Time for a dip...

On Tuesday Hazelnuts, Mrs Smith and I trundled down to the pond for our first pond dipping session this year! We had (luckily?) planned it on a beautiful sunny afternoon and spent the afternoon learning about the pond area and how to sample the pond using our nets.

We went as a whole class and Mrs Smith and I were so proud of the Hazelnuts listening and behaviour (especially as everyone is so tired at the end of term!).

Here are our little excited faces:

First we listened carefully to the rules of the pond area and how we were to stay safe...

Then we got into small groups for some pond dipping whilst the rest of Hazelnuts enjoyed the sunshine and spectated the dipping skills of their friends...

After a busy afternoon pond dipping, all we found were two pond skaters, some damselflies and one tadpole! Oh dear!!!

We ended our afternoon with some rolling down the grassy mound of the amphitheater! This is what being four and five is all about :D

Attention Daddies...

We hope as many Hazelnut Dads can attend and with their wallets 😉

Don't worry Mummies, Daddy can buy you a cake at the cake sale for Macmillan after school!

Please support our cause,

Love Miss G

Chocolate Treasure Hunts

As part of our Easter celebrations, Hazelnuts were meant to go on a lovely Easter hunt outside...
However, by the time the day arrived to our planned timeslot, the weather had changed and so we were unable to go outside. No-one likes wet chocolate!

Never fear, an idea was born! Miss G promised the Hazelnuts that when they achieved their Marble Rocket Target for Teamwork/ Being Ready to Learn then the children could have a chocolate treasure hunt. We know that chocolate is a treat, and of course we talked about why we cannot have it all the time! But it does take us a long time to get our Marble Treat...

And so we finally got there, and on a sunny day too!

First we solved a clue that Miss G told us... it took us to the small hall!

Hazelnuts looked high and low- eventually they found the clue!

The Clue said, "Go to the pond." We had lots of super readers who read the clue in no time at all!

We then found a clue at the pond which told us to, "Go to the Nest."

Did someone say chocolate! Off they ran...

We waited at the entrance to The Nest... we reminded ourselves about the rules for our outdoor classroom...

We found them! In the Nest were enough mini chocolate bars for one each for the Hazelnuts! We looked under and over, in and beside... Hooray!

Now what do we do for our next Marble Rocket Treat??!!

Five VERY Hungry Caterpillars

Well life is booming again in Hazel Class! On Tuesday 3rd May we received five very tiny little caterpillars in the post from a fantastic company called Insectlore! We have been watching and learning about our caterpillars to help us find out more about minibeasts.

We have been crunching and munching... a few days older!

We have been getting lots of attention now we are "fatter" and more active!

We have just begun life in our chrysalides, except for one little caterpillar who is taking his time!

Megan has made a cross to tell everyone not to touch the pot anymore. We need to be careful now the caterpillars are in their chrysalides!

STAY TUNED FOR MORE INFORMATION...

Miss G has been busy with cable reels... reels and reels of fun! *updated 26/5

 Well... things have been very busy! So apologies for little blog content these last weeks. However, I can now show the near-finished project (one of many) that I have been working on!

Some of the Hazelnuts may have spoken of our new Lego table... well here you are about to see what Miss G, some sandpaper, cable reels and a bit of imagination can do!

These lovely reels had been sat at my sister's since last Summer when I acquired them (I am still keen on getting my hands on more, should anyone wish to donate!)...

 They finally came to my new house... not the greatest of condition if looked at closely...but...

A lot of sanding, filling and re-sanding later, the reels are ready for some creativity!

Measuring up the Lego-compatible boards (Wilkinsons £3.50 each) before some resourceful cutting begins...

A Lego "World" cable reel table for my Hazelnuts is near completion! It has been a huge hit so far (so much so that we cannot quite tear ourselves away from it at Tidy-Up Time!).

Unfortunately the pictures of Hazelnuts playing with the Lego table are on the school laptop, but here are some that I have not transferred from the IPads yet...
It has been promoting:
CREATIVITY
IMAGINATION
TEAMWORK
SOCIAL SKILLS
DISCUSSION SKILLS

And on to the second reel...my most eager to create! Whilst this reel is inspired by photos on Pinterest, I have not yet seen a Lego reel yet!

Introducing... the Fairy Toadstool!

In need of several basecoats after the sanding and filling work!

The spots are appearing...

According to my brother and his girlfriend, should you see these mushrooms in the wild, don't eat them! We won't be doing that with this... this will have more magical uses

The grass has grown and the path has been "paved"...

Ta-Daaaaaaa.... my pièce de résistance is here!!!

This week has seen lots of activity with BOTH small world cable reel tables; from fairy puppet making to the extinction of the dinosaurs!

IF ANYONE IS ABLE TO GET HOLD OF CABLE REELS, I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL AS I STILL HAVE A FEW IDEAS UP MY SLEEVES! Or, I would love to hear from anyone who uses them in their own project too. I know the Nuts themselves would be keen to get down with the DIY and help create something too :D