This week we will be celebrating the season of harvest with creative, colourful, and sensory activities. The children will explore vegetables, fruits, and autumn textures while learning through play. Both the toddler and baby rooms will enjoy experiences that encourage fine motor skills, early counting, and plenty of music and storytelling inspired by this special time of year.

Toddler Room

On Monday the children will practise their threading skills by lacing string through a cardboard carrot shape. This activity supports fine motor control and hand-eye coordination, while also giving us the chance to talk about carrots and other vegetables that are gathered during the harvest.

On Tuesday the children will make a necklace out of penne pasta. They will carefully thread the pasta onto string, noticing the shape and texture as they work. This activity helps develop concentration and patience while encouraging children to feel proud of creating their own wearable design.

On Wednesday we will be painting cobs of sweetcorn using a bubble painting technique. Children will enjoy blowing colourful bubbles onto paper and seeing the unique patterns left behind. This sensory-rich art activity brings creativity together with harvest themes and encourages the children to experiment with different ways of making marks.

On Thursday we will be sorting and counting pasta shapes in different colours. Children will compare sizes, colours, and amounts as they place the pasta into groups. This playful activity builds early maths skills such as counting and categorising, while also supporting problem-solving and developing the language of comparison.

On Friday the children will explore fruit printing by dipping apples, pears, and other fruits into paint and pressing them onto paper. They will see how the different shapes leave unique patterns. This activity is a lovely way to link creativity with the harvest season while introducing new textures and smells.

Baby Room

On Monday the babies will enjoy vegetable printing with brightly coloured paints. Practitioners will support them to dip vegetables into paint and press them onto paper. This early mark-making experience is both creative and sensory, giving babies the chance to explore colour, texture, and shape in a playful way.

On Tuesday the babies will explore a harvest-themed tuff tray filled with oats and toy tractors. They will use the tractors to make tracks and patterns, while practitioners sing Old MacDonald and encourage babies to join in with animal noises. This activity combines music, movement, and sensory exploration.

On Wednesday the babies will have fun singing simple harvest songs. We will talk together about what harvest means, and the babies will be introduced to the idea of plants growing and providing food. Our activities on this day will prompt curiosity about nature and the world around them.

On Thursday the babies will be making scarecrows using junk modelling materials. Practitioners will help them build with different material textures, talking about the role of scarecrows in the fields. This creative activity encourages babies to explore construction and supports their early imaginative play.

On Friday the week will finish with active soft play. Babies will use the ball pit and explore other physical play activities that support movement, balance, and coordination. These sessions are not only fun but also important for developing gross motor skills in a safe and supportive environment.