Down in the Garden

We will learn all about animals that live around our school, what plants need to grow and the importance of taking care of the natural environment and all living things.

Core Story: The Enormous Turnip 

Core Song: The Caterpillar Song

We also like singing:

Hello Song

Goodbye Song

Weather Song Video

Weather Song

Clean-up Song

Insect Background Music

Garden Songslide

This week we are learning about ‘minibeasts’. We can also call them ‘bugs’, ‘insects’ or ‘creepy crawlies’. Let’s do a fun song and dance together and pretend we are lots of different minibeasts.

Can anyone tell me the names of some minibeasts? I have a tray with lots of minibeasts on it. Let’s look at them, learn their names and we can pass them around in a circle for everyone to touch and see.  

Today we are going to learn all about  spiders. 

Let’s watch ‘The Itsy Bitsy Spider’ 

Let’s sing ‘The Itsy Bitsy Spider’ 

How many legs does a spider have? Let’s count them together. The spider has eight legs, all spiders have eight legs.

Let’s all have a turn of drawing a spider on our whiteboards. First, we can draw a circle for the body. Then, we can draw a smaller circle on top, for the head. We can draw two eyes and then we can draw eight legs. 

We are going to make our very own spiders which we can take home. First we need to get some playdough and roll into a ball for the body. After that we need to add two googly eyes. Then we need to use pipe cleaners to add the legs. How many legs do we need? Yes, that’s right, a spider has eight legs.

Today, we are learning more about spiders. Do we remember how many legs a spider has? A spider has eight legs, well remembered, well done!

Let’s sing 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider'

Now we are going to read a book about a spider. This book is called ‘The Very Busy Spider’ and it is by Eric Carle’. This is the same author that wrote ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ and ‘From Head to Toe’. 

A spider’s house is called a web. Spiders are amazing builders and they make their own webs using special silk. This then becomes their house and they sleep and eat on their web. The spider uses its web to catch minibeasts such as flies and mosquitoes and then the spider eats them. The spider’s web is like a sticky trap! When a little fly or mosquito flies into it—oops!—they get stuck, and the spider can have its lunch!

Do we want to all make a giant spider web together? Let’s all sit in a circle and sit ‘criss-cross-apple-sauce’.  I will say a name and throw the wool. Catch it and hold on tight! Then, call a friend’s name and throw it to them. Everyone must hold on—don’t let go! We are teamwork spiders, working together to make a strong web. Are you ready? Let’s go! 

In small groups we are going to weave our very own spider webs. Let’s turn a small table upside down. Then everyone can have a ball of wool and let’s all be very busy spiders and weave a web. Once we are finished weaving our web, we can put spiders in our web and then we can add other minibeasts which can get stuck in the web and the spiders can eat for lunch - yummy, yummy in the spider’s tummy!

 Today, we are going to learn about a tiny but special insect… the ladybug! 

"What color is a ladybug?"

"Have you ever seen a ladybug in your garden or outside?"

I have a special book for us today called The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle. Let’s find out what makes this ladybug so grouchy!

“What did the ladybug learn at the end of the story?”

“How can we be kind to others like the friendly ladybug?”

Now, let’s sing and move like ladybugs! We have two fun ladybug songs to enjoy.

Ladybug song

Ladybug song 2

Oh wow, look at this ladybug! Do you notice something missing?  That’s right—its spots! Oh no! How can we help?

I have an idea! Let’s roll the dice, count the dots, and make little spots out of playdough to place on our ladybug. Who’s ready to be a spot maker?

Today we will use the parachute to make a spider web. 

Let’s all sit around the parachute and hold on to the edge. We’re going to use our parachute to make a big spider’s web!

 Oh no! Some little minibeasts are trapped in the web! Let’s meet them. Look, here’s a b, b, b, beetle! And here’s a w, w, w, worm! Can you say their names with me?

Let’s make waves with our parachute! The minibeasts are wiggling and trying to escape!"

Time for a rescue!

Can you help them?

Can you find a minibeast that starts with ‘b’? Ready… go!

We are going to make a ladybug for our Wow Book.

Our ladybug has seven pieces: body, wings, head, eyes, and antennae.

Let's put these pieces together. What is missing?

That’s right—dots!

Open the number card and make the same number of dots on your ladybug.

Makaton Signs of the Week: spoon, fork, plate 

Squiggle Slides

Today we are continuing Dance 7 - The Wave! 

This week, we are going to practice our squiggle dancing to one song. 

Now can you use your magic finger to draw the wave. 

Finally, let’s  have a go at putting it to paper. 

For our Dough Disco this week, it is Incy Wincy Spider. We need to help Incy Wincy climb up the spout. 

For Tapestry this week, we will be capturing moments of learning led by your child's interests and favourite activities in the classroom.