Combining Trip

On Wednesday, 18th August, we went on our rain-postponed trip to watch the harvesting. We had been planning to go the previous Wednesday but the children learned how reliant Farmer Jake is on fair weather!!

When we arrived at the field in the tractor and trailer we found that they had another problem - the combine had broken down!

This, however, didn't dampen the children's spirits at all. Locked safely into the trailer they were able to clamber about to watch the baler in one field and have a good look at the stationary combine.



In small groups we climbed down to have a closer look at the fields, the machinery and the crops. We then climbed on the bales to watch the baler continuing it's work up and down the field (all still at a safe distance!).


Back at nursery we used grain and barley we had gathered to make our harvest collages.

Bug Hotel

Have you seen our fabulous bug hotel at the bottom of the car park?

We have become very interested in the insects we find in the nursery garden, in our meadow area, orchard and out and about at Forest School and on our walks. The children have been using magnifying glasses and reference books to find out more about them.

We found several examples of ideas for building insect hotels to provide the right habitats to increase the number of beneficial insects in the garden, and decided to build our own. Perhaps you would like to make one too!

Here is how we made ours.

• We took a postcard to 'Buider Mark' at the estate yard to ask for any old palettes, wood, bricks and pipes he could spare.
  
• We took a postcard to 'Farmer Jake' asking if we could collect wool and straw from the farm
• We collected pine cones and sticks on our walks
  
• When we had assembled everything the children used wooden trolleys to transport everything to the area chosen to build our hotel (between the buddleias - good for butterflies!
  
• The children had good fun positioning all of the materials, as you can see from the pictures.

We are doing regular checks on the bug hotel, but there are still some vacancies so please tell any insects you know!!

Street Market 10th July

Last Saturday the Grasshoppers' team ran 'Splat-the-rat!' and Lucky Dip games and sold some of the children's brownies at the annual Overbury Street Market.

It was great to have lots of the nursery and 'after school club' children there winning some of our prizes and also to meet again some of the children soon to be joining us at Grasshoppers.

We hope to make children's activities such as these Grasshoppers' regular contribution to this village event.

Overbury Street Market - 10th July

Next Saturday at the Steert Market in Overbury, Overbury Grasshoppers are running a number of stalls. We will have some activities especially for the children - including a Lucky Dip, 'Splat-the-rat!' and we will be selling some of the children's brownies, which have been our most popoular recipe. Come and find us in the open garden - if the weather is fine!!

Thursday 17th June – Shearing Trip

On Thursday morning a group of children, staff, parents

and grandparents rode in our trusted tractor and trailer

to the sheep sheds at Park Farm.

There we watched the two shearers at work. The process fascinated the children.

Todd, the shepherd showed us some shears up close and one of the fleeces.

Back at nursery, unsurprisingly, the first choice of song at grouptime was; ‘Baa, baa black sheep’. The older children pointed out that we hadn’t seen any black sheep, so they suggested two new versions; ‘Baa, baa black-faced sheep’ and ‘Baa, baa black-legged sheep’ instead!With all Overbury farm hands hard at work, we did see several ‘bags full’!!

Maypole dancing 28th May

It could be us in a few years!!

So we had been watching the rehearsals closely through the fence for the last few weeks. Then on Friday we got to see the real thing!

On our walk through the village, knowing what we were going to see, one of our 2 year olds just kept repeating " I'm so excited!".

We were very proud of how well the nursery children sat as they watched out for the children they knew from breakfast and after-school club, clapping along with the rest of the audience,

they really seemed to enjoy it.

Thank you and congratulations to the Overbury School children and staff.

Fun in the sun! (Week beg. 17th May)

This week we have really enjoyed the sunny weather, but we have had a very wet week!!

The water tray has enabled us to enjoy enthusiastic, sociable, collaborative games, quiet exploration and experimentation, colour mixing, bubbly fun and lots more besides.

With outdoor play the preferred choice, we have tried to provide learning opportunities in all areas of the curriculum outside.

Snacks have been enjoyed outside at a table, as a picnic on mats and in a camouflage den!

Construction toys – duplo and mega blocks, were used to make trains, star wars spaceships and so much more!

Different mark-making materials have been on offer outside and all ages have made good use of them.

Small world games have been given more scope with a larger area to explore - farm animals, wild animals and cars and trains were all taken into the garden and some found their way into the water (don’t worry they survived!)

Bluebell Wood Trip 4th May

Last Tuesday (4^th May ) a group of children and parents enjoyed a tractor and trailer ride in the Spring sunshine to the Bluebell Wood above Beckford.

We had a walk across the stream and through the wood before stopping for picnic snacks for the children (tea and coffee for the parents).

Then we got out our reference books and magnifying glasses and took our time to really explore. As well as lots of lovely wild flowers - bluebells in abundance, marsh marigolds and red campion, we found all sorts of minibeasts under the logs including woodlice, millipedes and worms.

Back at nursery, the children did some colour mixing to paint some lovely pictures of bluebells and their trip to the woods.

We hope to be able to use the tractor and trailer (a huge hit with the children!) for more countryside trips in the future.

Learning from bugs!!

Over the last few weeks on nature walks, in Forest School sessions and in the garden and digging pit we have found lots of 'minibeasts'.

So this week we have been doing art and craft activities to reflect the children's interest in bugs.

Making collage caterpillars enabled the older children to hone their cutting skills.

Everyone enjoyed getting messy to create handprint butterflies.

We got out mirrors and experimented with the wonders of symmetry painting.

This week we have also enjoyed sharing bug books and songs.

It may be 40 years old but we never tire of 'The Very Hungry Caterpillar' and it inspired us to learn an action song teaching about the lifecycle of the butterfly and the story of 'The Very Lazy Ladybird' taught us that under those spots ladybirds have wings!