This week we have been reading ‘Maya’s Walk’. The book is about a little girl who loves to walk. Within the story there are so many different types of walks to enjoy: walks where she and her parent listen to the sounds around them: birds singing, people talking, dogs barking. Then there are walks where Maya can smell the different smells: the earthy goodness of the soil, the perfume of flowers and a blade of grass rubbed in her hands. 

Maya's Walk

We have been using the book to develop the children’s vocabulary for the world around them: spotting colours and naming them, observing the wind blowing the leaves, touching and feeling different textures (rough ground, crunchy leaves, smooth slide, rough tree bark, wet grass). We have also smelt the herbs growing in the garden.  We have been developing our listening skills too.  The children had lots of opportunities to talk about the sounds that they could hear as we ventured on our walks around the field, woodland area, the nursery garden and the playground.  

The book talks about physical movement and exercise. We talked about the different ways we can move and what exercise we do at nursery. This included jumping and hopping like Maya, riding bikes, climbing and running. The children have thoroughly enjoyed being active learners!

On Friday the 'Lollipop lady' came to visit nursery to tell us how she helps to keep us safe when we cross the road.  The children noticed her bright-coloured uniform and the big stop sign that she held.  We went out into the nursery garden area and Sue (the lollipop lady) demonstrated how she stops the traffic to make it safe for us to cross the road. As part of their play, the children made their own 'STOP' signs and pretended they were doing Sue's job.