AnonyMouse_20645 Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Hello, i'm following a 2 year rolling plan because all of our classes are mixed year groups and the topic for the first term is Light and Dark. For some reason my mind does not want to help me! I've thought about night and day - differences, sorting typical objects, a pyjama day. I'm also going to do some work on space, aliens, rockets etc. I was thinking maybe some shadow activities and exploring torches and reflective materials but otherwise i'm a bit stuck! As it is the first term there will be an awful lot of Child Initiated activities as the children are settling in and familiarising themselves with school but would like to have some more ideas up my sleeve! Although, i'm sure the children will have plenty of their own ideas when i discuss it with them! Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 i heard of a nursery who did opposites and made a marble cake, that would perhaps work with the light and dark too? Not sure how practical it would be for you to make though Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_11485 Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 We set up a dark den - ours was a wooden climbing frame covered in blackout fabric, but we've also used tents etc. You can buy dark dens from TTS but there's been some discussion on here lately as to whether or not they are a good buy. Loads and loads of great books - Night Monkey, Day Monkey is good for talking about differences between night and day, Owl Babies, Peace at Last, Can't you Sleep Little Bear?, Oscar and the Moth is a good story for the science - particularly in a mixed age class. The Little Book of Light and Shadow has lots of ideas and there's a section in the Little Book of Investigations, too. We had the role play area set up as a bedroom at night time with lots of bedtime props and we talked lots about our night-time routines. Also about being scared of the dark, dreams and nightmares. We made up stories about a magic star falling in our gardens - what would it look like? What would it do? What would happen? etc and then made collage magic stars. This is a great topic and can go in loads of different directions - the Little Book of Light and Shadow is a really useful starting point. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_11485 Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 Oh, sorry, we also made stained glass windows - cover table in bin liners, cover bin liners with diluted pva, tear lots of tissue paper and stick it on flat with pieces overlapping - noholes, cover this with diluted pva, pull it away from the bin liner when it's dry - looks really good. We did a collaborative huge one but children could do them individually, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_1195 Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 If you go to the list on the left hand of this page and click on Resources and scroll down to Topic Support and click, you will eventually find some plans for Day and Night which I think you will find very helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_15046 Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 If you want a real wow activity order a couple of UV blacklights from a site like the ones below to fit some existing lamps. http://www.theglowcompany.co.uk/acatalog/U...LIGHT-BULB.html http://www.maplin.co.uk/Module.aspx?ModuleNo=33462 Then make a REALLY REALLY dark space like a tent with blankets on the top and take it inside with glow in the dark and flourescent toys. The children were transfixed when I did it. You could even buy glow in the dark bubbles and pens etc to use in there. The UV light makes them shine really brightly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_20645 Posted August 13, 2009 Author Share Posted August 13, 2009 Wow, so many good ideas in such a short space of time! Thanks everyone. It sounds like it's going to be a really fun topic which the children should love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 13, 2009 Share Posted August 13, 2009 I did the teddies bedtime routine (resource library) when we did this topic which mine loved and it went on for weeks - also combined well with sense of community and self identity as the children incorporated ideas of where their teddies would go when they woke up ie. to the child minders to "play" which was lovely. We also loved a collection of soft toy hedgehogs and variety of natural materials to make homes To make our 'light and dark' den I borrowed a sensory suitcase from a SEN resource library which contained lots of the reources AlisonP mentions and my children too were fascinated, we added lots of glow in the dark stars to the roof of the den and looked at stories - Laura's star, How to catch a star We extended Laura's star through role play using the doctors kit, bandages and sellotape to fix the broken stars - this was great for shape, space and measure and problem solving as well as role play Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 Help! I am being observed next week (reception class) with a focus on exploration and investigation. Ive got lots of enhancement ideas for free play, but am stuck for teacher led activity! Topic is Light and Dark (can't you sleep Little Bear). thought about doing it through CD but am stuck (mostly with nerves) thought maybe shiny/dull pictures or using an OHP and drawing around the shadows...but want to be clear about the exploration and investigation element as well as the Creative. help am thinking too hard about it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_1195 Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 Have you looked at the Day and Night ideas in the Topic Support section as I think that that would help you clarify what you are doing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 15, 2009 Share Posted November 15, 2009 Could you perhaps do something with shadow puppets. An outline of big bear and little bear and a spotlight. Let the children put the puppets in front of the light and make shadows on the wall. What happens if they go nearer the light/further away. They could also do shadow play with their hands - can they make a bird etc, or find other things around the classroom to make shadows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnonyMouse_11485 Posted November 16, 2009 Share Posted November 16, 2009 Could you get a collection of different kinds of candles - coloured, scented etc, explore them with different senses, light a candle and look carefully (but not closely!) as it burns? Talk about what happens, what colour is the flame - is it all the same colour? Or perhaps bulbs and circuits? Or explore shadows with an OHP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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