Sandringham Pre-school

31/05/2026

Next week we will be learning about the life cycle of frogs. 🐸

Understanding Life Cycles and Nature

Frogs help children learn about change and growth through the frog life cycle:

* Egg → tadpole → froglet → adult frog

Here at the Bees knees we are introducing early science concepts such as metamorphosis, habitats, ponds, and living things.

Developing Curiosity and Observation

Children enjoy observing:

* How frogs jump and swim
* Differences between tadpoles and frogs
* Pond habitats and mini-beasts

This encourages questioning, predicting, and investigating.

Supporting Language Development

Frog topics introduce rich vocabulary such as:

* Tadpole
* Spawn
* Pond
* Amphibian
* Lily pad
* Metamorphosis

Songs, stories, and role play also support speaking and listening skills.

Physical Development

Frog-themed movement activities help children:

* Jump, hop, stretch, and balance
* Develop coordination and gross motor skills
* Build body awareness through action songs and games

Encouraging Creativity

The Children can:

* Paint frogs and ponds
* Make frog masks or puppets
* Create lily pads from paper plates
* Use music and dance to pretend to be frogs

Supporting Emotional and Social Skills

Group activities encourage:

* Turn-taking
* Cooperation
* Confidence in sharing ideas
* Caring for living creatures and habitats

Frog Song Ideas

“Five Little Speckled Frogs”

A classic counting song supporting maths and rhythm.

Five little speckled frogs
Sat on a speckled log…

Great for counting backwards and using props.

“Little Green Frog”

Children love the repetitive actions and sounds.

Mm mm went the little green frog one day…

Excellent for listening and participation.

“Hop Little Frogs”

Encourages movement and following instructions.

“Frog Went A-Courtin’”

A traditional folk song for older early years children.

Action and Movement Songs

Use tunes such as:

* “If You’re Happy and You Know It” → change actions to hopping/swimming
* “Sleeping Bunnies” → turn into sleeping frogs waking up to jump 🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸🐸

31/05/2026

This week we are learning about a frogs life cycle : There are several small ponds and wildlife-friendly water bodies in Bexley where you can see tadpoles in the spring, with key sites managed by local conservation groups, including new habitats added in 2026 as part of the London Blue Chain initiative.Map data ©2026 GoogleTermsLesnes Abbey Woods4.7(158)Park and GardenBelvedere0:230:24Woodland setting with a dedicated wildlife pond, sometimes called Pine Pond, where frog spawning is regularly recorded in early spring. It also features a second pond near the abbey ruins and offers organized pond dipping activities.Scadbury Park Nature Reserve4.6(710)Nature reserveOpenChislehurst0:300:12Extensive 300-acre site containing a moat and multiple ponds that provide one of the most important habitats for amphibians in Greater London, featuring tadpoles and newts.Crossness Nature Reserve4.3(120)Nature reserveClosedErith0:07Marshland reserve featuring specific ditches and wildlife ponds tailored for tadpoles, surrounded by large reedbeds.

Lake and pond safety matters do not enter the water .

20/05/2026

Today’s activity with teacher Sarah .

18/05/2026

We are a green preschool we recycle. This week we extending our knowledge
Recycling Learning Outcomes for Preschoolers

* Understand that recycling helps keep the environment clean.
* Identify common recyclable materials such as paper, plastic, glass, and cans.
* Learn the difference between rubbish and recyclable items.
* Develop habits of placing items into the correct recycling bins.
* Explore ways to reuse materials for art and play activities.
* Build awareness about caring for nature and protecting the Earth.
* Practice sorting, matching, and classifying objects by material type.
* Strengthen fine motor skills through recycling crafts and activities.
* Develop teamwork and responsibility during clean-up and recycling routines.
* Expand vocabulary with words like recycle, reuse, reduce, environment, paper, plastic, and rubbish.
* Encourage problem-solving and creative thinking by turning recycled items into new creations.
* Learn that everyone can help take care of the planet.

Simple Preschool Goal Statement

“Children will develop an understanding of recycling and learn simple ways to care for their environment through sorting, reusing, and creative play activities.”

Fun Recycling Activities

* Sorting recyclable items into bins
* Making art from recycled materials
* Recycling scavenger hunts
* Creating musical instruments from boxes and bottles
* Reading books about caring for the Earth
* Gardening using recycled containers.

15/05/2026

Playing outside in the rain offers many valuable learning opportunities in early years education. Wet weather play encourages children to explore, investigate, and experience the world using all of their senses. Splashing in puddles, feeling raindrops, and observing changes in the environment help children develop curiosity and a deeper understanding of nature.

Outdoor play in rainy weather supports:

* Physical development – jumping, balancing, climbing, and running help build strength, coordination, and gross motor skills.
* Emotional wellbeing – children often feel excited, free, and confident outdoors, which supports happiness and resilience.
* Communication and language – children naturally talk, describe, question, and cooperate during outdoor play.
* Problem-solving and creativity – rain encourages imaginative play such as mud kitchens, water channels, potion making, and den building.
* Understanding the world – children learn about seasons, weather, water, nature, and changes in the environment through real experiences.
* Risk awareness – supervised outdoor play teaches children how to assess and manage risks safely.

Dressing appropriately for the weather is important because it allows children to remain comfortable, safe, and fully engaged in their learning. Waterproof clothing, wellington boots, warm layers, hats, and gloves help children stay dry and warm so they can play for longer without discomfort.

When children are dressed for the weather:

* they can move freely and confidently
* they are more likely to enjoy outdoor experiences
* adults spend less time worrying about mess or discomfort
* children learn independence by managing their own clothing and self-care

This approach also teaches children an important lifelong message:

“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.”

By embracing outdoor play in all weathers, early years settings help children become resilient, curious, active, and confident learners.

One child loved the rain and began to drink
it they enjoyed the feel of the patters on their face .

13/05/2026

04/05/2026

This week the children are learning about Robots . This theme is based on one of the children’s interests.

🤖 Understanding the World (Technology & Exploration)

Children begin to:

* Recognise that robots are machines designed by people
* Understand that technology can follow instructions (early idea of programming)
* Explore cause and effect (pressing buttons → robot moves)

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🧠 Communication & Language

Children develop:

* Vocabulary (e.g., “robot,” “program,” “forward,” “turn”)
* Ability to describe what a robot is doing
* Listening skills by following and giving instructions (like “move forward 2 steps”)

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🔢 Mathematics (Early Computational Thinking)

They start to:

* Sequence instructions (first, next, last)
* Count steps or movements
* Recognise patterns and simple algorithms (e.g., forward–forward–turn)

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🧩 Personal, Social & Emotional Development

Children learn to:

* Work collaboratively (taking turns controlling a robot)
* Build resilience when things don’t work as expected
* Develop confidence trying new technology

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✋ Physical Development

Through activities like:

* Pressing buttons, using simple programmable toys
* Building their own “robots” with construction materials
→ improves fine motor skills and coordination

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🎨 Expressive Arts & Design

Children:

* Design and create their own robots (junk modelling, drawing)
* Use imagination in role-play (pretending to be robots)
* Combine creativity with simple problem-solving

24/04/2026

All week the children have had continuous provision inside and outside learning about our topic of space . The children have enjoyed all aspects of their learning ,from learning new language and sharing their knowledge already known to them with others . Teachers enjoyed extending the children ‘s knowledge through all the wonderful activities provided . We had lots of lovely new resources not shown, which brought lots of awe and wonder to the children . Thank you to All staff that made it wonderful for the children .

24/04/2026

This was one of the children’s awsome interpretations of what a rocket looks like . 🚀 well done . ⭐️