November is always packed with learning opportunities at Monkey Puzzle Ridgmont Rd. The month is filled with celebrations and special days for all the children to delve into…. St Andrew’s Day brought a little bit of the Scottish culture to St. Albans as the children listened to Scottish music, dressed in traditional Scottish clothing, learnt about famous landmarks in Scotland and created their own Scottish flags. Learning about different cultures and celebrating special days provides excellent learning opportunities for the children to discover more about the world around them and to gain an understanding of different faiths, beliefs and cultures. These special days always give us the opportunity to change the menu as the children enjoy tasting a range of foods from around the world such as Leek & Tatti soup, Hogmanay Pie, Raspberry Cranachan, Firework cakes and many more! Remembrance Day allows a time of reflection and to learn that there are special times to remember from past events. Discussions were shared about people who help us and the children used a range of media to create their own poppy’s and poppy pictures. The whole nursery observed a 2 minutes’ silence at 11am. Fundraising events are a great way for children to discover that there are things we can do to help others, and there are many charities that we support annually. This month, for Children in Need, the whole nursery dressed up, got involved in a variety of bright coloured spotty activities and baked cakes and biscuits. We are very pleased that this year we raised £600.
Both Diwali and Bonfire night provided opportunities for light and colour to flood the nursery as the children explored sensory lights, splattered paint, and sprinkled coloured powder to create their own firework pictures and Rangoli Masterpieces.
