Happy Chinese New Year everyone!! We will be learning about the year of the Rabbit with the children this week, and we will be talking about some of the traditions associated with the Chinese New Year – cleaning the house and decorating it (mainly in red the lucky colour), the red packets of money given to children, the New Year’s Eve family dinner, and the fireworks to drive away evil to name some! We will be doing process art making fans, and also creating cherry blossom trees with our arms & hands!

Chinese New Year Poem

Dragons, lions,
Red and gold,
In with the New Year,
Out with the old.

Banners flying,
Bands playing,
Lions prancing,
Dragons swaying.

Fireworks crackling,
Lanterns swinging,
People laughing,
Dancing, singing.

We’re going to be doing all about healthy eating this week at The Children’s House!! We will be looking at the food pyramid during the week, and discussing what sort of food our bodies need to work properly, and how much quantities we should have of different types of food – lots of fruit, vegetables, meat, milk, bread & breakfast cereals, and the occasional treat! It’s so important to have a healthy attitude to nutrition while also being aware of the amount of fats, sugars and salts that there can be in food. To this end, we will be talking about using the energy that food gives us to exercise, and how important this also is for our bodies’ growth and development. We will look at food sample jars to match to the pyramid, to relate it to the children’s lives in a practical way, & they will be making lunch plate artwork – they should come up with some interesting meal ideas!!

Apples & Bananas

I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.

Now let’s make a long “a” sound…ay-ples and ba-nay-nays
I like to ate, ate, ate ay-ples and ba-nay-nays
I like to ate, ate, ate ay-ples and ba-nay-nays

Let’s try a long “e” sound…ee-ples and ba-nee-nees
I like to eat, eat, eat ee-ples and ba-nee-nees
I like to eat, eat, eat ee-ples and ba-nee-nees

How about a long “i” sound…i-ples and ba-nigh-nighs
I like to ite, ite, ite i-ples and ba-nigh-nighs
I like to ite, ite, ite i-ples and ba-nigh-nighs

Great, let’s sing it with a long “o” sound…oh-ples and ba-no-nos
I like to ote, ote, ote oh-ples and ba-no-nos
I like to ote, ote, ote oh-ples and ba-no-nos

I know let’s make an “oo” sound…oo-ples and ba-noo-noos
I like to oot, oot, oot, oopples and ba-noo-noos
I like to oot, oot, oot, oopples and ba-noo-noos

Apples and bananas, one more time!
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.
I like to eat, eat, eat apples and bananas.

Welcome back to The Children’s House and a very happy new year to you all!! We hope you had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed the break – we’re definitely ready to get back into our routine here and see all our friends again! This week we’ll be settling back in, telling all our news from the holidays, doing some new activities on the Practical Life shelf and progressing with others, doing fireworks art & sensory play with rice, & yoga as well as a birthday walk for the Earth!

We Wish you a Merry Christmas

Bells are ringing, people singing,
New year’s here! New year’s here!
Happy, happy new year!
Happy, happy new year,
Let’s all cheer –
New year’s here!

The Children’s House will close for Christmas holidays on Wednesday 21st December, reopening Monday 9th January

Welcome to the last few days of 2022 at The Children’s House – it’s hard to believe Christmas is almost here!!! We’re going to enjoy our few days with the children this week, making reindeer food, having a party & disco,& of course a visit from our very special guest Santa Claus himself!!!

We’d like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas, and every happiness for 2022 – we’re looking forward to seeing you all in the New Year!

We Wish you a Merry Christmas

We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
We wish you a merry Christmas,
And a happy new year!
Good tidings we bring,
To you and your kin –
We wish you a merry Christmas,
And a happy new year!

Well it’s the last full week of school at The Children’s House for 2022, and it’s going to be a busy one!! This week we will be making some Christmas tree ornaments from modelling clay, doing art painting & decorating Christmas jumpers, making winter playdough & also using the musical instruments, as well as doing our songs Christmas shows! Each class will be putting on a little show with some songs and poems that we’ve learnt since September:

Wednesday: 9.30am class Christmas songs @ 11.15am

Thursday: 1.15pm class Christmas songs @ 3.15pm

Friday: 9am class Christmas songs @ 11am

Friday: 1pm class Christmas songs @ 3.15pm

Thanks so much to everyone who’s given in their €1 – we’re making a donation on the children’s behalf to Barnardos Children’s Charity to support vulnerable children in Ireland this Christmas.

Jingle Bells

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Oh what fun it is to ride on a one horse open sleigh – hey!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way,
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh!

