This week at The Children’s House we will be talking about the season of winter – the type of weather that we get in winter & how it affects animals, the clothes we have to wear, the different signs that winter is here e.g. leaves have fallen off trees, days are shorter etc. We will be planting bulbs and explaining that plants stay under the soil until the weather gets warmer again in the spring time, and we will be making mittens while talking about keeping warm in the winter time. It is important in these discussions to ask the children open ended questions, so that we are not just giving information to them to recite back to us, but rather asking their opinions and seeing what they come up with from their observations of the world. At the end of the week we will also be making snow dough!!

I’m a Little Snowman

I’m a little snowman, look at me,
There are my buttons 1, 2, 3.
These are my eyes and this is my nose,
I wear a hat and scarf – brrr it’s cold!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! This week we will be learning about this lovely North American celebration in The Children’s House, discussing the first Thanksgiving, baking bread to share, doing Thanksgiving crafts, and really focussing on talking about things that we are thankful for – family, friends, our homes, food etc – things we often take for granted but which are so important, and worth celebrating!

I’m a Little Turkey (tune of I’m a Little Teapot)

I’m a little turkey, my name is Ted,
Here are my feathers, here’s my head.
Gobble gobble gobble is what I say,
Run run run because it’s Thanksgiving day!!

It’s Science Week this week at The Children’s House!! So we will be doing lots of experiments with the children, asking them what they expect will happen, observing what actually happens and then discussing the results. We will be looking at the colour wheel (mixing primary colours (blue, red & yellow) to get secondary colours (purple, orange & green), doing experiments with bicarbonate of soda & vinegar; food colouring, milk & washing up liquid; skittles & water; coins & Coke….children are born with a natural curiousity about how things work in their world and they love to experiment and discover in their environment – their questions should be encouraged as their potential as scientists is unlimited!!

If Your Clothes Have Any Red (tune of If You’re Happy & You Know It)

This week at The Children’s House we will be learning about Diwali, the festival of lights which originated in India, which falls this year on Wednesday 7th November. This is a wonderful occasion which celebrates the triumph of good over evil, and light over darkness; we will be learning about all the different preparations and rituals that are practised at this time. During the week the children will make a version of rangoli (an Indian art form in which patterns are created on the floor or the ground using materials such as colored rice, dry flour, colored sand or flower petals, usually done during Hindu festivals), and also then use modelling clay to make their own little clay lamps (diyas) and decorating them, before putting night lights in them and bringing them home. So a lot of lovely art, craft and culture this week!

Little Lamps (to tune of London Bridge)

Little lamps are burning bright,
Burning bright, burning bright.
Little lamps are burning bright,
It’s Diwali.

See them lighting up the night,
Up the night, up the night.
See them lighting up the night,
It’s Diwali.