GIGI BYTES EDITION -7

FROM OUR DESK

The Importance of Play: How Kids Learn by Having Fun

Play is more than just fun; it’s how children learn best! Through play, children explore the world around them, develop essential life skills, and strengthen their imagination and problem-solving abilities.

When children build with blocks, they learn about balance and spatial awareness. During pretend play, they develop language, empathy, and social skills. Outdoor games encourage teamwork, coordination, and resilience. Even simple activities like drawing, role-playing, or singing spark creativity and emotional expression.

Play also helps children build confidence as they make choices, experiment, and learn from mistakes in a safe and joyful way. It supports all areas of development, cognitive, physical, social, and emotional, while keeping learning engaging and meaningful.

CLASSROOM CONNECTION

This week, our classrooms sparkled with excitement as learners engaged in exploration, creativity, and discovery. During Circle Time, lively conversations nurtured confident speaking and active listening, while playful learning centres allowed learners to experiment and solve problems independently. Group activities encouraged teamwork and friendship, whereas individual tasks built responsibility and self-reliance. The joy on their faces showed that learning was not only meaningful but also enjoyable, with every activity connecting to real-life skills such as communication, collaboration, and confidence.

NURSERY

ENGLISH

Sight words play an essential role in developing reading fluency. This week, learners were introduced to high-frequency words such as I, we, he, she, be, the, and me. Recognising these words helps children read more smoothly without decoding each one, fostering confidence and fluency. The sounds /d/ and /g/ were also introduced through phonics and picture cues. To reinforce learning, learners traced the letters and engaged in creative craft activities, making a dolphin for the letter d and a goose for the letter g.

Storytime continues to be a magical part of our classroom! The story “The Colourful Adventure” came alive with the use of puppets, captivating the learners’ attention. A follow-up interactive game added excitement and participation, making the recap both joyful and meaningful.

MATH

Our young learners had an exciting and enriching time exploring foundational concepts such as near and far and up and down through observation, play, hands-on activities, and visual illustrations. In our exploration of colours, orange and green took centre stage. These vibrant hues were introduced through engaging, play-based activities, where learners identified and associated them with familiar objects from their surroundings. In numeracy, the numbers 4 and 5 were introduced through counting games and object-based learning. To reinforce their understanding, learners completed related workbook activities for each topic, supporting retention through practice and repetition.

THEME

This week, children explored different rooms in a house, matching items to spaces like the kitchen, bedroom, and living room. Recap of a fun “School Tour” was conducted by open-ended interactions where they identified key areas such as the classroom, library, playground, and cafeteria, learning how each supports their day. Also, the introduction of community helpers using flashcards was conducted, for children to recognise those who keep our communities safe and healthy. Further, learners enjoyed matching community helpers to their tools and related occupations through engaging worksheets.

JR.KG

ENGLISH

Learners were introduced to ‘Uu’ and ‘Ll’ through flashcards and enjoyed drawing related objects, boosting phonemic awareness and creativity. Storytime featured “Lila’s Festival Day” and “Sweety and the Community Helpers”, sparking excitement and strengthening comprehension. New sight words were practised through engaging reading activities, while a picture talk session encouraged observation, critical thinking, and verbal expression. To reinforce learning, children took part in a word dictation and explored phonics blends like “got” and “hot”, connecting sounds to spelling patterns.

MATH

Our little learners joyfully explored the world of numbers through a variety of fun and engaging activities. They confidently practised writing numbers from 24 to 30 in their notebooks, building number formation and recognition skills.

We introduced the concepts of left and right through interactive movement games and daily routines, helping children develop a stronger sense of direction. Pattern recognition worksheets sparked curiosity as learners identified and completed patterns using shapes, colours, and familiar objects.

The introduction of number names (1, 2, and 3) helped children begin to connect numerals with words in an exciting way. Through engaging in ‘after numbers’ and ‘between numbers’ worksheets, they enhanced their understanding of number sequencing and numerical order.

THEME

This week, our little learners explored community helpers and festivals in an interactive way. They learned about firefighters, their bravery, and tools, and discovered Halloween traditions like costumes, pumpkins, and trick-or-treating.

We also revisited roles like doctors, firefighters, and bakers, and introduced the policeman, highlighting how they maintain law and order.

To wrap up, children enjoyed a creative art activity, drawing their favourite festival – Diwali or Christmas – and expressing their festive joy through art.

SR.KG

ENGLISH

This week, learners were introduced to the long vowel sounds of ‘o’ and ‘u’ through interactive flashcards, charts, and exciting word games. They practised writing CVC words and explored rhyming words from the ‘i’, ‘o’, and ‘u’ families, strengthening their phonics and word recognition skills.

