The Great Nursery Bake Off

Monday morning has rolled around again! Still, I can't complain because the sun is shining for me up here in bonnie Scotland and I'm feeling ready and raring for another week! 

I also am due to receive my exam results tomorrow! Very nerve-racking indeed but I cannot wait for everything to be finalised and my place at University to be 100% confirmed!

Anyway! Enough about me! I'm on a roll with blogging recently and figure that I might as well write while I am inspired and motivated!

Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry - Judges from the GBBO (Photo from Google Images)

With the Great British Bake Off about to return to our screens, I thought that this would be a great time to explore the literacy, numeracy and science of baking with our children!

During our regular food technology activities, I observed that the children were very interested in recipes and quantities. Of course, when we are making something specific; it is important to include the correct ingredients and the right amounts, but we began talking about what might happen if we mixed it up a bit - adding more water or using flour instead of sugar. Some brilliant language was being used at this point such as wet, sloppy, dry, crumbly, sweet, sticky...

Following this, we decided to make our own recipe books. I took photos of the ingredients that we had to play with - flour, sugar, oats, food colouring, water etc and printed them off for the children to choose. 

The children selected which of the ingredients that they would like to use, and cut out the pictures for their recipes. This involved decision making, motor skills and hand, eye co-ordination.

I printed some large pages with the words:

"add __________ spoon   of "

We used spoons as our unit of measurement during this activity because we were focusing on counting and simple amounts, you could change this to "grams" if you want the children to use weighing scales and learn these different skills.

With some adult support, the children then decided how much of each ingredient they would like to add into their mixture. They stuck the picture of the ingredient onto the page and had a go at writing the number into the space. This involves counting, logical thinking and curiosity and also writing skills.
N.B. I left a space after the word "spoon" so that an "s" could be added. This created opportunity for a little extra discussion about language.

Once the recipe was completed, the children worked with the adult to follow it, adding the right amounts of each ingredient into a large bowl and mixing it with a wooden spoon. We counted the spoonfuls as they were added and used our motor skills to mix.

Lastly, the mixture was spooned into cake cases and we found a fun cake stand to display the 'cakes'. 
Once all of the children had made their cakes, we looked together at the differences and spoke about what had made them this way; "D had 10 spoons of water so his is so sticky!"

We didn't actually bake our 'cakes' but an extra scientific element of baking is observing the change as the mixture is cooked. You can talk about this during this activity or (if you're really brave) you could heat them a little to see what happens. Remember to always explain to the children about safety in the kitchen!

The children were very excited to show their creations to their parents, though I had to be very clear that these were definitely not edible cakes!



Some more Bake-Off inspired activities

• Word Wall - display all of the fantastic language that you have been using

• Create a cake shop/ bakery role play area - include aprons, cake tins, spoons, a till, play money, recipe books etc

• Get baking! There are tonnes of ideas for simple baking and cooking with children to be found at www.pinterest.com

• The circle time baking game - this is all in the imagination, but using a large plastic mixing bowl and a wooden spoon, the children take turns around the circle to add whatever ingredient that they can think off (often leading to hilarity as someone inevitably adds 'worms' or 'mud'). Involve counting as they add the imaginary items and encourage talk of the sights and smells as the wonderful mixture is created! I always pretend to bake the cake and then 'hand out' slices to encourage further talk of the tastes - for example "can you taste the strawberries that you added?"

Have a wonderful week everyone and as they say on the Bake Off: "on your marks, get set, BAKE!"

Sing a song of sixpence

While working on supply I've come to notice that many of us have become stuck in a rut with our song times - singing the same songs over and over (Twinkle Twinkle being a prime culprit!)




This leaves me wondering WHY? There are so many wonderful songs out there, many of the traditional ones and classics have been forgotten! I spoke to my cousin and very good friend Emma who is a fantastically talented and passionate music teacher and she reminded me of some of the wonderful songs that we were taught as children. 
Following this I have decided to made a list of some of my favourites!







Before I begin, here are a few tips for an enjoyable and engaging song time:

1. This is important - you DO NOT have to be a fantastic singer to lead or take part in song time with the children. All you need is enthusiasm!
2. Some children wont want to join in, but don't worry, even just through listening they are hearing rhyming words, intonation and patterns.
3. Add instruments. For the children who don't enjoy singing, they can still be engaged through shaking, beating or blowing.
4. Explore rhythm, pitch and speed. How funny to sing a familiar tune extra fast and high, or super slow and in a low voice.
5. Get moving. I don't know about you but when I'm enjoying my music I can't help but bob along and have a little boogy. It's the same for the children plus the fact that they are big balls of energy. Don't fight a losing battle by trying to keep them still; find some space and explore  musical movement.

