Mad About Mini Beasts
7th October 2021
It has been a wonderful week exploring minibeasts down in Early Years. Children have seen so many creepy crawlies this week and have even brought some from their homes and gardens, including a giant slug called ‘Baby cuddles’...
Children have explored the environment in Early Years using magnifying glasses to try to catch a glimpse of the tiniest of minibeasts. The children have practised counting and sorting bugs according to their number of legs, they even managed to do some doubling using diagrams of Ladybirds.
Children discussed useful and harmful minibeasts, such as bees and how useful they are to us as they produce honey; what better way to consolidate this learning than by making sandwiches?! The children made some yummy honey sandwiches, coming up with instructions on how to make sandwich, and then working in pairs to make one themselves. They learnt how to cut into halves and some even cut them into quarters. We also looked at words that rhyme with bee and honey.
The children also talked about minibeasts that can be harmful to us. Mosquitoes were of course on top of the list and it was interesting to hear from one child that “it is the mummy mosquitoes that make people sick” (how fantastic that our youngest learners are already in possession of such specific scientific facts!)
Children have enjoyed some wonderful topical stories, like the Hungry Caterpillar, Super Worm, The Grouchy Ladybug, The Busy Spider, Mad about Minibeasts and so many more.
Children have enjoyed painting or drawing their own minibeasts, creating rock bugs, painting leaves with caterpillars and spider handprints as they have learnt about creating pieces using a range of different materials.
FS1 concluded the week with a little show for the rest of Early Years based on the story based on the book The Very Quiet Cricket. Everybody loved the performance, enjoyed the costumes and FS1 particularly enjoyed being centered stage.
The best lesson that the children have learnt this week is how to respect the minibeasts. They have learnt to release the minibeasts back to the natural environment after they have finished learning about them in order to show respect to our environment and everything that lives in it.