The concept of Naming Words (Nouns) was introduced through an engaging Kahoot game that made learning interactive and fun. Learners also enjoyed discovering the Days of the Week through an interesting story. As part of their recapitulation activity, they wrote about Myself and illustrated pictures of long vowel sound words. These hands-on and meaningful activities enhanced learners’ reading, writing, and vocabulary skills while keeping the sessions joyful and engaging.

MATH

During the session, learners enjoyed reviewing skip counting by 5 and learning about rectangles and cuboids. They practised writing numbers from 1 to 50 in their math notebooks and revisited the concept of cuboids for better recognition. Learners practised counting backwards from 40 to 1, solved workbook problems, and wrote number names. We also introduced greater than, less than, and equal to, helping students understand numerals before, after, and in between. They had fun solving pictorial addition problems and completed their portfolio work on these concepts.

THEME

Theme sessions were filled with excitement and discovery as learners explored community helpers and celebrated various festivals through interactive activities. They learned about the roles of firefighters, doctors, bakers, and were introduced to the policeman, understanding how each helps our community.

The festive spirit came alive with discussions on Halloween, where children eagerly shared costume ideas. Through a creative drawing activity, they expressed their love for Diwali or Christmas with colourful artwork. Learners also enjoyed talking about Santa Claus, gifts, and decorations, and explored the vibrant carnival with its music, dance, and parades—broadening their cultural awareness through stories and sharing.

CIRCLE TIME

Circle Time was full of creativity and self-expression! Learners shared their preferences and emotions through journal activities on “I Like to Eat…” and “Draw a Feeling.” The story I Like Myself! encouraged discussions on self-love and confidence, while imagination and visualisation activities—like imagining life under the sea—helped children build focus, creativity, and mindfulness. Energising brain breaks and movement songs added fun and promoted coordination and joyful engagement throughout the sessions.

ACTIVITY

Learners enjoyed a colourful tracing activity where they practised letters c, e, d and numbers 3, 4, and 5 using different crayons to create beautiful rainbow patterns. They also explored letter g through a fun earbud dabbing activity, enhancing their fine motor control and letter recognition skills. The session was filled with creativity, colour, and joyful learning!

This week, learners had a fun-filled learning journey! They kicked off the week with a rhyme recap, singing and improving their pronunciation and rhythm. The excitement continued with practising CVC words to enhance their reading skills. The highlight was the journal activity – A Day at the Circus, where children eagerly described their imaginary circus visit, sharing about clowns, jugglers, and acrobats. It was a week full of creativity, joyful expression, and learning!

READING PROGRAM

Nursery:
Our little learners enjoyed reading “A Fat Cat” from the Fitzroy Reader. Through pictorial reading, they connected words with pictures, sparking interest in reading while developing vocabulary, observation skills, sound recognition, and early comprehension. The story was also read via the Fitzroy app, enhancing engagement and understanding.

Jr. KG:
This week, Circle Time focused on well-being and academic growth. Mindfulness exercises, including breathing techniques and positive affirmations, promoted self-regulation. Engaging literacy activities like e-book readings fostered cognitive development, while fun facts encouraged confident communication. Khadi Week events were also successfully conducted, providing a learning experience on textile heritage and sustainability.

Sr. KG:
Learners read The Frog and the Fly from the Fitzroy Reader using the SAAR app, focusing on vocabulary, comprehension, and reading fluency. To reinforce learning, they played an “I Spy” game, underlining target words, making reading both fun and interactive.

PLAYLAB

This week, our learners were immersed in hands-on activities that made learning both fun and meaningful.

In the literacy zone, children explored letters through matching games and tracing activities. The numeracy zone encouraged logical thinking as they counted objects, sorted shapes, and completed number puzzles. Block building became a space for imagination and collaboration, as learners designed towers, bridges, and other creative structures. In the ball pool area, children enjoyed free play, developing coordination, communication, and social skills. These playful experiences not only supported fine motor and cognitive development but also fostered teamwork, creativity, and confidence. The Playlab was truly buzzing with excitement, discovery, and joyful learning.

STREAM

Nursery - Learners explored the concept of sound by listening to different musical instruments like drums, bells, and shakers. They compared the sounds and observed how each instrument made a unique noise, fostering an engaging exploration of sound through play.

Jr.Kg- Learners explored sound variations using shakers, learning how shaking harder makes a loud sound and shaking gently creates a soft sound. They also discovered wind energy, observing how wind moves objects like pinwheels and balloons, helping them understand the power of moving air.

Sr.Kg- Learners explored sound waves with a tonoscope and sand, observing how sounds create vibrations and visible patterns. They learned that sound travels in waves. Additionally, they explored how water mixes with soil to form mud, noticing changes in colour, texture, and consistency, and understanding the process of evaporation as puddles dried up in the sun.

