Hedon Nursery School

06/10/2026

Today, we explored making marks with water. The children used paintbrushes and water to create different lines, shapes and patterns on our large chalkboard. This provided a wonderful opportunity to develop their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and control, while encouraging them to experiment and express their creativity. The children particularly enjoyed watching their marks change and disappear as the water dried, making this a fun and engaging way to explore early mark-making.

06/10/2026

Can you help?

We are missing the blue octagon and the orange circle piece from our sensory library toys. Please can we ask all parents to have a look at home for these and return them if found!

Thank you very much ☺️

06/10/2026

What a fantastic week the Explorers had! We have been exploring our sense of belonging and looked carefully at ourselves. We used ,mirror play to explore our features and used this to draw self portraits which are being displayed in the classroom. After this we spotted similarities and differences through a game of dressing up. We finished the week with some sensory play baskets; we looked at a natural basket as well as a crinkly shredded paper tray. The children thoroughly enjoyed every activity and also dipped into the core text through blanks questioning session. This next week we will continue to explore the core text alongside our sense of belonging through family photos. We hope you had a wonderful weekend!

05/10/2026

We have noticed that some children are bringing whole grapes in their packed lunches. We would really appreciate it if grapes could be cut into quarters before being brought into nursery. Whole grapes can be a choking risk for young children, so cutting them in half makes them safer and easier for children to chew and manage. Please see our poster below for a helpful reminder. Thank you for helping us to keep all of our children safe at lunchtime.

05/10/2026

At Hedon Nursery, children are encouraged to retell familiar stories using the pictures in books as visual prompts. They can look carefully at the illustrations to remember the characters, talk about what is happening, and put the events in the correct order. Children may use their own words, actions and expressions to retell the story, even if they do not remember the exact words from the book. This supports their communication and language development, helps them build vocabulary and confidence, and develops their understanding of story structure and sequencing. Parents can support this at home by looking at books together and encouraging children to talk about the pictures and tell the story in their own way.

05/10/2026

01/10/2026

Hammering golf tees into a pumpkin is a fun, hands-on activity that helps children develop fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and concentration. Using a child-safe hammer encourages children to practise controlled movements, strength and precision while exploring cause and effect. It also promotes independence, confidence and problem-solving skills as children decide where to place the tees and enjoy experimenting with different ways to create their own designs.

01/10/2026

Gluing in our messy area gives children the opportunity to explore, create and experiment using a variety of materials. Children can practise using glue safely, develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, and make their own creative choices. This fun, hands-on activity encourages independence, concentration and imagination while allowing children to enjoy the process of creating something unique.

30/09/2026

Painting is a wonderful way for children to explore colour, creativity and self-expression. Through painting, children can experiment with different colours, textures and brush movements while developing their fine motor skills and confidence. Most importantly, it’s a fun opportunity for children to get creative, make choices and enjoy the process!

30/09/2026

Understanding the Montessori “Waiting Hand”
The “waiting hand” is a simple Montessori practice that helps children learn how to wait respectfully when they need an adult’s attention.
When an adult is busy talking to someone, helping another child, or completing a task, the child can gently place their hand on the adult’s shoulder or arm. This lets the adult know, “I need you,” without the child having to interrupt, call out, or pull on the adult.

The adult can then acknowledge the child by saying something such as, “I know you are waiting. I will come to you when I have finished.” The child knows they have been noticed and can wait nearby until the adult is ready.

The waiting hand is a small but meaningful way of helping children develop important social and emotional skills.

Learning to wait
Young children naturally want attention straight away, and learning to wait can take time. The waiting hand gives children a clear and practical way to practise patience.
Rather than simply being told, “Wait,” the child has something they can do. They can gently place their hand on the adult, receive acknowledgement, and understand that their turn will come.

This helps children gradually develop the ability to manage their feelings when they cannot have immediate attention.

Respecting others
The waiting hand also helps children understand that other people may be busy and deserve to finish what they are doing.
For example, if an adult is speaking with another child, the child can use their waiting hand rather than interrupting the conversation. They begin to understand that listening to others and allowing them to finish is an important part of respectful communication.

Over time, this can support children in becoming more aware of the needs and boundaries of the people around them.

Feeling heard and reassured
Waiting does not mean that a child is being ignored.
When an adult acknowledges the child’s waiting hand, the child receives the reassurance that their need has been noticed. Even if the adult cannot respond immediately, the child knows that the adult is aware of them.

Simple words such as, “I see you are waiting,” or “I know you need my help; I’ll be with you shortly,” can make a big difference.

This helps children build trust and understand that they do not need to keep calling or interrupting to make themselves heard.

Developing independence
The waiting hand also gives children a simple strategy that they can use independently.
Instead of relying on an adult to manage every situation, the child learns what they can do when they need attention. They learn to communicate their need in a calm and respectful way and then wait for the appropriate moment.

This supports the development of independence, confidence and self-regulation.

It is so lovely to see the children already using this technique at Hedon Nursery School.