Term 2.2 How do we know it's Spring?

This half term our big question has been 'How do we know it's Spring?'

At the start of the half term we talked in Family group and made mind maps of what the children knew.

Over the half term we have used the book Spring by Emily Dufresne to help give us ideas of what happens in spring. We have learned some Spring Makaton signs and talked about baby animals and found out what we call them e.g. lambs, ducklings

We have started planting seeds that need to be sown in Spring in our garden and each group is responsible for looking after their own vegetable patch.

In Forest school we have investigated frog spawn we found in the bog garden. We have looked for and made nests, looking first at images of different nests of creatures that lay eggs such as birds, crocodiles and turtles. We have completed a Spring hunt the children have looked closely at the changes that they have seen happening over the weeks returning to the hunt sheets week by week.

One of the most exciting experiences this half term was the arrival of some eggs. This generated a lot of discussion about what might be in the eggs with the chldren's suggestions ranging from chicks, to dinosaurs and unicorns. After a few days the eggs started to crack and out popped ducklings! The children had the opportunity to hold the ducklings and they went for a swim too! 

At the end of the half term we have re-visited our Spring mind maps and al the chldren have been able to suggest an idea of 'How do we know it's Spring?'

The children can now talk about what they see around them and explain what happens when it is spring. They can also share what happens to eggs and how the ducklings, bird and chicks hatch out of them and why nests are important to keep the eggs safe and warm.