Activity 1
A-L Local figures
Introduce the children to some of the people in the community and the roles that they play.
Planned learning intention
To find out more about the place in which they live and the lives of those who live there
Adult:child ratio 1:6 to write letter; 1:up to 12 for visit Resources
Books and posters about occupations and people who help us paper envelopes stamps
Step by step
* Share the books, look at the posters and talk to the children about the people they meet in the community and the part they play in their lives.
* Suggest to the children that they invite a member of the community to the nursery to talk about their job.
* Compose a letter together, inviting, for example, a librarian to come and read a story to the children. Scribe for the children and ask them to illustrate the letter.
* Post the letter together, noticing local features as you walk along.
* Prepare for the visit. Choose children to make a snack and serve it to the visitor.
* During the visit take photographs and encourage the children to ask questions.
* Follow up the visit by asking the children to paint and draw pictures of the visitor.
* Make a book or display using the photographs, the children's work and any resources left by the visitor.
* Send a 'thank you' letter enclosing one of your photographs.
Stepping stones
* Younger children will be less involved in the initial discussions and letter but will enjoy joining the other children to listen to the visitor's talk. Be sensitive to their concentration span and shyness and sit with them if necessary.
* Children with more experience will be interested in the visitor but may be unable to concentrate for long. Prepare the visitor beforehand by informing them of the children's ages and concentration span.
* The oldest children will enjoy taking part in all aspects of the activity and may make original suggestions about who to invite to the nursery. Encourage them to express their opinions and to ask questions during the visitor's talk.
Extension ideas
* Arrange to pay return visits to the visitor, for example, to the library to choose books for your next nursery project.
* Visit other local buildings and landmarks. Try to walk to some and use public transport to get to others.
C-I Books on board
Extend children's learning experiences by creating a role-play area based on the visitor's job.For example, follow up a visit from a librarian with a mobile library role-play area, as below. Adapt the idea to suit your own nursery community.
Resources
Chairs old curtains books small table date stamps tickets mark-making tools and materials posters overall and badge for librarian cap for driver steering wheel on stand cushions Play suggestions
* Set up the mobile library using chairs draped in old curtains, facing inwards.
* Arrange a chair and steering wheel for the driver and the table, tickets andmark-making tools for the librarian.
* Arrange the books on the seats.
* Have a cosy corner with cushions for browsing.
* Interact with the children at first as a library customer to familiarise them with the resources available.
Possible learning outcomes
* Works as part of a group, sharing and taking turns.
* Selects and uses resources independently.
* Uses talk to interact with others and negotiate plans and activities.
* Uses language to imagine and recreate roles and experiences.
* Enjoys an increasing range of books.
* Handles books correctly.
* Attempts writing for different purposes.
* Finds out about the lives of people in the community in which they live.
Activity 2
A-L Shopping trip
Visit a local shop, such as the baker's.
Planned learning intention
To use developing mathematical ideas and methods to solve practical problems
Adult:child ratio 1:6
Resources
Paper pen purse pound coins
Preparation
* Talk to the children beforehand about the range of shops that they visit with their families and about the things that they buy. Make a list of the shops in the neighbourhood and talk about which ones sell things that the nursery needs. (The example below is the baker's shop. Adapt the idea according to the shops in your community. If you have no shops nearby, dramatise the activity in the nursery.) Step by step
* After discussing the shops in the area, suggest that the children visit the baker's to buy something for the nursery snack. Make a note of how many children you will have to buy snacks for.
* Show the children an empty purse and put some pound coins in it.
* Encourage the children to dress themselves for outdoors.
* Walk to the baker's shop, talking about things that they see on the way.
* Look at the baked goods on sale in the window. Discuss what the children would like and what they can afford to buy. Help out with the calculations. Will they have to divide up some of the cakes and biscuits?
* Encourage the children to watch you pay for the cakes and biscuits. Talk to the shopkeeper about where they are baked.
* At the nursery, count out the cakes and biscuits and share them out.
Stepping stones
* Younger children will enjoy the experience of going to the shop and will enjoy counting up to, say, five objects.
* Children with more experience will enjoy counting up to ten and will understand the idea of paying for the goods and receiving change.
* Older or more able children can look after the money and the change and carry the purchases. They will enjoy the challenge of counting out the snack items with adult help.
Extension ideas
* Create miniature shops.
* Make recycled box models of shops to build up a model street * Sing relevant rhymes such as 'Five currant buns'.
C-I Play dough Introduce a role-play baker's shop with salt dough food to encourage the children to re-enact their experiences in Activity 2 Resources
Salt dough or plastic bread biscuits and cakes card till plastic coins purses bags baskets tables chair posters from a baker's shop Play suggestions
* Encourage the children to help you to prepare the resources for the shop, such as the salt dough food.
* Visit the shop frequently yourself, initially as a customer so that you can emphasise counting and appropriate mathematical language.
* Ensure that mark-making tools and materials are plentiful.
Possible learning outcomes
* Says and uses number names in familiar contexts.
* Counts reliably up to ten everyday objects.
* Recognises numbers to ten.
* Solves simple mathematical problems.
* Uses vocabulary involved in adding and subtracting.
* Finds out about everyday technology through play.
* Finds out about features of the locality.
* Begins to be aware of differences between cultures.
