A visit from the police!

Today children in Nursery and Reception had some very special visitors - some police officers! They brought their police car and police van into the playground to support our learning this half term about people who help us. We got to dress up in some police uniforms, sit in the police cars and use police tape to tape off an area of the playground! We looked at some of the tools the police use, such as handcuffs, radios and cutters to open locks. We also got to put the sirens on - it was very loud!

Thank you very much to Special Sergeant Downs and Police Constable Doe for their time this morning!

Super Science!

On Wednesday we had our annual Super Science Day. We dressed up as mad scientists and did lots of exciting experiments! In the morning, Anne from Sam's Simple Science helped us to make lava lamps using oil and water. We also watched her put a stick through a balloon without popping it!

During our Play and Learn time in the morning we explored lots of different things including magnets, mirrors, torches, colour paddles and natural objects such as conkers and fir cones. We explored items in the water tray and tested them to see if they would float or sink. On the whiteboard we explored lots of different science games where we could experiment with different objects to see if they were bendy or waterproof. We also played a game where we had to keep giving a plant water to make it grow and William did an activity and then a quiz about light and shadows.

In the afternoon we made some fizzy potions in teams. We used vinegar, bicarbonate of soda and washing up liquid and explored what happens when we mix them together. To make our potions more exciting we added different colours and some glitter. It was great fun!

Well done to everyone for their super work today, and a special well done to Harrison and Mollie, who won the Most Inquisitive Scientist award for being really engaged and asking great questions. Well done you two!

Visit to the Garden Centre

This morning we walked down to the Garden Centre to buy some things to grow in the garden.

We looked at different flowers, fruit, vegetables and herbs and chose some things that we can plant now. We bought some flowers, a lavender plant, some rosemary, a strawberry plant, purple broccoli, kale and leeks.

Some of them we are going to grow in pots in our outside area, and some we will plant and grow in the school garden.

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Giant footprints!!

Today we found some giant footprints in our classroom! There was also a letter for us from a giant! He asked us if we could find some things that were bigger than his footprints. We talked about how we could compare the length of two things and how to do it accurately. We split into teams and discussed how we could record our answers, for example, by drawing pictures or writing on our clipboards.

We worked really well in our teams and went around the classroom finding things bigger than the giant's footprints. We found lots of things including the dolls' house, a chair, a table, a tray, a mirror and the reading tent.

Great measuring and teamwork from everyone, well done!

Exploring the garden

This morning we went to explore the school garden. We saw different flowers including sunflowers and looked at what's in the pond! We saw an apple tree and apples that had fallen to the ground and talked about what vegetables we could grow in the garden.

Soon we will be visiting the garden centre to buy some things so we can grow some food of our own. Watch this space..!

Welcome to the new school year!

Today our terrific new Early Years children had their first day at school. For most of them, this was their first day ever at Great Gaddesden and we are so proud of how wonderfully they settled in!

Here are a few pictures of some of the things we have enjoyed playing and learning today.