Our first enquiry this year is “How Do I Regulate Me?” This is an important focus as it helps prepare children for their journey through Reception and supports them in developing strategies to manage their emotions, overcome challenges, and be the best version of themselves. Through activities, discussions, and reflection, children will learn how to recognize their feelings, calm themselves when upset, and make positive choices. This enquiry encourages independence, resilience, and self-awareness, giving children the tools they need to feel confident and capable in all areas of their learning and play.
Week 1 – Settling In
We’re so proud of how well the children have settled into school during their first full week. They’ve come in each day with big smiles, showing great enthusiasm and curiosity. It’s been lovely to see them making new friends, getting used to routines, and joining in with all the different activities. The way they’ve listened, helped each other, and tried their best has really impressed us. It’s been a fantastic start, and we’re excited to see them continue to grow and enjoy their learning journey.
Here are some of the photographs of the things we have been doing – we hope you enjoy seeing just a little snapshot of their wonderful first week!
Week 2 – Owl Babies
We used the story Owl Babies to begin to explore our enquiry “How Do I Regulate Me?” The story helped the children understand feelings such as worry, fear, and missing someone, and gave us a way to talk about how the owl babies managed their emotions while waiting for their mum. We discussed strategies for calming down when we feel upset, such as taking deep breaths, talking about our feelings, or asking for help. The children enjoyed relating to the characters and shared their own experiences, which helped them begin to recognize their emotions and practice ways to regulate themselves in a supportive and safe environment. 🦉💛
We have acted out the story together, with lots of expression and imagination – it was wonderful to see the children getting so involved! They’ve also been busy with creative activities, including making their own owl decorations and creating owl-themed crafts. These activities have helped the children feel more confident in expressing themselves while also building their early language and storytelling skills.
Week 3 – Only One You
This week, Reception has been enjoying the beautiful book There Is Only One You by Linda Kranz. This heartwarming story celebrates what makes each person unique and special, and it gave us a perfect opportunity to talk about our feelings, how we express ourselves, and how we can manage our emotions in positive ways.
The children took part in a variety of fun and creative activities linked to the book. For example, we created our own colourful fish designs on stones, just like in the story, each one showing what makes us special. During circle time, we also shared things we love about ourselves and our friends, which helped the children think about their emotions, celebrate their strengths, and practice kindness and patience when listening to others.
We’ve really enjoyed exploring this story together and using it to help children understand themselves and their feelings, build confidence, and practise ways to stay calm and positive. Ask your child what they loved about their fish or what made them smile – they might have something thoughtful or funny to share!
During Forest School, Reception also explored There Is Only One You in a creative and hands-on way. Inspired by the message of the story, the children made their very own leaf people using natural materials they found outdoors. Each leaf person was different and unique – just like the children themselves! It was wonderful to see how much thought and care went into making them, and the results were absolutely amazing. You could really see their personalities shining through in each creation!
On Friday, we had a fantastic time celebrating European Week, with our focus country being Spain. The children looked amazing dressed in the colours of the Spanish flag – red and yellow everywhere! Throughout the day, we explored Spanish culture through simple phrases, greetings like hola and adiós, counting in Spanish, and tasting delicious tapas.
This celebration linked beautifully to our enquiry “How Do I Regulate Me?” as the children practiced managing their excitement, taking turns, and listening carefully during new activities. Learning about another country also helped them think about differences and similarities between people, celebrating what makes each of us unique, just like in There Is Only One You. They showed curiosity, patience, and respect while trying new foods, saying new words, and joining in cultural activities, developing self-awareness and confidence along the way.
week 4 – What Ever Next
This week, we celebrated Space Week UK, and the theme was “Living in Space.”
This half term, our enquiry question is “How Do I Regulate Me?” — helping children to explore their feelings, manage emotions, and develop strategies to stay calm, focused, and resilient. During Space Week, we used the exciting theme of space to help children think about how they might feel in new and unusual situations, such as what it might be like to live beyond Earth.
We asked questions like: “How would I feel if I went to space?”, “What would I do if something unexpected happened?”, and “How can I stay calm and solve problems if I’m somewhere new?” Through stories, role-play, art, and discussion, children practiced recognizing their emotions, thinking ahead, and managing challenges—just like astronauts who need to stay calm, focused, and adaptable in space.
The children had a fantastic time exploring these ideas. We read Whatever Next! and imagined what it would be like to live on the Moon. The story encouraged the children to think about problem-solving, planning, and managing challenges—just like Baby Bear when he goes to the moon! We talked about how he stayed calm, used his imagination, and worked through small challenges along the way. The children explored ways they can regulate themselves when trying something new, solving problems, or facing tricky situations, and enjoyed linking the story to their own experiences of thinking, planning, and keeping calm. 🚀✨thinking about the feelings Baby Bear might experience and how he regulated himself. Then, we designed our own space homes and talked about how we could stay calm, make plans, and solve problems in a completely new environment. This creative approach helped children link their understanding of emotions and self-regulation to exciting, imaginative scenarios.
