Finding ways to draw and practise early writing skills can develop your child’s literacy as well as the muscles in their hands. Encourage your child to talk about what they have written or drawn. Try making invitations or menus for a teddy bears picnic. If your child would prefer to draw, you can write down what they say. Watching you write may encourage them to have a go.

*If you are teaching your child to write their name, please use a capital letter to start with and lower case letters for the remainder of the name. We do not expect you to. Only try if they are showing interest. Otherwise, any kind of drawing, lines or their own pretend writing is perfect.

Teaching your child early maths skills is easy to do at home. Try the counting ideas suggested in this video. https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/amazing-toddlers-little-counters/z4jjwty Have a teddy bears picnic and encourage your child to count out items for the teddies.

Pouring and filling activities can promote your child’s physical development, their hand-eye coordination, their vocabulary and imagination. Set up cups, jugs and pots that are safe to use. Add water, tea bags and any flowers or grass collected from the garden or a trip to the park. Your child will enjoy mixing, pouring and stirring the ingredients to make a magic tea.

Sing Polly Put The Kettle On: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/school-radio/nursery-rhymes-polly-put-the-kettle-on/zf8vhbk

A dough disco is a really fun way to help strengthen the muscles in your child’s hands. This is all part of helping them to develop handwriting skills. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrBsNhwxzgc Try making some play dough together. We like the following recipe as it uses cornflour (which is easier to buy than plain flour at the moment). https://theimaginationtree.com/recipe-for-white-play-dough/

In addition to the activities for nursery children on the EYFS learning page, the suggestions here are for 2-4 year olds. Older children will enjoy taking part as well. There is no expectation that you complete all of these activities. If you would like to share any of your child’s learning or news please use Tapestry or our new EYFS email address montgomeryeyfs@ecfschools.org.uk We look forward to seeing anything you share with us.

To build upon the car ramp races suggested last week, try balloon rocket races. We are sure this will provide lots of fun for the whole family! Blow the balloon up and secure with a peg. Tape a straw to the balloon as shown in the picture. Set up a string zip line, making sure the straw can move easily through. Line up the balloons, release the pegs and watch them zoom off!

Try to keep a simple score chart and encourage your child to talk about which balloon was first, second or last. There are also lots of balloon activities to develop your child’s physical development: https://entertainyourtoddler.com/balloon-olympics/

Nursery Home Learning Ideas

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