Nina Marni little learners and their wonderful families, welcome to our weekly blog.
Celebrating Book Week: Bringing Stories to Life
This week, we are thrilled to celebrate Book Week — a cherished time where the magic of reading takes centre stage and stories leap off the page into our daily lives. here at early learning our children have truly embraced the spirit of the week, transforming into beloved characters from some of our most treasured books. From classic tales to contemporary favourites, it’s been inspiring to see how imagination and creativity have brought these stories to life. Book Week not only fosters a love of reading, but also encourages self-expression, empathy, and a deeper connection to literature.
Stay tuned as we share highlights from the week, including character parades, reading activities, and the many wonderful ways our little learners and their Teachers have celebrated the joy of books.
Nature Play and Culinary Creativity: A week of Imagination and Exploration
This week, our children immersed themselves in a rich sensory experience that combined the wonders of nature play with hands-on creativity. The day began with imaginative potion-making, as little hands explored natural materials—leaves, petals, water, and earth—blending their own magical mixtures in our beautifully set-up mud kitchen. The outdoor space was thoughtfully curated to invite curiosity and experimentation, encouraging children to engage in open-ended play while developing fine motor skills, sensory awareness, and collaborative social interactions.
The experience was topped off with a deliciously fun baking activity. With plenty of rolling, squishing, and shaping, the children created their very own gingerbread men—ready to be baked and enjoyed as a well-earned afternoon treat. It was a joyful celebration of creativity, connection, and the simple pleasures of learning through play. Moments like these not only spark imagination, but also foster independence, confidence, and a lifelong love of discovery.
| Learning Intention 1: To challenge and extend each child’s existing knowledge of colours and shapes through engaging, inquiry-based, and developmentally appropriate learning experiences. Why? challenging each child’s knowledge of colours and shapes ensures they are thinking deeply, developing key skills, and progressing from basic recognition to meaningful understanding. Deepens Cognitive DevelopmentEarly numeracy and literacy foundations: Understanding shapes and colours is fundamental to concepts like sorting, categorising, comparing, and pattern recognition, which are early numerical and logical thinking skills. (N, S, D, H, B, K, G) Promotes critical thinking: Asking children to go beyond naming colours and shapes encourages them to reason, analyse, and problem-solve (e.g., “What makes this a triangle?” or “How can you create a new colour?”). (B, K, S) Builds Language and Communication SkillsExpanding colour and shape vocabulary (e.g., from “red” to “burgundy,” or from “circle” to “oval”) supports expressive language development.Helps children articulate ideas, choices, and engage in meaningful conversations with peers and Teachers. (N, B, K, D, H, S, A, G, S) Encourages Creativity and ExpressionColours and shapes are tools for creative exploration in art, design, and imaginative play. |
Challenging their knowledge allows children to make more complex representations, such as designing detailed drawings or constructing intricate structures.
Nurturing Young Minds Through Colours and Shapes
At the heart of the Early Years learning lies the joy of discovery. One of the most powerful ways to spark curiosity and deepen understanding is through purposeful exploration of colours and shapes. These foundational concepts are more than just visual cues—they are building blocks for cognitive development, creativity, and critical thinking. Our goal is to challenge and extend each child’s existing knowledge by offering engaging, inquiry-based, and developmentally appropriate learning experiences. Through hands-on activities, open-ended questions, and playful investigation, children are encouraged to observe, experiment, and make meaningful connections in their world.
Stay tuned as we share some insights into how thoughtful exploration of colours and shapes can ignite a lifelong love of learning.
Exploring Colour Through Light, Water, and Wonder
This week, our young learners engaged in a vibrant exploration of colour using a light table, jars of coloured water, and pipettes. These simple yet powerful tools created the perfect environment for inquiry-based learning, where children could observe, experiment, and make discoveries through hands-on play.
As they transferred coloured water from jar to jar, mixed hues, and observed changes under the glow of the light table, the children demonstrated a growing ability to identify and differentiate colours. More than just recognising colours, they were thinking critically—asking questions, making predictions, and sharing their observations with peers.
This experience not only reinforced colour recognition but also supported fine motor development, communication skills, and collaborative learning. A beautiful reminder that meaningful learning often begins with curiosity and a few drops of colour.
Shaping Dinosaurs Through Creative Craft
This week, our learning journey took a prehistoric twist as children combined their love of dinosaurs with hands-on shape exploration. Using a variety of craft materials, they created their own dinosaurs by identifying and assembling different shapes—circles for eyes, triangles for spikes, rectangles for legs, and more.
This engaging activity encouraged children to apply their shape knowledge in a creative and meaningful way. As they designed their dinosaurs, they confidently named and selected shapes, experimenting with size, placement, and symmetry.
Beyond reinforcing shape recognition, this experience fostered creativity, problem-solving, and fine motor skills—reminding us that learning is at its best when it’s imaginative, purposeful.
