since they were babies! It has been a pleasure to watch them grow, learn and develop over their time with us. We wish you all the best on your next adventure at school!
If you are looking for something to do this Autumn/Winter check out the link below – 50 things to do in Sheffield.
