We are very excited to begin our new enquiry, “How Do We Show We Care?” This half term, the children will be learning about the many different ways people show care and kindness to one another, as well as how we know when we are being cared for. Through stories, discussions, and meaningful activities, we will explore friendship, empathy, helping others, and showing love in everyday ways. It promises to be a lovely, warm topic as we lead up to Christmas, encouraging thoughtfulness, compassion, and a strong sense of belonging. 💖
Week 1 – Room on a broom
We used Room on the Broom to begin our enquiry “How Do We Show We Care?” because it clearly shows characters helping, including, and looking after one another. The story gave the children lots of opportunities to talk about kindness, friendship, and teamwork, as well as how it feels to be included or left out. It helped the children understand that showing care can mean sharing, helping someone who needs support, using kind words, and making sure everyone feels safe and valued.
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!
Week 2 – Bertie’s Poppies
Next, we used Bertie’s Poppies to continue our enquiry, focusing on Remembrance Day and how we show we care for those who were lost but not forgotten. The story helped the children begin to understand why we remember and how wearing a poppy is a way of showing respect, care, and gratitude. Through gentle discussions, the children learned that remembering is an important way of showing kindness and appreciation for others, even long after they are gone.
Throughout the week, the children have reflected on ways to show care and thoughtfulness in their everyday lives. They have learned to honour those who are no longer with us through moments of silence, reflection, and considerate actions. Class discussions and activities have encouraged them to understand that small gestures, such as helping others, listening, and showing respect, can have a meaningful impact.
As part of our ongoing enquiry “How do we show we care?”, the children explored the significance of the Remembrance poppy and discussed how wearing one shows respect for those who fought in the war. They shared their own experiences of seeing poppies in the wider community, on clothes, or in memorials, and reflected on what they represent. To pay tribute to those who gave their lives to protect others, the children created their own poppies using a range of materials.
This week in RE, we looked at the story of the Good Samaritan and discussed what makes people special and how we can show kindness, just like the characters in the story. The children reflected on who is special to them, what qualities make these people special, and how this makes them feel. The children created a drawing of someone important in their lives, such as a family member, friend, or teacher, showing appreciation for the people who make a positive difference in their lives.
During our PSHE learning, we explored our enquiry through the lens of Anti-Bullying Week, discussing the significance of wearing odd socks and celebrating what makes each person unique. The children considered ways to show kindness and respect in their daily actions, recognising how these choices can positively affect others. To bring their ideas to life, they collaboratively created Anti-Bullying Class Charters, demonstrating the power of kindness and how we can care for and support one another. Here are our class charters below:
Week 3 – Smartest Giant in town
This week, we moved on to The Smartest Giant in Town, linking our learning with Children in Need. The children explored how the giant shows care by sharing what he has and helping others who are in need. This supported our discussions about how sharing and donating are meaningful ways we can show we care for others. The children enjoyed learning that even small, kind actions can make a big difference and help make others feel supported and valued.
We have talked about how George the Giant shows kindness and care for other characters by giving away his own clothes. Throughout the week, the children have used our continuous provision areas to dress up and transform themselves into George the Giant, create gifts to make someone smile, build a structure that could help someone in need and much more!
As part of our Understanding the World learning, we explored the idea of ‘Past and Present’ using old-fashioned and modern clothing to dress George the Giant. This activity encouraged the children to recognise the similarities and differences between the historical past and their own experiences in the present day. The children also looked at old and modern jobs, and talked about them in relation to the lives of those around them.
To finish the week, the children participated in a range of Children in Need challenges that encouraged kindness, teamwork and cooperation. The children also visited a variety of fundraising stalls where they bought biscuits and cakes, decorated their own treats, and enjoyed some arts and crafts. Back in the classroom, they continued the fun with more creative activities and hands-on tasks that kept the excitement going throughout the day.
Week 4 – Stickman
As part of our ongoing enquiry, this week Reception have been learning about how we can care for each other by helping, sharing, and being kind. We have been reading ‘Stick Man’ by Julia Donaldson and exploring how Stick Man shows care and love for his family. This beloved story has helped the children show love and care towards others, showing kindness to everyone around them, and help those who are in need – just like Santa helped Stick Man return to his family.
This week’s continuous provision areas have been inspired by ‘Stick Man’, encouraging creativity, storytelling, and kindness. In the writing area, children have written letters to and from Stick Man, sharing messages about helping others, friendship, and his exciting adventures. In the reading corner, the children have used character soft toys from our Stick Man story bag to recreate their favourite parts of the story. Children have also got creative in the painting area and fine motor area to create their very own Stick Man scenes!
This week in Forest School, the children delighted in bringing our class story to life. Using natural, outdoor materials, they crafted characters such as Stick Man, Stick Lady Love, and Stick Baby. The activity sparked creativity, imagination, and plenty of fun as the children explored how nature can be transformed into storytelling props.
Linking to our Understanding the World topic, the children explored how maps work and worked collaboratively to create their own map to show Stick Man’s journey, showing his adventures through places such as the park, river, beach and his treehouse. This activity not only deepened their understanding of maps but also encouraged storytelling, active learning and critical thinking.
Week 5 – One Snowy night
Our enquiry “How Do We Show We Care?” links beautifully with the story The Snowy Night, which helps the children explore kindness, thoughtfulness, and caring for others. Through the story, we will talk about how characters show care by helping, sharing, and thinking about how others might feel. The children will reflect on how they show care at home and in school, such as looking after friends, offering help, using kind words, and noticing when someone might need support. The snowy setting also allows us to think about caring for ourselves and others in cold weather, making this a meaningful and gentle topic as we move through the winter season. ❄️💙
Our continuous provision areas have been filled with festive, wintry experiences to spark imagination and creativity. In the role-play area, children have been busy making pretend hot chocolates and dressing up in cosy, festive outfits. Our small-world area has been transformed into enchanting woodland winter scenes, inviting children to create their own seasonal stories. In the creative area, glitter, snow-like cotton balls, and winter-themed materials have inspired a range of sparkling crafts. Over in the playdough area, Percy’s Bakery has been open for business, with children baking cupcakes, biscuits, and other delightful treats, developing both fine-motor skills and imaginative play. As part of our Understanding the World learning, the children looked at different features of the winter season and discussed why people and animals need certain clothing in the cold weather. To demonstrate their understanding, the children used a range of materials to design a jumper for Percy the Park Keeper to keep him warm, and we even made bird feeders to look after the birds.
Near the end of the week, the children and their grown-ups had lots of fun at the ‘One Snowy Night’ workshop, where they had the opportunity to create winter themed crafts and participate in many magical activities!
Throughout this enquiry, we have learned that there are so many ways to show care and to know when we are cared for. From helping and sharing to kind words and thoughtful actions, the children have explored how love and kindness can be shown in many different ways. They have experienced feeling valued, supported, and loved, which has helped them feel confident and unafraid to show their love and care for others. It has been a truly heartwarming topic that has strengthened friendships and encouraged compassion throughout our setting. ❤️