This week, children engaged with a variety of puzzles to deepen their understanding of shapes and colours. As they sorted, matched, and fitted pieces together, they demonstrated growing confidence in recognising geometric forms and identifying a wide range of colours.
Puzzles provided a fun, hands-on way to develop important cognitive and spatial skills, while also encouraging perseverance and problem-solving. Working both independently and collaboratively, the children showed focus, determination, and a sense of achievement as each piece found its place. These playful learning moments highlight how everyday resources like puzzles can support foundational concepts in meaningful and enjoyable ways.
Creating and Learning with Colourful Play Dough
This week, children took a hands-on approach to learning by helping make their own colourful play dough. From measuring and mixing to choosing vibrant colours, they were fully involved in the process—turning a simple recipe into a rich learning experience.
Once the dough was ready, the creativity continued as they used a variety of shape cutters and tools to mould, press, and explore. Through this sensory activity, children strengthened their understanding of both colours and shapes, while also developing fine motor skills and fostering imaginative play.
This experience highlighted the power of process-based learning—where creativity, collaboration, and curiosity come together in meaningful and joyful ways.
| Learning Intention 2: Children will begin to understand that Jesus is always with us and that we can talk to Him through prayer. They will be introduced to sacred symbols of our faith—the candle, the cross, and the Sign of the Cross—and develop a sense of reverence and belonging through storytelling, prayer, and song.Children engage respectfully in a shared prayer time.Children are introduced to and can begin to make the Sign of the Cross with support.Children show an emerging understanding that Jesus lived in a family and is present in their own lives.Children participate in simple prayer, storytelling, and song with quiet attentiveness.Sacred GatheringChildren sit in a circle in the prayer space with soft music.Fosters calm, readiness, and community.(Come and join the circle) Candle LightingBattery-operated candle is lit with reverent language.Symbolizes Jesus as the Light of the World.Sign of the CrossLeader models the Sign of the Cross with slow, clear gestures and encourages participation.Introduces children to a sacred gesture of prayer.Story telling (e.g., Jesus with His family, Jesus with children). Felt board or picture books used.Supports understanding of Jesus’ life, family, and closeness to children.Symbol: The CrossWooden cross shown and explained simply.Encourages recognition of an important sacred symbol and its meaning.Prayer song response prayer followed by a familiar worship song with actions.Builds rhythm and routine in prayer life; encourages joy and expression. Blessing and Closure Final Sign of the Cross and quiet blessing from the teacher. Ends with a peaceful affirmation of Jesus’ presence and love. |
Sharing Gratitude and Prayer During Mealtimes
This week, our afternoon mealtimes became a special opportunity for spiritual connection as the children came together for their daily group prayer. Before enjoying their food, they spent quiet, meaningful moments thanking Jesus for their meals and the blessings of the day.
These moments of prayer help nurture a sense of gratitude, calm, and community, reinforcing the importance of faith in everyday routines. It was heartwarming to see the children engage with reverence and sincerity, building not only their spiritual awareness but also a strong sense of togetherness.
Through these simple yet powerful practices, we continue to support the holistic growth of each child—mind, body, and spirit.
Exploring Our Community Through Outdoor Discovery
This week, the children embraced the joy of movement and exploration during our community walks around our school’s shared spaces. From the log park and sandpit to the fresh produce garden and our own outdoor learning space, where each area offered opportunities for discovery, curiosity, and big physical development.
As they climbed, balanced, dug, and explored, children engaged in big physical movements that support coordination, strength, and confidence. These natural environments sparked wonder, encouraged imaginative play, and fostered a deep connection with the world around them.
By spending time in these rich outdoor spaces, children not only developed gross motor skills but also built social connections and a sense of belonging within their learning community.
A Sneak Peek into Our Father’s Day Projects
This week, children have been busy creating something truly special for that important human/care giver in their lives. With hearts full of love and hands full of creativity, they’ve been working on their Father’s Day projects—each one a unique expression of appreciation and care.
From handmade cards to thoughtful crafts, every piece reflects the children’s growing ability to express emotions and gratitude through art and storytelling. It’s been a joy to watch their excitement and pride as they prepare these surprises.
We can’t wait to share the final creations soon—but for now, enjoy this little sneak peek into the meaningful work happening behind the scenes!
Sharing Some Specks of Gold from This Week
Each week is filled with special moments that shine brightly in our learning community—and this week was no exception. From joyful discoveries during outdoor play to thoughtful group prayers and creative hands-on projects, the children have truly embraced every opportunity to learn, grow, and connect.
Whether it was mixing colourful play dough, crafting shape-filled dinosaurs, exploring our shared outdoor spaces, or preparing heartfelt Father’s Day gifts, these “specks of gold” remind us of the wonder and richness found in everyday experiences.
We are so proud of the curiosity, kindness, and creativity our children continue to show. Here’s to celebrating the little moments that make a big difference.
Hope you all have a relaxing weekend.
Ngaityalya