Pre-school playgroup

**Books. **With stories and pictures they will understand and enjoy.  Books are for them to look at and to handle and for adults to read and talk about.  Enjoying books in this way helps the child to enjoy learning to read and to begin to discover that there is a great deal of information to be gained from them.

**Home Corner. **A section of the hall is enclosed to give a cosy home.  Furniture of the right size is arranged here plus a range of multicultural food and utensils.  The children pretend things like shopping, meal times, and bathing a baby. 

**Painting. **Children can paint freely and choose their own colours and are not limited in the number of paintings they wish to do.  There are easels, paints and large sheets of paper.  They are not shown how to paint and at first may wish to experiment with paint and paper.  When they have had a great deal of experience with that, they MAY begin to paint something specific.  They should not be urged to reach this stage too quickly.  Please show appreciation of your children’s ‘Works of Art’.  This is very important to them.

**Playdough.  **This can be a social, chatting with adults about what they are doing and children learn to share cutters and rolling pins.  It develops fine motor skills and finger strength by rolling, squeezing, stretching and kneading.  The dough table can also be a relaxing refuge for a shy child giving them time to adjust to their new surroundings.

**Gluing.  **A very popular and enjoyable activity.  Trickling glue over paper, watching the different patterns it makes e.g. circles, zig zags, is a valuable pre-writing skill.  We make a large variety of collages using many natural and manmade materials.

**Sand.  **Children find this fascinating.  Play can be experimental – studying what sand does when it is poured or when it is wet.  Sand is soothing to the excited or aggressive child.  In using sand, children gain ideas about weight and volume.

**Outdoor play.  **The children experience outdoor play with bikes, balls rockers etc.  This helps with gross motor co-ordination and encourages exercise, naturally coats are worn during cold weather and sunhats in warm weather so please ensure these are clearly named.  Outside play is part of our daily routine whatever the weather.

**Climbing.  **The climbing frame is a source of constant attraction.  However, children are naturally cautious and will only attempt what they can do.  The frame itself helps to develop their confidence, balance and co-ordination, whilst also being used for imaginative play.

**Other activities.  **Your child will also have a chance to experiment with clay, water, paper, pencils and crayons, construction toys, music, cooking and wood.  They will see interest and nature tables to help form ideas about the world around them.  Children gain skill and understanding through their play, especially when they have a chance to share their enjoyment with an adult and to talk about their experiences and discoveries.