ART

Jr. KG -Learners explored the Element of Art – Texture through a crumpled paper activity. They crumpled and flattened paper to observe changes in texture, then painted it, noting how the paint spread differently on the creases. This activity encouraged sensory exploration, creativity, and fine motor skills.

Sr. KG - Learners explored the Element of Art – Form through pottery. They learned techniques like pinch pots, coil pottery, and the pottery wheel, observing how each created unique shapes and textures. Working with clay helped develop creativity, concentration, and fine motor skills, while deepening their appreciation for artistic forms.

Our Nursery learners had a blast during the flat race with a ball, a high-energy activity that supported the development of speed, balance, and coordination, all while having fun and enjoying friendly competition.

Jr KG learners participated in standing warm-up drills (Exercises 1 to 4) designed to enhance posture, balance, and body coordination. These simple yet effective movements made fitness enjoyable while promoting physical development.

Sr.KG learners began their session with warm-up exercises to stretch and activate their bodies. They then practised the March Pass order, which encouraged discipline, coordination, and teamwork, helping children build focus and body control in a structured manner.

YOGA

Nursery
Topic: Flower Pose
Nursery learners practised the cheerful Flower Pose, promoting balance, flexibility, and concentration. The session was both fun and calming, helping the little ones connect with their bodies through movement and imagination.

Jr.KG
Topic: Mouse Pose
Junior KG children embraced calm and quiet with the Mouse Pose, curling up like little mice. This gentle yoga posture helped them relax, stretch their backs, and enhance focus, creating a peaceful moment of body-mind connection.

Sr.KG
Topic: Double Boat Pose
In yoga, our Senior KG learners explored the Double Boat Pose, where two friends sat facing each other, held hands, and lifted their legs to form a boat shape. This engaging partner activity built core strength, balance, and encouraged teamwork in a playful setting.

MUSIC

Nursery - Learners discovered the joy of making music using their bodies through simple body percussion activities. They practised tapping, clapping, snapping, and stomping to basic rhythms, developing their listening skills, motor control, and sense of beat in a fun and engaging way.

Jr.Kg-Learners enthusiastically explored rhythm through clapping, stomping, patting, and snapping. These exercises improved their timing, coordination, and concentration, while also enhancing physical awareness. The sessions made music learning enjoyable and laid the groundwork for more advanced musical skills.

Sr.Kg-Learners created rhythmic patterns using combinations of claps, snaps, stomps, and pats. These interactive sessions strengthened their understanding of tempo, beat, and rhythm, while also refining motor coordination and promoting teamwork. This hands-on approach prepared them for future exploration of percussion instruments.

ZUMBA

Nursery:
Our Little Zumba Stars started with warm-up exercises and a fun recap of “Follow the Leader” and “Chihuahua”. They learned the steps to a new song, “Crocodile Rock”, and played the Follow the Rings game to boost focus, balance, and coordination.

Jr KG:
After energetic warm-ups, the learners recapped “My Bestie” and learned the new Zumba song “Spread Love” with enthusiasm. The session ended with the Colour Run game, improving focus and movement skills.

Sr KG:
Senior KG started with a warm-up to improve flexibility and strength. They practised high-energy songs like “Shake Your Bombom”, “Rise and Shine”, and “Welcome to the Party”. Fun games like Animal Kids Tabata and Floor is Lava helped enhance coordination and teamwork.

EVENTS

Navratri Celebration (1st October 2025)- Kanakia Kids came alive with vibrant colours as learners dressed in traditional attire to celebrate Navratri. They danced joyfully to festive Garba beats, embracing culture and tradition with enthusiasm.

National Poetry Day (3rd October 2025)- Our learners celebrated National Poetry Day with rhymes and poems. Nursery students sang rhymes with props, Jr. KG recited poems with actions, and Sr. KG held a poetry competition, selecting entries for an inter-school contest. It was a day of creativity and expression in multiple languages.

Khadi Mahotsav (3rd to 10th October 2025)- Khadi Week honoured Indian heritage and Mahatma Gandhi’s vision. Learners engaged in activities like weaving, charkha making, puppet shows, storytelling, vegetable printing, and a Khadi fashion show. The week concluded with a Khadi awareness rally, spreading the message of freedom, unity, and sustainability.

INTERSCHOOL COMPETITION

"Words in Motion" Shines Bright on National Poetry Day!

Our inaugural Virtual Interschool Poetry Fest, celebrated in honour of National Poetry Day, turned out to be an inspiring and memorable event!

Young poets from Kanakia Kids CBSE Bhayandar and Kanakia Kids Mira Road came together in a wonderful display of creativity, passion, and performance. Their eloquence, confidence, and emotional expression lit up the virtual stage, making the event a grand celebration of language and imagination.

The teamwork and energy from both schools were outstanding, and every participant truly brought poetry to life. It was heartwarming to see such talent unfold online — and rest assured, this is only the beginning... the words will keep flowing.