Fraction Boards

Today we ditched the textbook page to make fraction boards outside.  After collecting some sticks we went to the playground.  A fun and interesting activity.

Journey to Antarctica (AKA school playground!)

As we are studying Antarctica and polar explorers, we are lucky to have so much snow!

With a sledge with ropes attached, a tent, sleeping bags, pretend stove, pots etc all the P4s went on an expedition to the Antarctic.  The class was split into 3 groups - one used the tent and sledge and equipment; another made snow sculptures and a third were allowed free play including snowball fights as the snow was so soft.

Thanks to the teacher of the other P4 class, Donna for organising the equipment for our adventure! It was so much fun and the children seem to appreciate even more, the endurance required for exploring the Antarctic.

Mini Forest School

As our final trip outside in 2012, we invited Simon and Rob, 2 countryside rangers to come and do a mini forest school session for an afternoon.

Rob played forest games with half the class, while Simon used sticks (we'd collected last week and dried in the classroom) to light kelly kettles and we made hot chocolate!

                                        The class enjoyed making sparks with fire steels!

Reindeer decorations in the woods

These are made using clay, sticks, googly eyes or natural ones like beech nuts and pom poms.  Red berries would have been more natural but there is a lack of berries round the school this year.

Scottish Reading Hour - outside

Scottish Reading Hour was part of Scottish Book Week and fell on St Andrew's Day.  We went out to the woods and as it was frosty and cold I played my penny whistle while 30 P4s danced some Scottish dance steps to warm up and celebrate St Andrew'sDay!

Once we were warm everyone selected a spot to go to and read for 20 mins.  It was interesting to see many pupils now have a favourite tree which they always go to in our free play sessions and many returned to their favourite spot to read a book.

Been a bit busy indoors recently with concert rehearsals and other indoor activities!  Need to get outside soon!  Plans are to go out to woods this week and make up our own woodland games - we are doing instructional writing at the moment so can link this in to our literacy work.  

Next Friday (30th Nov) is St Andrew's day in Scotland and Scottish Book week so am thinking up ideas to celebrate both outside. Any ideas welcome!  

May have an outdoor rehearsal for our Christmas concert!  That would be good for voice projection etc!  The play is called, "The Little Match Girl" so is set outdoors on a cold day - perfect for getting into role!

Off to plan some more and hope to post more activities soon.

Spooky Nature

Today, a freezing cold, sunny day,  we went outside and up to the woods to play some games of "Bat and Moth" which the class love then followed a spooky nature trail...

The pupils followed the trail, memorising the phrases and objects as they went, then made a list in their outdoor notebooks.  Once finished they worked in pairs to make poems using the objects and phrases.

Great fun!

The stickers came from the "Nature Detectives" website - very useful site for ideas and resources.

Next outdoor activity - mini rockets and art work for Bonfire Night...