Weekly planning
Wild Animals Around the World: A Week of Adventure and Discovery!
Welcome back from half term! This week, we’re embarking on a “Wild Adventure of Animals!” Our theme is “Wild Animals Around the World,” and children will dive into the fascinating world of animals, exploring creatures from different continents and ecosystems. From the majestic elephants of Africa to the speedy cheetahs of the savanna, we’ll learn about wild animals that live in various habitats.
Through storytelling, songs, and a range of creative activities, children will explore the wonders of the animal kingdom. They’ll identify mammals and egg-laying animals through fun games like Mammals vs Laying Eggs, where they’ll match animals with their unique traits. There will also be a focus on the letter “E,” as children practice their phonics skills by singing the E song and tracing the letter while imagining the suction cups of an octopus.
Creative activities include a vibrant watercolor craft session where children will paint their wild animal scenes, followed by the addition of cut-out wild animal figures, helping develop their fine motor skills.
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Our goal is to inspire curiosity and appreciation for the diversity of animals, encourage teamwork and creativity, and foster early literacy and math skills through engaging, hands-on learning experiences. It’s set to be an exciting and educational week, full of adventure, discovery, and creativity!
Week: 24- 28 February 2025
Space group morning
Personal, Social, and Emotional Development (PSED)
Monday: Introduce the topic of wild animals, encouraging children to share their thoughts and experiences, promoting group interactions and self-expression.
Tuesday: Engage in the Mammals vs Laying Eggs game, fostering peer interactions and teamwork as children match animals with their correct groups.
Wednesday: Children will practice writing letter “E” as suction cups on octopus tentacles, promoting perseverance and self-esteem.
Thursday: Play the “How many animals can you guess?” game to enhance group participation, encouraging listening skills and cooperation.
Friday: During the Eggsperiment, children will work together to explore eggs and create snack boats, strengthening problem-solving and collaborative skills.
Communication and Language (CL)
Monday: Read the animal book, encouraging discussion about wild animals, promoting listening and comprehension.
Tuesday: The Mammals vs Laying Eggs game will encourage children to articulate their choices, practicing vocabulary related to animals.
Wednesday: Practice the letter “E” through phonics songs and introduce the “Ernest the baby octopus” activity, enhancing verbal communication and phonemic awareness.
Thursday: The sound guessing game will challenge children to identify animal sounds, enhancing listening and expressive language skills.
Friday: The Eggsperiment will prompt children to discuss their findings and experiences, enhancing vocabulary and storytelling skills.
Physical Development (PD)
Monday: Practice the phonics song, encouraging physical engagement through actions, developing gross motor coordination.
Tuesday: During the Mammals vs Laying Eggs game, children will move around to select their animal and baby or egg, enhancing their coordination.
Wednesday: Writing letter “E” as tentacles will develop fine motor control and hand-eye coordination.
Thursday: In the sound guessing game, children will move their bodies to mimic animal movements, developing coordination and listening skills.
Friday: The Eggsperiment involves handling eggs and constructing snack boats, promoting fine motor skills and dexterity.
Literacy (LIT)
Monday: Read the animal book, enhancing literacy skills through active engagement with the text.
Tuesday: Children will practice phonics with the letter “E,” learning to recognize and form words related to wild animals.
Wednesday: Writing the letter “E” and exploring phonics through the “Ernest the baby octopus” activity, reinforcing letter recognition and formation.
Thursday: The sound identification and tracing activity will help reinforce letter sounds, promoting early literacy skills.
Friday: Children will talk about their Eggperiment findings, practicing descriptive language and reinforcing literacy through storytelling.
Daily: Phonics songs for Jolly Phonics A, S, T, P, I, N, C, K and E will focus on sound recognition. Literacy is further supported through role-play activities such as the Train-Rocket.
Mathematics (MT)
Monday: Discuss the different wild animals in the book, encouraging children to count and categorize animals.
Tuesday: During the Mammals vs Laying Eggs game, children will practice counting and matching animals to quantities.
Wednesday: Practice number recognition as children match numbers to their written letter “E” and animal illustrations.
Thursday: The sound guessing game will involve counting animals and matching sounds, enhancing number sense and sequencing.
