Welcome to Kingsbury Episcopi Pre School

Our team are Lis Black, Sue Male, Michelle Wyatt and Kanjapak Sylvester.

Welcome back for the summer term!

This week we made colourful rice which was great for play and using scales to explore weights and heavy or lighter.

We did lots of number activities and our exercise routine according to the number on the dice and exercise chart.

As always we've enjoyed outside activities with growing confidence on the bikes and tractors. We welcomed new children this week, so it's been a busy week!

W/C 31.3.25

This week we did lots of counting activities with egg hunts and number puzzles. 

We made cards and decorations. 

we enjoyed the sunshine with plenty of time outside.

28th March 2025.

Celebrating 20 years of Kingsbury Episcopi Preschool based at Kingsbury Episcopi Primary School. In the summer of 2004 Preschool moved from the Church rooms in the village to the Primary school. It has been a great success being based here and our provision has grown alongside the many young people and children over the last 20 years we're proud to call previous Preschool students.

W/C 24.3.25

Time flies by when we are busy!

This week we've done lots of building with a variety of construction resources and enjoyed better weather for bike riding and exploring the school field.

We did counting using beads to match quantity and subtract or add beads to correct accordingly. Great problem solving skills and accurate counting. 

We melted ice to release the dinosaurs, using warm water and tapping. 

W/C 17.3.25

A sensory activity with flour, playdough and rosemary. Using scissors to cut up the rosemary, and mixing it all. Using hands and tools that develop the small muscles of the hands and coordination to support future writing skills. Also a relaxing activity handling and smelling the ingredients. 

Fine motor skills activity. Threading, using tools and tweezers all help in the development and strengthening of the muscles in the hand to support writing.

Our fabulous still life art project.

All the children painted a daffodil after studying a flower, talking about shape and appearance, such a beautiful display!

W/C 10.3.25

More than maths and maths is fun!

Recognising patterns with colour and size, or using the bears to tell a story or collect them to take elsewhere to play. Using the construction straws to make shapes also required fine motor skills to fit them together and persistence at the task when the construction came apart. Learning together as they guided each other how to make the shape. 

W/C 3.3.25

Jungle animals. 

Children's safari zoo creation, and a sensory play set of the Jungle. Jungle animals are very popular and allow for learning new words and animal sounds and learning about their habitat. 

Pancake day!

We made a Pancake shop role play, listened to the brilliant story of Mr Wolf's Pancakes and played a game. Covering all areas of learning and development - communication and language, personal, social and emotional development as we shared our experience of Pancake eating! Physical development-learning about healthy eating and physical skills using scissors, literacy - sharing and recalling stories, Mathematics looking at shapes, money, counting and time; Understanding the world learning about our traditions and expressive arts and design in pretend play and collage activity.

W/C 24.2.25

Welcome back to preschool! 

We've been learning about British animals and farm animals this week. Making animal sounds, learning names of our native animals and where they live.

Using the puppets to play and tell stories.

After sharing the familiar story of The Owl Babies the children made owl puppets and recalled the story. Being able to sequence and recall a story helps in later reading skills and enjoyment. 

Favourite activities include construction and bike riding. This week we observed several flat tyres on the bikes so had to work hard to pump them up. Lots of talk about numbers, air, bike care and how the tyres felt.

Construction with these balancing toys required care, consideration of balance and promotes lots of conversations about height.

Maths in action.

W/C 10.2.25

Shapes.

Learning about shapes, their properties, how they fit together and shape names.

Building towers and a rocket, with only minutes until blast off!

Exploring number and quantity. Using marbles and the numicon to build quantity and recognise how small numbers together make bigger numbers.

An art project for the whole day. 

Collage, cutting out materials and gluing in place, finally painting.

The children could dip in for an aspect and often returned to continue.

There was lots of discussion about design, patterns, shapes and colours. Persisting at an activity can be fostered by giving time and allowing choice and space, so that even the youngest children can join in.

W/C 3.2.25

Exploring paint. 

Mixing paints to make new colours, using sponges, brushes and even toy animals and their hands. Making patterns and movement in the paint.

Collage activity. 

Representing the frost of the morning we used dark paper and various white and sparkly materials to create frost pictures, promoting conversations about the weather and words to describe what they had experienced. 

Show and tell 

Children may bring in a special toy or item from home and talk to the group about this. The other children are encouraged to ask a question of the child. Promoting communication and listening skills and the children can share their special toys with their friends. 

W/C 27.1.25

We have been celebrating the Chinese New Year this week. 

Learning about the traditional dancing and celebrating, the story of the animals crossing the river and trying to use chopsticks at snacktime.

Also being creative making lanterns and puppets, developing pen control and hold and using scissors and following a sequence of actions to complete the job. 

After watching the dragon dancers on the laptop we talked about the celebration for the Chinese New year. Then the children had a go jumping like the dancers whilst other children played musical instruments in time as they jumped. UW PD PSED 

W/C 20.1.25

This week we've explored magnets, what objects are attracted to the magnet and those not attracted, with games and investigation around preschool. 

Sensory play is a lovely activity,  this week with shaving foam.

Role play allows for play writing and lots of communication and negotiation extending the play and allowing participation with friends.

Today we talked about the benefit of exercise, the children explained their ideas and we talked about the different types of exercise we mightenjoy. We looked at the exercise list, reading across to establish which exercise we would do when the dice was rolled. The number on the stars was how long we would complete that exercise. We talked about numerals, and practised counting accurately. Areas of learning and development include Physical development, Personal, Social and Emotional development,  Understanding the world, Communication and Language development,  Mathematics and Literacy.