The children joined astronaut training, escaped from aliens, and learned to freeze when an alien appeared! They also worked together to create a “killer” alien shot using great teamwork and imagination. In Forest School, we became rocket engineers. Using sticks, we built our own rockets and tested how far they could travel. Afterwards, we made changes to our designs to see if we could make them go even further.
In Maths, we explored astronaut helmets, comparing which were the biggest and smallest. We also investigated space rocks, discovering which were the heaviest and which were the lightest through hands-on exploration. It’s been an out-of-this-world week full of learning, imagination, and fun!
week 5 – Handas Surprise
Handa’s Surprise helped us explore our enquiry “How Do I Regulate Me?” by showing the children how to manage feelings like surprise, excitement, and frustration when things don’t go as planned. We discussed how Handa stayed calm and adapted to the unexpected, and the children shared their own strategies for staying patient, taking turns, and coping with surprises. The story helped them understand that it’s okay to have big feelings, and that there are positive ways to regulate themselves while exploring, learning, and playing. 🍍🍌🍊
We explored tropical fruits like mangoes, pineapples, and avocados, and talked about where they come from and how they grow. We used our senses to touch, smell, and taste them — encouraging curiosity and developing vocabulary. We also looked at maps and globes to see where Handa lives and compared it to where we live, supporting early geographical awareness.
This led beautifully into our learning about the Harvest Festival, where we focused on the food that grows in our world and the importance of sharing what we have. We talked about where food comes from — farms, fields, trees — and how different communities give thanks for the food they eat.
The children got hands-on with their learning. They made Harvest pizzas, explored how potatoes are harvested, and created their own Supertato characters! We also made bird feeders to help local wildlife.
To finish the week, we held our first ‘Show Your Parents’ event, where the children proudly shared their Harvest learning.
A big thank you to all the families who came to see us — it was a wonderful way to end our Harvest celebrations!
week 6 – Going on a leaf hunt
Going on a Leaf Hunt encouraged the children to notice and talk about their feelings while exploring and discovering new things. We discussed how the children in the story stayed calm, curious, and patient during their hunt, and the children practiced using the same strategies when exploring or facing small challenges. This story helped them regulate their emotions, stay focused, and enjoy learning at their own pace while connecting with the natural world. 🍁🌿🍂
The children loved the story and it sparked lots of curiosity as we looked at the beautiful colours, falling leaves, and changes in nature happening all around us. To build on this, we’ve had a busy and exciting week full of hands-on Autumn fun! We threaded real leaves to strengthen our fine motor skills, explored pumpkins, and used autumn colours to paint and draw beautiful artwork. We also looked at the world map to find out where Autumn happens and even set up our own Autumn Kitchen, which was a big hit! The children enjoyed lots of imaginative play while mixing, pouring, and pretending—great for their language and motor skills.
This week in Maths, the children have been discovering patterns in the colours and shapes of autumn. Using natural objects like leaves, acorns, and conkers, they have been creating repeating patterns, helping to develop early mathematical thinking. This hands-on, seasonal approach encourages observation, creativity, and problem-solving, while connecting learning to the beauty of the natural world.
We ended the week on a high with our very own “leaf hunt” in Thompson Park—just like in the story! The children were so excited to search for signs of Autumn. We spotted colourful leaves, bare trees, crunchy paths, and even some hidden nature treasures. The children used fantastic vocabulary to describe what they saw, and they worked brilliantly together as they explored.
Week 7- Diwali
This week, we celebrated Diwali, the festival of lights, as part of our enquiry “How Do I Regulate Me?” The celebrations gave children the opportunity to explore feelings such as excitement, curiosity, and joy, as well as how to manage their emotions in busy, stimulating situations. We talked about how the characters in Diwali stories show kindness, patience, and care for others, and linked this to ways we can stay calm, take turns, and work together during celebrations. The children enjoyed making decorations, sharing stories, and reflecting on how they can regulate their own emotions while joining in special events, helping them feel confident, calm, and ready to participate fully. 🪔✨
We created beautiful Rangoli patterns, using coloured rice, sand, and sequins to decorate our classroom floor.Everyone loved dressing up in brightly coloured clothes and the room was full of sparkle and smiles! We explored colour in different ways, mixing paints and using materials to make our artwork shine.
As part of our Diwali celebrations, we toasted marshmallows over a small fire. The children were very excited to watch the flames and see how the fire gave off light and warmth. We talked about how this light reminded us of Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, and how people celebrate by lighting lamps and candles. Toasting marshmallows was a fun and cosy way to enjoy the light from the fire while thinking about the meaning of Diwali. We celebrated goodness, warmth, and togetherness.
Over the past few weeks, the children have made fantastic progress in learning about self-regulation and understanding their emotions. They have had so many rich experiences—from trips out and forest school adventures, to trying new foods and exploring the fire pit—which have all given them opportunities to practise staying calm, taking turns, managing excitement, and showing patience. These experiences have helped the children feel more confident, independent, and resilient, giving them a strong foundation for their Reception journey. It has been such an exciting start to the year, and we are so proud of how they have embraced new challenges and supported one another along the way. 🌟