Friday: The Eggsperiment will involve comparing sizes and quantities of eggs, introducing early mathematical concepts.
Daily: Snack Shop activities will provide opportunities for number recognition and simple addition.
Understanding the World (UW)
Monday: Discuss the diversity of wild animals and their habitats, promoting an understanding of the natural world.
Tuesday: Explore the difference between mammals and laying egg animals, fostering a deeper understanding of animal classifications.
Wednesday: Learn about the octopus and its unique features, expanding knowledge of marine life and animal adaptations.
Thursday: The sound guessing game will introduce animals from different habitats, promoting awareness of global biodiversity.
Friday: Explore eggs and their properties through the Eggsperiment, deepening understanding of science and animal reproduction.
Expressive Arts and Design (EAD)
Monday: Children will express creativity by discussing and mimicking wild animals, using imaginative language and movement.
Tuesday: The Mammals vs Laying Eggs game will encourage children to create and act out animal behaviors, fostering imagination.
Wednesday: Writing the letter “E” as octopus tentacles will provide an opportunity for creative expression in a sensory context.
Thursday: Children will mimic animal sounds and movements, encouraging imaginative play and artistic expression.
Friday: The Eggsperiment will involve creative construction as children build their snack boats, linking art with hands-on experimentation.
Space group afternoon
Personal, Social, and Emotional Development (PSED)
Monday: Introduce wild animals and discuss endangered species, encouraging children to share their thoughts and raise awareness.
Tuesday: Discuss endangered animals seen yesterday, fostering empathy and understanding of conservation.
Wednesday: The number ordering activity will promote patience and perseverance as children work through the steps to order numbers.
Thursday: During the sound identification activity, children will engage with peers, sharing their observations and building confidence.
Friday: The animal songs and wild animal sound guessing game will encourage social interaction and build a sense of community.
Communication and Language (CL)
Monday: Revisit continents and animals through the Wild Animal Atlas, encouraging children to engage in discussions and share knowledge.
Tuesday: Practice phonics and discuss endangered animals, enhancing listening and speaking skills.
Wednesday: The number ordering activity will encourage children to discuss their reasoning and share insights, promoting language development.
Thursday: Engage in sound identification and animal tracing, encouraging verbal explanations and comprehension.
Friday: During animal songs and the wild animal guessing game, children will improve their ability to express themselves and follow instructions.
Physical Development (PD)
Monday: Explore animal movements through discussions and actions, developing gross motor skills.
Tuesday: Practice fine motor skills by completing the elephant worksheet and tracing letter “E.”
Wednesday: Cutting and arranging the number order activity will enhance fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Thursday: Trace animal letters and engage in physical play while identifying animal sounds, encouraging both fine and gross motor skills.
Friday: Animal song movements and the wild animal guessing game will promote coordination and physical expression.
Literacy (LIT)
Monday: Discuss the letter “E” and its relation to wild animals, fostering phonemic awareness and letter recognition.
Tuesday: Practice phonics and complete the elephant worksheet, reinforcing letter “E” through writing and phonics activities.
Wednesday: The number ordering activity will help children recognize numerical order and understand sequencing.
Thursday: Trace and identify animal letters, enhancing literacy skills by connecting letters to animals and sounds.
Friday: Practice rhythm and phonics songs, reinforcing literacy through music and movement.
Mathematics (M)
Monday: Explore the concept of continents and wild animals, introducing early geography and categorization skills.
Tuesday: The elephant worksheet will include counting and number recognition, reinforcing early math concepts.
Wednesday: The number ordering activity will improve number recognition, sequencing, and counting skills.
Thursday: Animal sound identification and letter tracing will integrate number concepts by connecting sounds and symbols.
Friday: The wild animal guessing game will involve counting animals and matching them to their sounds, reinforcing number recognition.
Understanding the World (UW)
Monday: Discuss wild animals from different continents, introducing children to the concept of global diversity.
Tuesday: Reflect on endangered species, expanding children’s understanding of animal conservation and biodiversity.
Wednesday: The number ordering activity will introduce new concepts related to animal habitats and classification.
