Next Halft Term Topic - Growth

[Guest]

After half term, we are doing the topic 'growth'. We will be having a garden centre in the role play area and have got some ideas what else to do but I just wondered if anyone had any great ideas that I may not have thought or treied before.

 

Dawn

[Guest]

Hi

 

I've used this site before

 

http://www.swgfl.org.uk/EarlyYears/growth.htm

[Sue R]

Nursery World's latest Topics supplement (Spring 2005) is on 'Growth'. They are usually quite helpful.

 

Sue

[Guest]

Our theme is also growth, we have got a Practical Pre Schools book on Growth, it is useful as a starting point. We are going to looking at babies and their needs, changes from babies to themselves, size clothes etc, our families, animals and their babies and seeds and plants.

[Guest]

Hi there. Have you tried the butterfly gardens ( approx £20) from www.insectlore.co.uk. They provide you with everything you need to 'grow' your own painted lady butterflies... i think once you've done this you'll want to do it every year !

 

Best wishes

 

Galleon

[Beau]

I too am going to be doing growth so will be watching with interest to see what suggestions there are. Our children always love compost in the sand tray, or you could tie it to Jack and the Beanstalk and have lots of 'bean' related activities. Haven't given it much thought yet as have two open days to survive next week yet.......

[hali]

we are going to do that one bought a buterfly garden and a root vue farm for topic from excellent book called Insect Lore catalogue http://www.insectlore-europe.com/

[Guest]

Not sure I have any original ideas, but there are lots of plants that you can have fun with apart from beans:-

cress seeds (experiment in light or dark)

dried peas (excellent changes to observe after one night of

being soaked in water and they grow brilliantly)

keep a pet potato in a dark box and follow it's development

carrot tops

garlic cloves (nice and smelly!)

sit an onion in a hyacinth vase and wait for the roots to appear

take cuttings of plants

 

I'm sure there are many more...

 

Titch is a great book to use to link in with growth because the children really relate to it. We tie it in with writing "When I was small I... Now I am big I..."

 

I can only echo everyone else: the butterflies are fantastic but I'm not sure if the next half term will be too early. Can you get hold of any chick eggs to hatch?

 

Popcorn is always good too - I know it's not growth in the usual sense, but it does expand when cooked and then the children can eat it!! (You'll need one of those popcorn making machines and a safe place to operate it). How many corn kernels will fit in a 1cm square before cooking and how many after cooking? How has the texture changed? Does raw corn float or sink? How about cooked corn?

 

 

Haver fun!

[Guest]

Hi,

I found this activity on www.CanTeach.ca

 

GROW A BALOON PLANT

 

Materials:

Soil

Seeds (radish, peas....not too big)

Baloons ( preferably clear or white, not too dark)

Funnel

Water

 

Method:

1. Hold a baloon firmly by the neck, use a funnel and pour half a cup of dirt into the baloon. (don't turn the baloon over )

2. Add a quarter cup of water through the funnel. Be sure the soil in the baloon is wet but not soggy.

3. Use the funnel to drop the seeds into the baloon ( 2 seeds in each baloon)

4. Hold the baloon gently by the neck and carefully blow air into it. Keep the baloon from tipping.

5. Tie a knot and then a ribbon around the neck

6. Tie the baloon around a hook or other place near a window.

 

Watch and enjoy

 

Not tried this myself but looks like it would inspire interest as it is a bit different. Maybe you could ask the parents to go on a white baloon hunt one weekend to supply for the activity.

 

Peggy

[Guest]

I seem to of lost an "l" in all by balloons

 

Peggy

[Sue R]

Hey, that sounds fantastic!! Unfortunately I will have to delegate, as I have a severe latex allergy (we're talking anaphylaxis!!) Too much time in A&E!!

 

Sue

[Guest]

OOOh sounds really nasty...Do you use an epipen?????

 

You could try clear plastic container "Teraniums" Is that what they are called???? Not really one for gardening indoors or out, hence the idea is from a website- one I recommend.

 

Peggy

[Sue R]

All this was discovered during my many recent jaunts to A&E with my madly dislocating hip. As yet have not seen the proper guy to prescribe the epipen - don't really want one, of course, but oops! So for now have been advised to dial 999 and take Piriton until the guys in green arrive!!

 

Pray for me!!!

 

Sue

[Guest]

This is my topic next half term too . Don't know if I can think of anything different. We'll be opening a Garden Centre too - so lots of sign writing, seed packets to make, price lists etc. Will talk about growing needs and might do some shared writing on a list of things we need to remember if we want our seeds to grow (needs of plants). The link by mousebat looks fantastic - thanks mousebat and I'll be trying Peggy's idea too. I'm already looking forward to this topic - pity the half term will be so short.

 

Isn't this website the best

 

Harricroft

[Guest]

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions. I am going to approach my headteacher about buying a butterfly garden for my class - it sounds very exciting!! I think i've now got lots of ideas and i'm not sure we are going to able to fit them all in! so I think we are going to extend the topic for 2 weeks after Easter because the summer term is rather long!!

 

Dawn

[Guest]

I found a supplier of white balloons for the BALLOON GARDEN, it's called Novelties direct, (Sorry, don't know how to do a link to a web page) but search should find it.

 

I got a bit carried away though, I bought;

100 white balloons for £5.50

100 Stick & cups, thought they might be good for making puppets

A girls wig ( Hat & plaits) for dressing up only £7.20

12 X John Lennon style glasses in assorted lense colours only £8.60 Thought this would be good for the children to look through, to colour mix, and just for fun.

 

 

Peggy

[Gezabel]

Of all the activities I have done over the years the butterfly garden is top of the list.

 

Just amazing!! with a capital A. Finally when we had all butterflies we took them out and let them free in the garden.

 

The children LOVED it, they were all saying 'there's my one, byeeee butterfly' etc etc

 

Have fun

 

(now making mental note to do this again SOOOOON)

[mundia]

if you are concerned about it being too early for butterflies, we are growing ladybirds this year. The eggs should arrive imminently, so guess who gets to look after the larvae during half term, as they need feeding daily. Promises to be just as exciting as the buterrflies which we did last year! You do need to keep the food in the frezzer though! They are also available from insectlore.

 

And Im growing some for home to keep those pesky greenfly at bay this year!