July

The Joy of Something New

From juggling plates to learning how to forward roll, there’s joy to be found in learning new skills. With a nursery full of educators and families, comes a nursery full of different knowledge and skills.
This month we want to highlight, share and learn what different skills we all have! If you’re an avid bird watcher, bring in your binoculars and encourage the children to spot different breeds… if you’ re a secret
gymnast teach the skills to master the perfect star jump!

Children:
Learning something new happens regularly within our settings, so this month, challenge yourselves to think outside the box and roll out activities out of the ordinary! Remember to incorporate elements of
wellbeing, such as being present in the moment to fully enjoy the experience and the art of trying and failing.
For the little ones, try transforming a space within your rooms into a whole sensory experience that they may never have experienced before.
Use foil blankets, mirrors and lights to create a ‘spaceship’ or blue streamers, a water filled tuff tray and whale noises to create ‘Under the Sea’ for them to explore and enjoy, creating memorable moments of exploration.
For the older ones, create environments based on their interests for them to try and learn new skills. Try circus skills such as balancing beams, hula hooping or bean bag juggling, and sports skills such as dribbling a football, catching a basketball, or hitting a tennis ball with racket! All in the aid of trying something new.

Staff:
Show and Tell – Bring it back old style with a classic show and tell!
Encourage staff to highlight their skills and showcase them in the staffroom for others to try out. From learning how to crochet to perfecting the salsa dance, have fun in trying something new.
Weekly Group Challenge – Challenge your staff to learn a specific skill each week in the hopes of ‘mastering’ it by the time Friday comes around. From learning the whole alphabet in Makaton to solving a Rubix Cube!

Parents:
Try it box – Leave a box in your parent area full of different items which can be taken home, enjoyed, then returned ready for another family to enjoy! The activities could be aimed for just parents or for the whole family to enjoy together. A few ideas to add to your box: Rubix Cube, seeds to start a vegetable patch, mandala colouring book, paint by numbers, crochet kits, geocaching map, Kendarma.

Podcast of the Month: How to Fail by Elizabeth Day – S13 Ep1 Brene Brown
Host Elizabeth Day is joined by groundbreaking researcher and professor at the University of Houston Brene Brown, who shares her own personal experiences of trying new hobbies and the journey of learning the joy of trying and failing.

Yoga Pose of the Month: Tree Pose – Vrikshasana
Standing up tall, bring both hands together. Bring one foot off the mat and rest it on the inner thigh or calf of the opposite leg. Use your core to balance the pose.

Key Dates:
6th July: Thank You Day
24th July: Samaritans Awareness Day / Talk To Us Day