Adult-led
Look at places around the world through a collection of holiday postcards.
Planned learning intentions
To understand that pictures and writing can provide us with a source of information
To talk about features of places outside our local environment
Adult:child ratio 1:4
Resources
A collection of postcards (preferably with photographs of locations on the front), holiday brochures, large globe.
Preparation
* Ask all members of staff (well in advance!) to keep postcards that they have received, and to bring them in to the setting.
* Visit travel agents and ask for brochures - some may also be able to donate holiday destination posters.
Activity content
* Show children the postcards and allow them time to sort through and look at ones that interest them.
* Pick out three or four cards and look closely at the photographs. Ask them to describe what they see and ask questions such as, 'Do you think this is a hot place? Why do you think that? What are the people doing? What kind of buildings can you see? Have you been to a place like this? Would you like to go there? Why (not)?'
* Look in holiday brochures for the same places and identify them on the globe.
* Read some of the comments on the back of the cards and talk about who has sent the card. Show the children where the sender has written the name and address.
* Point out and compare the stamps on the cards.
Stepping stones
* Children with little experience will enjoy looking at the images on the postcards and may point out features that interest them.
* Children with some experience will talk about the images on the postcards and show awareness of more of the features, perhaps beginning to comment on differences and similarities. They will understand that the writing on the back conveys meaning and may show an interest in the content.
* Children with more experience will look closely at the images and perhaps ask questions about places. They will compare features of places and weather and be able to sort postcards according to criteria such as: seaside, winter and city scenes. They may ask or guess what the writing on the back says and be aware of the purpose of the address.
Extension ideas
* Talk about the postcards on the front of the Nursery Topics poster.
* Keep a box of postcards in the book corner, with some holiday brochures, and encourage children to continue their investigations.
* Ask children and parents to send postcards to the setting when they go on holiday. Display the postcards by hanging them so that children can look at both sides.
* Provide blank postcards and mark-making equipment. Encourage children to write their own cards and explore travel through role play (see below).
* Involve staff, children and parents in collecting stamps and give children opportunities for looking through and sorting them. Provide a scrapbook in which to keep the stamps.
* Send balloon messages. Encourage the children to write their own messages on blank postcards. On the other side of the cards, write the address of the setting. Attach the messages to balloons using string, release the balloons and hope that you receive some replies!.
2 Keep in touch
CHILD-INITIATED
Encourage children to explore travel through imaginative and role play and to think about how mail is transported over long distances.
Resources
Blank postcards, stamps, airmail stickers, pens, pencils, travel brochures, scissors, glue sticks, large cardboard box made into a post box, postbags, large construction equipment.
Play suggestions
* Provide materials and equipment needed for children to build an aeroplane, train and van in different corners of the outdoor area.
* Provide holiday equipment (for example, suitcases, sunhats, passports, buckets and spades) and engage in holiday role play with children.
* Encourage children to write postcards from their holiday destinations to their friends. They could use photographs cut out of brochures to create images on the front of their postcards or draw their own pictures.
* Provide stamps and airmail stickers for the children to stick on their postcards before posting them in the post box. Engage with the children to find out if they are on holiday 'abroad' and how the cards might be transported 'home'.
* Suggest that children appoint 'postal workers' who collect cards from the boxes and select the mode of transport for delivering the cards. The 'postal workers' will then be responsible for looking after the post until it reaches its destination.
* Set up a central collection point so that, when the postcards have completed their journey, the 'postal workers' can deliver them to this area and children can collect them as they go home.
Possible learning outcomes
* Observes others.
* Engages in parallel/co-operative/ collaborative play.
* Builds with a wide range of objects.
* Engages in imaginative and role play.
* Uses talk to clarify ideas.
* Negotiates plans and roles.
* Writes to communicate meaning.
* Is beginning to understand aspects of the postal service.
* Can talk about the long journey of a letter.
3 The aliens have landed
CHILD-INITIATED
Plan an alien invasion and raise children's awareness of different ways of communicating!
Resources
Alien 'suits' (for example, use cardboard boxes decorated with 'switches', 'buttons' and symbols, or make fabric tabards), empty cardboard boxes, large sheets of paper, sticky labels, mark-making equipment.
Preparation Hide an alien suit somewhere in the setting and attach a message from outer space, saying, for example, 'My space ship has crashed and I have landed here in your nursery. Please help me! You can press my buttons to make me move and ask me questions to find out about me.'
Play suggestions
* As the children discover evidence of an alien, read the message with them.
* Encourage the children to wear the alien suits and assume the role of alien.
* Ask the 'aliens' questions and encourage other children to do the same, for example, 'What type of food do you like to eat? Can you talk to us? Which button do I press to make you move forwards/backwards? Where have you come from? Is it hot on your planet?
* Encourage the children to explore different ways of communicating, such as hand signals, children's drawings/written messages posted through a slot in the alien's suit. The 'aliens' could mime actions in response to questions.
* Use boxes and sheets of paper to make more alien suits. Encourage the children to decorate these themselves using collage materials from the workshop and stickers to make buttons and switches, for example, arrows to indicate direction or red/green spots to signify stop/go.
Possible learning outcomes
* Observes others.
* Works co-operatively with another child.
* Engages in role play.
* Uses imagination in play, develops imaginary characters.
* Asks questions to find out information.
* Gives and follows instructions.
* Explores ways of communicating.
* Devises and uses simple systems of communication.
* Develops skills of operating and controlling.
