After reading about how the Big Bad Mouse tricks the Gruffalo’s Child by carrying a nut on his shoulder to create a frightening shadow, our Squirrels group decided to explore shadows for themselves. They thought it would be great fun to create their own shadow puppets, so we set off on a walk to the woods to collect suitable sticks. This outdoor adventure offered lots of opportunities for learning and discovery. While exploring, the children noticed that the water in the water trough had frozen overnight. They were fascinated as they pushed the ice down and watched it float back to the surface, sparking conversations about ice, water and change. The children also thoroughly enjoyed jumping into large piles of leaves, listening carefully to the satisfying crunching sounds beneath their feet.
On Tuesday, our Squirrels group put on their aprons and became chefs as they helped to make a delicious Gruffalo Crumble for everyone in the nursery to enjoy for pudding. The children carefully used child-safe knives to chop apples, used their hands to mix the crumble topping, and worked together to spoon everything into the baking dish ready for the oven. This activity supported their fine motor skills, independence and teamwork, as well as giving them a real sense of pride when they tasted the finished crumble.
The Hedgehogs group also joined in the Gruffalo fun by making their own Gruffalo playdough, adding a variety of exciting enhancements to explore texture and creativity. Across the nursery, children used the playdough to create different characters from the story, using their imaginations to bring the tale to life through hands-on play.
We love seeing how stories spark curiosity and learning in so many different ways!