Thursday: Animal sound identification and tracing will promote awareness of various wild animals and their environments.
Friday: Explore animal songs and sounds, helping children develop a deeper connection to the natural world.
Expressive Arts and Design (EAD)
Monday: Revisit wild animals and create drawings or sounds based on animals, fostering creativity.
Tuesday: The elephant worksheet will provide a creative outlet through color and design.
Wednesday: The number ordering activity will involve colouring and artistic expression, linking math and creativity.
Thursday: Trace animal shapes and sounds, encouraging artistic expression through drawing and mimicking sounds.
Friday: Animal songs and the guessing game will inspire imaginative play and creative movement.
Transport group morning
Planning Morning Transport Group
Personal, Social, and Emotional Development (PSED)
Monday: Through circle time and songs, children will express their emotions and share thoughts on wild animals, building confidence.
Tuesday: During the watercolor and wild animal activity, children will collaborate and support each other’s creative efforts.
Wednesday: Playing with the wild animal dice will promote teamwork and the development of social skills as children play and share.
Thursday: The wild messy tray will encourage children to interact with peers while exploring textures and materials.
Friday: Music Day will foster a sense of community as children share their favorite songs and participate in rhythmic activities.
Communication and Language (CL)
Monday: Circle time and the “Dear Zoo” book will promote listening and comprehension, with opportunities for children to express their ideas.
Tuesday: Discuss the animals created in the watercolor activity, encouraging children to use descriptive language and improve their vocabulary.
Wednesday: The wild animal dice will enhance verbal communication as children act out animal movements and sounds.
Thursday: In the wild messy tray activity, children will describe the textures they explore and the animals they encounter.
Friday: During Music Day, children will express their thoughts on songs and music through verbal communication and group participation.
Physical Development (PD)
Monday: Circle time and songs will encourage children to use body movements and gestures, developing gross motor skills.
Tuesday: Painting and gluing animals will enhance fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Wednesday: The wild animal dice activity will improve gross motor skills through movement-based actions.
Thursday: The wild messy tray will promote fine motor skills as children manipulate sensory materials with their hands.
Friday: Music Day will involve body movement, rhythm, and coordination, helping develop physical control.
Literacy (LIT)
Monday: “Dear Zoo” will enhance literacy by encouraging listening, comprehension, and story recall.
Tuesday: The watercolor and wild animal craft will support literacy by encouraging children to name animals and link them to written words.
Wednesday: The wild animal dice activity will encourage children to recognize animal names and associate them with written language.
Thursday: The wild messy tray will provide opportunities for letter recognition and creativity through writing and drawing.
Friday: Music Day will encourage children to practice language skills through singing and rhythm.
Mathematics (M)
Monday: Through circle time and the book, children will discuss numbers and animals, introducing early math concepts.
Tuesday: The watercolor activity will include counting animals and matching them to their artwork, reinforcing basic numeracy skills.
Wednesday: The wild animal dice activity will include counting actions and animals, improving number recognition.
Thursday: The wild messy tray will encourage children to categorize animals by size or type, reinforcing sorting and counting skills.
Friday: Music Day will incorporate counting rhythm patterns and understanding beats.
Understanding the World (UW)
Monday: Explore the wild animals from the “Dear Zoo” book, broadening children’s knowledge of animals and their environments.
Tuesday: The watercolor and wild animal craft will link art with knowledge about animals from different habitats.
Wednesday: The wild animal dice will introduce children to animal movements and sounds, deepening their understanding of wildlife.
Thursday: The wild messy tray will encourage exploration of textures and materials, fostering curiosity about the natural world.
Friday: Music Day will deepen understanding of animal sounds, broadening awareness of the animal kingdom.
Expressive Arts and Design (EAD)
Monday: Through circle time and song, children will creatively express their thoughts and feelings about wild animals.
Tuesday: Watercolor painting will provide an opportunity for creative expression, allowing children to bring animals to life through art.
Wednesday: The wild animal dice will inspire imaginative play and artistic movement, linking creativity with physical expression.
Thursday: The messy tray will encourage creative exploration with materials and sensory play.
Friday: Music Day will allow children to creatively express themselves through song and rhythmic movement.
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