Next week, both the toddler and baby rooms will be getting into the festive spirit as we begin our Winter activities. The children will explore glitter, colour, music and texture while creating cheerful crafts and enjoying seasonal songs. It will be a week filled with creativity, laughter and plenty of festive sparkle.
Toddler Room
On Monday, the toddlers will make their very own gingerbread characters using a variety of craft materials. Practitioners will support the children as they choose decorations, helping them to develop their fine motor skills while encouraging imagination as they decide whether their gingerbread person will be wearing buttons, bows or even a cheeky smile.
During Tuesday, the children will create beautiful bauble pictures using a potato masher as a stamping tool. This fun painting activity will give them the chance to explore patterns and circular shapes while talking about the colours and decorations we use to make our Christmas trees look so magical.
On Wednesday, it’s time for glitter and sparkle as the toddlers decorate Christmas cracker shapes with stickers, sequins and glitter. Practitioners will talk about what a Christmas cracker is, and how they’re used during celebrations, while encouraging children to express their individuality through their designs.
By Thursday, the children will make their own paper plate snowmen, using pre-cut shapes and collage materials to build their chilly characters. Practitioners will talk about snow and winter weather while supporting the children’s creativity and their use of glue and scissors safely and confidently.
To finish the week on Friday, the toddlers will gather for Christmas stories and songs. They’ll listen to festive tales and sing along to familiar Christmas favourites, enjoying the rhythm, rhyme and excitement of the season as we build anticipation for all the winter celebrations to come.
Baby Room
On Monday, the babies will make soft and fluffy snowmen using cotton wool and cardboard snowman shapes. This gentle sticking activity will allow them to explore texture and develop fine motor control as they press and pat the cotton wool into place, helping to create a lovely display for our room.
During Tuesday, the babies will make adorable handprint reindeers using brown paint for their handprints and colourful fingerprints to add baubles to the antlers. Practitioners will encourage talk about colours and Christmas characters as the babies enjoy the sensory experience of paint on their hands.
On Wednesday, a festive tuff tray will be filled with Christmas-themed items such as tinsel, shiny baubles and fairy lights. The babies will explore these materials safely under close supervision, discovering the sparkle and textures of Christmas while developing their curiosity and sensory awareness.
By Thursday, it will be time for snow play. Practitioners will make pretend snow for the tuff tray, inviting the babies to scoop, squeeze and touch as they talk about the cold, snowy weather and the characters we associate with winter, such as snowmen, penguins and reindeer.
To round off the week on Friday, we’ll turn up the Christmas music and have a joyful song and dance session. The babies will move, clap and bounce along to familiar songs, soaking up the festive atmosphere as we end the week on a merry and musical note.