This half term, we are exploring the enquiry question: “How do we show we care?”. Reception have been learning about how we can show kindness and care for others through acts of helping, sharing, teamwork, and by including everyone in what we do. As part of this learning, we have been reading Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson, which helped us think about friendship, sharing, and helping those in need. The children have really enjoyed the story and were inspired to talk about ways they can show care—just like the Witch and the animals in the story who worked together and looked out for one another.
Linking to our enquiry, we are asking questions such as: “How did the witch show she cared for the animals?”, “How did the animals help the witch?”, “What happened when they worked together?”, “How do we help and care for our friends at school?”, and “What might happen if we didn’t help each other?” Inspired by our class text Room on the Broom , we’ve been thinking about how helping, sharing, and working together can make a big difference, both in the story and in our community.
This week in our continuous provision, the children have been enjoying a range of enchanting and imaginative activities — including broomstick and wand fine motor threading, playdough potion making, writing spooky spells, and drawing magical creatures and wicked witches.
In Maths, we explored the concepts of one more and one less with numbers 1–3 by helping characters get on and off the Witch’s broomstick, building the Witch a new magic wand, and even flying backwards through the sky with her animal friends!
In English, the children used their phonics knowledge to describe the dragon from Room on the Broom using adjectives like red, big and mad. They also created their own magic potion ingredient lists, adding items such as a peg and a fan.
In Forest School, , the children enjoyed using autumnal materials such as colourful leaves, pinecones, twigs, and conkers to create potions for the Witch’s friends and forest animals. They used their imaginations to think about what magic their potions might do, such as helping animals find food and caring for the trees and plants around them. Through this activity, the children discovered how we can look after nature and show care for the environment, all while having fun with some seasonal magic!
In Topic, the children discussed why the witch in Room on the Broom was kind and why the animals helped her, then linked this to real world caring roles like doctors, vets, firefighters, parents, and friends. The children shared ideas about someone in their own life who has helped them or others they know, and discussed how these acts of kindness make a positive difference in their families, friendships, and communities.
