Our Week at Preschool – Christmas 🎄
Hello everyone,
We hope you all had a lovely weekend with family and friends. It was so lovely to see so many of you at the Christmas Fair.
This week has been full of excitement, curiosity and hands-on learning. Our theme took us on a wonderful journey into Christmas, and the children have been incredible explorers, creators and thinkers throughout.
Group Time
This week we shared Dear Santa by Rod Campbell. The children were amazing at signing the different presents.
We also enjoyed some rhyming stories. The children are beginning to understand the concept of rhyme and are noticing words that sound the same. It has been lovely hearing them offer their own ideas for rhyming words. Have a go at spotting rhymes at home!
We also spent time with Reggie the Resilient Tortoise, talking about what it means to keep trying. The children shared things they can’t do yet and came up with lots of brilliant ideas about how they can keep practising.
Monday
In the morning, we decorated our Christmas cooking surprise. We used rolling skills and practised our pincer grips to sprinkle the decorations. We also did some Christmas printing on brown bags and learnt the names of different Christmas objects such as crackers and holly.
In the afternoon, we began making our Christmas decorations for the St George's Church Christmas Tree Festival using watercolours to paint presents.
Tuesday
We had our Kickboxing session on Tuesday morning. We went on an adventure and continued practising our guard and stance. We learnt how to kick the pad and had great fun!
We continued decorating our Christmas cooking surprises before heading to school in the afternoon to look at the Christmas displays and the Art Exhibition. We also visited the Reception classroom and had a wonderful time exploring the role-play area, puppet show and dolls' house. Afterwards, we played games in the hall such as The Floor is Lava and Musical Statues.
Wednesday
In the morning, we visited the Care Home for a Christmas carol sing-along with the Weymouth Concert Brass Band. We enjoyed mince pies and finished the visit with a story: Stick Man.
In the afternoon, some children took part in Relax Kids with Sian, while the other group visited Poundbury Garden Centre to look at the Christmas decorations. The children learnt about the Nativity Story and explored lots of Christmas objects such as baubles, wreaths, crackers, stars and angels. The singing penguins were a big hit! We ended our adventure with drinks and biscuits in the café.
Thursday
Another group of children visited Poundbury Garden Centre in both the morning and afternoon. The children again enjoyed exploring the decorations and talking about the Nativity Story. We especially loved the singing penguins and our treat in the café!
In the afternoon, we also received a note from the elves asking us to find all the Christmas decorations in the cupboard — a very exciting challenge!
Friday
On Friday, the final group visited Poundbury Garden Centre. We explored the Christmas displays, talked about the Nativity Story, and spotted familiar festive objects. And of course — more singing penguins and more biscuits!
In the afternoon, we walked to St George’s Church to decorate the Christmas Tree with our handmade decorations. The children explored the church and all the beautifully decorated trees. On the way back, we went for a little drive through Dorchester to look at the Christmas lights.
Play & Learning Throughout the Week
Sequin Boards
We explored the colour-changing sequin boards and learnt the colours gold and silver. The children loved making patterns and changing the colours with their fingers.
Imaginative Play
The forest friends small world has been very popular — a woodland Lego scene filled with spiders, bees, ladybirds, mushroom people and flowers.
Our home corner and bonfire night role-play areas were also a big hit. The children roasted pretend marshmallows, wrapped themselves up in cosy scarves and created their own bonfire stories.
Fine Motor Fun
At the Finger Frenzy table, the children used pipettes to transfer water between containers, practising their pincer grip and building hand strength. They showed brilliant resilience and kept trying.
Construction Area
Our builders have been busy all week. Using blocks, Luna Park, foam bricks and animal Duplo, the children created all sorts of imaginative structures.
Number Play
We explored numerals 1–5 and practised putting the correct number of links onto the elephant.
Lentils, Beans & Pasta
We used spoons and small pots to explore lentils, beans and pasta — great for hand-eye coordination, scooping, pouring and sorting.
📸 Some photos from the week…
Next Week at Preschool 🎆
Next week, we will be sharing lots of Christmas stories and songs. The children will also be making some special Christmas crafts to bring home at the end of term.
We are swimming this week, so please remember to bring your child’s swimming kit.
Home Learning 🏡
Here are some simple, fun activities you can try at home this week:
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🔍 Can you go on a number hunt?Look for numbers around your home or outdoors. Can you recognise any?
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📚 Can you play a rhyming game?Take turns saying words and see if you can find ones that rhyme.
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🏃 Can you skip?Have a go at skipping around the house or garden!
You can apply for a reception place from 1 September 2025.
The closing date for applications is 15 January 2026.
https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/w/starting-school-for-the-first-time
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