Term 2 - 2021
Another fun filled term is well underway here at Kidsize. We enjoyed lots of Halloween activities at the start of this term which included pumpkin carving, making ghost slime and our 'Halloween Feely Boxes.' The children had great fun finding out what was in these boxes, which were covered up so the contents couldn't be seen. Some of them certainly got a surprise if the contents were not what they were expecting. Our Kidsizers are super brave and we love to encourage them to try things like this which can help develop their confidence.
Our Kidsizers always enjoy pumpkin carving and we love to see their creativity shine through when they are creating their designs on their pumpkins. The children start off using a marker to draw their design so that they have a guide for carving. We encourage the children to consider and discuss the safety risks involved in carving pumpkins with various tools. We love when our Kidsizers can risk assess with their peers; this provides a safe and more enjoyable play environment for everyone. Once the children have completed their designs with the markers they carve out the inside of the pumpkins.
At Kidsize we are hygiene conscious and aware that all children feel differently about messy play, we ensure that all of the children have access to hand washing facilities and cleaning options so that they can be comfortable while carving their pumpkins. The children carved some awesome designs and this activity was a great opportunity for them to improve finger dexterity and arm and shoulder strength through the work that it took to carve their pumpkins.
At Kidsize one of our most popular play options has always been slime making and Halloween was the perfect opportunity to do this. The children chose to make some spooky ghost slime this time. We love to see how much fun the children have when they are making slime, this is another great messy play option that all age ranges can enjoy.
This activity has also provided opportunity for many of the younger children to develop independence as they have practiced making the slime with support from staff first but overtime they have gradually learned how to make their slime by working with their peers or by themselves.
At Kidsize we know how important outdoor play is for children and their development. However for children to be able to continue to enjoy outdoor play and the natural world we have a responsibility to protect the environment. For the past few weeks the UN Climate Change Conference UK 2021 (COP26) has been ongoing. We have taken the opportunity while this is happening to discuss this with the children and look at the ways that we can all help to protect the environment and limit climate change.
Our Kidsizers are very interested in nature and the outdoors due to how much they enjoy outdoor play and their interests in animals, bugs and plant life. At Kidsize we began a discussion with the children about what they already know about climate change and the current climate conference being held in Glasgow. We established what some of the children knew and from that we identified what we need to learn and what we can do from that knowledge. The children had lots of great ideas that they themselves could implement to help the environment such as walking more instead of taking the car, recycling their plastic, making sure they don't litter, buying locally and not buying fast fashion by borrowing clothes etc.
To help the children with their understanding of climate change in a way that is positive and not overwhelming we had further discussions and created an information board about what climate change is, the effects it will have and what the current conference is trying to achieve. We also created activity packs that the children could engage with. These activity sheets included tracking what food they eat and where it comes from so that they can consider the carbon footprint it might have, a drawing activity to show the different ways they can help the planet and a group activity that encourages discussions of different ideas such as recycling, renewable energy and plant based diets etc. Everyone at Kidsize is determined to make a positive difference and protect the natural world so that our young people can continue to enjoy the benefits of outdoor play for generations to come.
November has already been a very busy month and the children have been enjoying activities for Bonfire night and Remembrance Day. The children have made some beautiful arts and crafts for Bonfire night including using the scratch art that we have available. This allowed the children to make some amazing multicoloured fireworks. These scratch art activities have been very popular and are a fun and unique art form that differs from drawing and painting. We hope everyone enjoyed a safe Bonfire night and the weekend firework displays.
The children also created some amazing art for Remembrance Day which included some beautiful Poppy making and pictures. This provided the opportunity for discussions amongst the children and staff about the significance of Poppies and how we can all be thankful for the great sacrifices that were made so that we can enjoy life here in the Scotland as we know it and experience peace. The children wanted to display their Remembrance day art in the Kidsize gallery so that they could have this reminder.
The children have also been having fun at snack time and were recently making their own mini pizzas for snack using pitta breads as bases and adding their choice of toppings. We love that the children can enjoy an interactive snack time and that it provides them with the opportunity to eat a range of foods that they like and make snack decisions that are informed and healthy.
The children have also been playing a lot of board games, building dens, using the marble run and making bracelets. We love to see the children using a range of skills through different play options. Board games require the children to think strategically and problem solve. It also encourages patience and development socially as they may experience different emotions while playing games with their peers.
Building dens, playing with the marble run and bracelet making all utilise fine motor skills and can require concentration and even imagination when den making. We love to see the creative designs of the marble runs and bracelets too.
Check out some more photos of the children rainbow spotting, drawing, watching and discussing a funny movie and imaginative play involving being at a restaurant. This is just a peek at the many hours of fun we have been having at Kidsize. We can't wait to see what the children get up to over the rest of this term.