Programme of Work

The programme of work will include some or all of the following types of activity:

Exploration and Investigation

• Observation of objects, materials and living things with and without aids such as magnifying glasses, binoculars and microscopes.
• Pictures and collages of natural scenes including animals, plants and trees.
• Observation of animals and plants both inside and outside the nursery.
• Free play with objects and materials that have different purposes and work in different ways (torch, egg whisk, construction toys).
• Individual and group discussions about the weather and changing seasons.
• Keeping daily and weekly weather charts.
• Structured sand play giving the children opportunities to observe and predict outcomes.
• Structured water play giving the children opportunities to observe and predict outcomes.
• Visits to parks, farm parks, zoos and wildlife parks.
• Discussion of the children’s findings, allowing them to ask questions and speculate on reasons.

Designing and making skills

• Using a wide range of materials and tools to make objects relating to topics, experiences and visits.
• ‘Junk’ modelling.
• Collage.
• Simple measuring activities.
• The use of construction toys to make models and vehicles.

Information and Communication Technology

• Discussion about different technological items e.g. telephones, televisions.
• Role play using technological items e.g. a telephone discussion between a doctor and a patient.
• Use of remote control and programmable toys.
• Provide opportunities for children to investigate how things work by safely taking apart and reassembling technological items.
• Observation of and discussion about ICT in the environment (e.g. bar-code scanners in supermarkets, traffic lights, mobile phones, TV aerials and satellite TV dishes).
• Use of computer programs.

Sense of Time

• Oral history - discussions about the personal experiences of nursery staff, parents and grandparents when they were children.
• Story telling based on family history.
• Stories relating to events in the past.
• Discussion and role play about special events such as weddings, births and festivals.
• Discussions about daily routines.
• Observation of changes over time (e.g. the seasons)
• Investigation of items from the past and comparison with present day equivalents e.g. a modern washing machine and Victorian washing equipment.
• ‘Guess who is who’ game based on pictures of the children as young babies.
• Long term growing projects (e.g. sunflowers from seeds)

Sense of place

• Discussion about different types of homes.
• Visits to locations within the local environment - e.g. shops, places of worship, parks, places of work.
• Individual and group discussions following visits.
• Provision of play maps and models to enable children to create their own environment.
• Recording of visits through drawing, painting and modelling.
• Discussions and stories that involve journeys - home to nursery, home to grandparents home, home to a holiday destination.

Cultures and Beliefs

• Stories relating to life in other parts of the country and in other parts of the world.
• Discussion and role play about special events in children’s lives such as weddings, births and festivals.
• Making and eating food from different cultures.
• Listening to music from different cultures.
• Looking at books which show different dress, customs, language and beliefs.
• Visits to places of worship.
• Visits to cultural centres.