Bualadh Bos (Jingle Bells in Irish)

Bualadh bos, bualadh bos,            (clap hands, clap hands)
Bualadh bos go léir,                        (everyone clap hands)
Tá San Nioclás ag teacht anois,    (Santa Claus is coming now)
Anuas an simléar;                             (down the chimney)
Bualadh bos, bualadh bos,            (clap hands, clap hands)
Bualadh bos go léir,                        (everyone clap hands)
Tá San Nioclás ag teacht anois,    (Santa Claus is coming now)
Anuas an simléar!                             (down the chimney!)

This week at The Children’s House we will be doing lots of festive crafts & having tons of fun getting ready for Christmas! We will be talking about if & why we celebrate Christmas with our families, writing letters to Santa, doing Christmas movement, making wreaths& importantly talking about the gift of giving, & friendship & sharing. We will also be doing mindfulness with the children through doing a body scan – checking in with how their bodies are feeling, at this exciting time of year!

Christmas Poem

Christmas is a time for giving,
And showing that we care.
It is a time for joy & kindness,
Through the gifts we share.

December is approaching fast, & we will be marking the start of the new month by talking about why some people celebrate Christmas & the story behind it, & decorating the classrooms, as well as doing Christmas star crafts & Christmas tree art! The children will also be dressing up & doing yoga – trying to balance the excitement with some relaxation!!

We are aware that there are many wonderful celebrations that occur during December, & would love to know if you celebrate any of them e.g. Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve – or any other that is special to you – & if so if you could send us a brief description of your celebrations/how you mark the occasion via email or text to the school that would be wonderful to share with your child’s class!

I’m a Little Christmas Tree (tune of I’m a Little Teapot)

I’m a little Christmas tree tall and straight,
Here are my branches for you to decorate.
First you put the star on the very top –
Just be careful that the baubles don’t drop!

The Snowman

There was a little snowman who had a carrot nose,
Along came a rabbit, and what do you suppose?
That hungry little rabbit, looking for his lunch,
Ate the snowman’s carrot nose….
Nibble, nibble, crunch!!!

It’s all about lifelong learning this week at The Children’s House! To coincide with College Awareness Week, we will be talking with the children about their journey of learning – which starts as soon as they’re born – and all the steps along the way that they might take, such as preschool, primary school, secondary school, third level education….alongside their primary educators of course which are you, the parents/guardians! To link into their home environment, we are asking that family members also give us information about where they went on their journeys of learning, and if they have photos from graduations to please send us in copies to display on our Timeline of Lifelong Learning!

As it is Thanksgiving on Thursday, it is a wonderful opportunity to focus on things that we are thankful for in our lives, and to encourage the children to be aware of the fact that not everyone in the world has food, or a home, or even a family, and to be grateful for all of those things that we often take for granted but which are so important, and worth celebrating!

Let’s Be Thankful (tune of Twinkle Twinkle)

Let’s be thankful for this day,
For our friends and for our play.
Let’s be thankful, let’s be glad,
For the food and things we have.
Let’s give thanks for you and me,
And our home and family!

Winter is here at The Children’s House! We will be talking about the change in the weather, & the coldness that is (eventually!) creeping in, as well as learning about areas in the world that are colder than most, such as the Arctic, & the animals that live there such as polar bears. The children will be doing finger painting to make snow pictures, doing meditation, & learning a polar bear action song! They will also be learning the Lámh sign for snow.

Snowflakes Snowflakes (tune of Twinkle Twinkle)

Snowflakes, snowflakes falling down,
Falling, falling to the ground.
Can you catch them on your nose?
Can you catch them on your toes?
Snowflakes, snowflakes falling down,
Falling, falling to the ground.

Polar Bear, Polar Bear

Polar bear, polar bear turn around,
Polar bear, polar bear touch the ground,
Polar bear, polar bear growl real loud,
Polar bear, polar bear sit on the ground!

Welcome back everyone, we hope you all had a great midterm break!! We’re excited to see all our little people again & we’ve got a great week planned – following the childrens’ interests, we’re learning all about the rainforest this week in The Children’s House! We’ll be looking at where in the world the rainforests are, what animals live in the rainforest, & doing lots of related stories & songs, as well as animal inspired movemnt & yoga, matching card games, & plenty of arts & crafts.

Five Little Monkeys

Five little monkeys swinging from a tree,
Teasing Mr Crocodile – ‘you can’t catch me!’
Along came Mr Crocodile as quiet as can be….
And SNAP!!!!
4 little monkeys swinging from the tree!

(Repeat until no more monkeys)