We are excited to be introducing our new learning theme next week as we all gather together to learn about the wonderful things our bodies can do and what we use our amazing five senses for! This is sure to be a topic for this term as our babies and toddlers start to expand their understanding and exploration of the world through their five senses, and learn to express themselves with some fabulous new vocabulary.

Toddler Room

In the toddler room, Monday will begin with books all about body parts, helping the children to name what they see. They will also enjoy singing “Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” using both words and actions to build confidence in recognising different parts of their bodies.

On Tuesday, the children will make their own colourful handprints and take time to count how many fingers they have. This activity encourages number awareness while also celebrating the uniqueness of their own hands, making it both a sensory and mathematical experience.

During Wednesday, mirrors will be introduced so the children can study their own reflections. They will notice their eyes, noses and mouths before using playdough to model these features. Staff will gently introduce the senses connected to each facial feature, encouraging thoughtful conversation.

By Thursday, creativity will flow as the children decorate frames made from lollypop sticks. These frames will later hold family photos, helping the children to talk about the special people in their lives while practising fine motor skills through sticking and decorating.

On Friday, the doctors role play area will be explored. The children will take turns being patients and doctors, using simple language such as “my tummy hurts” to describe feelings and sensations. This helps them build vocabulary while developing empathy and imagination.

Baby Room

In the baby room, Monday will focus on hearing, as babies enjoy hearing stories being read aloud. Listening to the rhythm of voices and new sounds supports their language development in a gentle and engaging way.

On Tuesday, sight will be explored through the use of coloured pompoms in water. The babies can scoop, swish and watch the bright colours move, encouraging curiosity and visual tracking.

By Wednesday, the focus will be on touch as the babies paint paper plates to create a hanging decoration. They will enjoy exploring how the paint feels and seeing the textures they create on their artwork.

On Thursday, fabric books in the book corner will be shared. The babies will delight in feeling the different textures, particularly the crinkly pages, helping them to build sensory awareness while enjoying quiet exploration time with staff.

Finally, Friday will bring the whole nursery’s sense of hearing to life as the babies play with musical instruments while singing familiar nursery rhymes. Shaking, tapping and listening to the sounds they make will give our babies joyful opportunities to connect sound with action.

We look forward to introducing our new topic to the children of Tiny Crickets and hope for it to be an engaging and fun area of learning for all our new starters as well!