Song time inspiration:

Click to view (Videos from YouTube - I can't take any credit)

Ride a cock horse to Banbury cross 

Dingle dangle scarecrow

Little Miss Muffet

The Grand Old Duke of York

5 Little Ducks

There was a crooked man

Miss Polly had a dolly

Mary Mary quite contrary

Hickory dickory dock

There was a princess long ago

Teddy bear teddy bear

Polly put the kettle on

There's a spider on the floor

There's a worm at the bottom of the garden

Peter taps with one hammer

One finger one thumb keep moving

Peter Rabbit had a fly upon his nose

There are so many more and if I was to list them I'd be here all day!

Remember that singing and music has a huge variety of benefits for children including confidence and stress relief as well as literacy and numeracy development. It can be an important part of the children's day and routine, but if you're bored, they will be too.

If there are any songs that you really enjoy, share with your children or loved as a child yourself - please comment or tweet to me at @EarlyYearsIdeas

Have fun!

Bonus - Rod, Jane and Freddy song about nursery rhymes (I used to love them when I was little!)

DIY Sensory Tree

Here's a nice little addition to your sensory area/ activities - a sensory tree with scents that you can change or refresh easily and as needed.

What you'll need:

*A twig/ small branch - it needs to have some off shoots to hang the scent pouches from (think mini tree!)*

*Some permeable material, bags or pouches to hold your smelly items. I used these cute little organza bags.* 

*A pot or jar to hold your tree.*

*An interesting variety of different smells (some ideas below).*

**Tissue paper, glitter, sequins, felt tip pens, ribbons and anything else you like to decorate.*

What to do:

1. Go for a walk, enjoy the great outdoors and find a suitable stick
   
2. Make sure it's nice and dry and then decorate if desired. You could paint it, wrap it with coloured yarn, glue tissue paper onto it... whatever the little ones want!
3. More decorating! Now it's time to make your pot or jar looks beautiful! Felt pens were used here but they have a habit of rubbing off onto everything around. I've heard that hairspray can help it set, but it's probably easier to paint the jar or collage onto it!
   
4. Fill your pot or jar with soil/ tissue paper/ bubble wrap or anything that will hold the stick fairly firmly
5. Find some interesting smelling items, you could use: fresh herbs, fresh fruit (citrus ones work really well), tea bags, smelly soaps, cotton wool soaked in coffee/ perfume etc and fill the bags 
   

 6. Hang the bags onto the tree and you're done! Allow the children to explore the different smells and maybe help them to think of and add their own.

Have an awesome summer everyone!

Being supply

Oh I am terrible... it's been so long since I've posted! 

Well, since I have finished at college for the summer and don't start at university until September; in the mean time I have signed up with a childcare agency to earn some pennies and keep me busy! This means that I am called on to cover in nurseries etc on an as and when needed basis.

So far I have covered in a few different nurseries around my own area and further afield. I just love being nosey at other people's set ups and it's great to spend time interacting with the children without the pressures of being a 'proper' full time member of staff.

I have worked in some beautiful purpose built nurseries, one of which had an absolutely amazing outdoor area! I have also been into some charming old buildings and wondered at how the space has been made into stimulating and enticing areas for the children.



Here are a few things that I would like to let staff know about when I (or others) come in as supply:


 Please introduce yourselves (and the children if possible) and don't be offended if I don't remember your name. If your name is Sarah and I worked with a Sara and Sally yesterday... it gets a bit confusing!


 Don't assume that I am less qualified than you just because I am supply. I actually have lots of experience and am highly qualified! I know what I'm doing. 


Having said this, don't feel like you need to leave me to my own devices,

 Feel free to give me jobs/ activities to do (Please do!) I do use my initiative and instigate activities as much as possible, but I don't want to step on any toes and would much rather work in line with your planning. I like to feel useful and I love being involved in the play and learning that's going on. That's why I'm here!


 It's really important to show me the basics (fire exits etc). I might only be here for one day but today could just be the day that I need to know.




I had not realised how much I was missing working with children until I got back into the nurseries. 
For example, I made a wonderful connection with a little boy who was quite new while working last week. I was told by other staff that he rarely laughs and barely ever speaks English, and when he does it is very limited words. However as I spent time playing with the boy, I found him smiling and laughing, and later while drawing he was confidently repeating my English words and using some of his own to speak to me! 
I felt so privileged to be able to make this boy feel comfortable with me. 

I'm looking forward to exploring more settings and meeting more new people in the weeks to come. I will update again soon (I promise!)

Picture from www.twitter.com

P.S. In other news - I am now an official co-host of #childcarehour which is a twitter chat that takes part on Tuesday nights between 8:30 and 9:30. It is made up of a group of childcare and early years professionals as well as parents. Everyone is welcome! We speak about all kinds of different topics and have a friendly chat. If anyone is a twitter user I would encourage you to come along and join us!