This week in Reception, we continued our exciting under-the-sea adventure, exploring the fascinating world of sharks and the many creatures that live beneath the waves. Our learning took us on a journey through the adaptations and habitats of sharks around the world, sparking curiosity and wonder among our little explorers!
To bring our underwater adventures to life, we read the delightful book Shark in the Park. This fun, interactive story inspired a treasure trail around our school grounds, where we searched for different plants and animals in our local environment. The children had a fantastic time using binoculars to spot wildlife in the trees and bushes – though, unfortunately, we didn’t find any sharks like the little boy in the story!
In addition to our treasure hunt, we also explored themes of friendship and kindness through the story Sharing a Shell. This book helped us talk about the qualities that make a good friend and how we can show kindness and care towards others. We had some wonderful discussions about the importance of being a supportive and understanding friend, and the children shared their own thoughts about friendship.
The outdoor learning didn’t stop there! We had a wonderful time outside making our very own rock pools, signs, flags, and sandcastles in the sandpit. The children loved trying to fill up their sandcastles with water, using teamwork and problem-solving skills along the way. The fun didn’t just come from building – we also talked about how we can care for our friends and how we can work together to create something special, just like the little hermit crab in our story.
As part of our exploration of friendship, we created “friend potions” in the forest, imagining what qualities make someone a good friend. The children worked together to gather magical ingredients that represented kindness, sharing, honesty, and empathy, all in the hopes of helping the lonely hermit crab find some new friends.
