Reaching for the Stars: Our First Week Back in Reception

Welcome back, Reception families and friends! 

It has been wonderful to see all the children back in school this week, smiling and full of energy after the Christmas holidays.

Space!

This half term, our learning will take us on a journey through space! This week, we began exploring our solar system by listening to the planets song, which helps the children remember the order of the planets. To make learning even more interactive, we did a planet ordering activity where some children became the planets themselves, walking around the ‘sun’ in the correct order. It was fantastic to see them moving, giggling, and learning at the same time!

Creative Explorations
Our artistic adventures this week have been truly out of this world! The children used chalk on black card to create their own space-inspired pictures. We had rockets zooming through the sky, swirling galaxies, and even imaginative alien landscapes. The children loved experimenting with colours and textures, and it was amazing to see their creativity shine.

Forest School Fun

Reception had a deliciously exciting session in Forest Schools this week! The children had a go at toasting marshmallows and making s’mores. It was not only a yummy treat but also a wonderful way to build teamwork, follow instructions safely, and enjoy the outdoors. 

Mathematics – Subitising to 6
In Maths, the children have been exploring subitising up to 6. They have been using dice, counters, number lines, and subitising dots to recognise quantities quickly and confidently without needing to count each one individually. We’ve also been practising matching quantities to numerals, and the children are already showing fantastic understanding and confidence in spotting patterns and numbers.

PE – Gymnastics

In PE this half term, we have started learning gymnastics. This week, we focused on basic movements and body awareness, practising rolls, stretches, and balancing activities. It has been exciting to see the children challenging themselves, developing their coordination, and having fun while moving their bodies in new ways.

Fine Motor Skills
To support our independence and fine motor skills, we also had a whole-class cutting lesson. The children practised using scissors carefully and confidently, which is an essential skill for writing and many other classroom activities. Everyone worked hard and showed excellent concentration and control.

It has been a fantastic first week back, full of learning, laughter, and exploration. The children have settled back into routines beautifully and are already showing curiosity and enthusiasm for our space-themed adventures ahead. We can’t wait to see what they discover next!

Looking forward, we are excited to let you know that on Thursday 22nd January, we will be celebrating our Reception ‘Space Day’! This special day will be the grand finale of our Space topic, filled with fun, creativity, and exploration.

As part of the day, each child will design, make, and decorate their very own cardboard box space helmet. To help make this possible, we would really appreciate any donations of cardboard boxes that will fit over a child’s head (yes, it did feel a bit odd typing that!). Your contributions will make our Space Day even more special and hands-on.

On the day, children will get to wear their finished helmets and we invite them to dress up for the occasion. This could be a full astronaut costume, or simply plain black or white clothing to give the impression of a space suit – after all, the helmets are the star of the show! Last year, many children also wore space-themed pyjamas, which looked fantastic and added to the fun atmosphere.

We are really looking forward to seeing the children’s creativity shine and celebrating the end of our Space topic in style.

Thank you again for your ongoing support,

Miss Godden and The Reception Team