W/C 13.1.25

Construction, using a variety or resources promotes and supports so much learning. Problem solving wobbles, exploring shapes, ideas for design and lots of communication. Developing language skills essential for learning. Persistence at activity, following interests, feeling pride in achievement and positively engaged. 

Painting and printing. 

Using colours chosen to represent winter cold weather the children painted and then pressed a new piece of paper to print. There was great pleasure to see the result, I'm sure you'll agree!

Snowman counting activity. 

Matching quantities to numerals, and solving problems of too few or too many.

W/C 7.1.25

Happy new year!

A busy first week of the spring term welcoming back children and families. We've talked about Christmas and the holidays and several children brought in toys for show and tell time.

Cooking was a lovely activity learning about ingredients, weighing, mixing and using all our senses to enjoy the cup cakes.

Exploring ice!

When will it melt? It's freezing! What will make it melt?

This activity prompted lots of questions and exploration to discover how ice melts, adding warm water and sprinkling salt on the ice. An activity that promotes language skills and understanding the world.

Marble run construction 

Working together the children built this marble run, promoting lots of discussion about height, balancing the towers, connections and quantity, developing language, maths and team work.

Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Have a lovely holiday everyone and we look forward to welcoming you back in January. 

W/C 9.12.24

We are in full Christmas mode now!

We've written letters to Santa, practicing pen hold and mark making. Lots of discussion about presents and Christmas. 

Using fine motor skills to colour and put Q tips in tree.

The group copied the design to make their own cards practicing writing their names.

W/C 2.12.24

Decorating our Christmas tree. Exciting time decorating and talking about Christmas trees, decorations, texture, shapes, quantities, height and Santa.

Shopping game, practising numeral recognition, accurate counting and solving problems of too few or too many items.

Sparkly red playdough! Manipulating playdough aids fine muscle development supporting future writing. 

W/C 25.11.24

This week we've been dancing and using instruments to make music. 

Dancing with scarves to enhance movements and make shapes in the air.

Some children made collages and pictures with shapes whilst others played outside. 

W/C 18.11.24

Listening and recognising sounds supports phonic skills development. At preschool we do this through games, stories, songs, rhymes and play in and outside. We heard the horses and rushed to see them pass and wave hello!

Sensory activity. 

Exploring a variety of ingredients such as flour, seeds, lentils, herbs and spices the children used spoons to decant for mixing. Promoting discussion about their actions and experiences. Also exploring capacity. 

W/C 11.11.24

We explored the Gruffalo story, recalling the story sequence, characters and the rhyme and rhythm of this beautiful story.

"I'm going to make a castle" and it was fantastic and a perfect way to learn about shapes and size and how they fit together. 

Towing a 'broken down' tractor by tying rope is a favourite activity and a brush at the back can sweep up the leaves.

Welcome back to preschool and our theme of Autumn. 

Exploring leaves, wooden blocks, dinosaurs and other resources to make a dinosaur jungle. Naming dinosaurs, always a challenge, counting blocks, talking about forests and jungles. 

A road sweeping tractor, set up by a keen tractor rider to sweep a path through the leaves. Learning about seasons, cause and effect, movement with wind and sweeping, listening to sounds in the environment. 

A fine motor skills challenge for the children to copy these shapes, design their own and thread small beads onto the pipe cleaners. 

W/C 21.10.24

A drawing of a track for whizzing around with cars and vehicles. Promoting drawing and discussion as children add features. 

The autumn leaves have provided a resource for a variety of play, making tea, sweeping up and filling cars and trailers to transport the leaves.

Painting with rollers and using tools to make marks are activities that promote early writing skills. 

W/C 14.10.24

Apple week. 

We made Apple crumble. Looking at the recipe book, discussing ingredients,  measuring ingredients and mixing them. Chopping fruit carefully. Star bakers at preschool!

W/C 7.10.24

This week has seen lots of creative construction. Making a house or wands with the straws. Making paw patrol transformers and car transporters with the mobile.

4.10.24

BIG painting! Using rollers, sponges and toy cars to paint tracks, create patterns and mix paints.

Making dens involved selecting materials, using pegs, adapting plans in case of den collapsing and sharing space. An engaging and active morning.

W/C 30.9.24

This week we made 'mud' to play with the farm animals,  messy play is fun to explore, is a calming sensory experience and promotes communication. 

Outside using rope to tow the other vehicles provided opportunity to persevere to achieve the goal and working together to move the vehicles. 

Learning how to peg up the baby clothes builds fine motor skills and was much enjoyed by the group.

W/C 23.9.24

Lots of role play this week - fire and rescue service and flight crew of a helicopter.

We've been building with various resources and outside to ride the balance bikes and seeking new challenges! Dressing up is always lots of fun as well as allowing practice of self care skills.

16.9.24

Walk through local apple orchards. Climbing styles, over footbridge and along the path. We listened to sounds in the environment and watched the farmer in his tractor collecting the apples.

Welcome back to preschool! 

Exploring materials and objects allows for language development, sharing ideas, asking questions, selecting objects, listening and explaining and just spending time exploring. 

WC 14/07/2024

This week we made an obstacle course with balance beam, had the challenge of working as a team to drag the tyres along the playground. With water play we've had ice and oranges pieces and rosemary in the water as a sensory experience.