Activities

Here are just a few of the exciting activities we offer at St. Mary's




Pre-reading and writing skills...are of vital importance to early education. We encourage sound and
letter formation, using actions to sound out letters. We use reference, and storybooks as well as audio
and videotapes to enhance the themes we cover. We have a wide range of activities to encourage
listening and concentration skills and to help children to clarify their thinking ideas. However we may
need to do an individual play plan that will ensure the best possible play is available for your child. We
also use a wide range of mediums to ensure that important marks are made on paper and by encouraging
them to hold a pencil correctly to form marks and recognisable letters.

Painting /printing /pre-writing skills... these encourage concentration, creativity, co-ordination,
imagination, brush and pencil control, colour and self-expression.





Collage/Junk... Learning to use scissors, hand eye co-ordination, manipulative skills, colours, shapes
and the use of a wide range of textures and materials open to the wide world of science. This also
promotes satisfaction, a sense of achievement, confidence, discovery, decision-making and organisational
skills. It encourages new language and stretches the imagination, socialisation with peer group and adults.
These activities are usually linked to the themes we cover

Home corner offers... imagination and role-play, extending language, being able to recreate roles,
interaction with peers and adults, introduces social skills manners, being able to take turns in conversation,
negotiating plans and activities, respecting others, toys and equipment. These are often linked to their
home life teaching life skills





We encourage... all the children to write their names, sound out words and letters, talk, listen and respond
appropriately, to express their ideas, to use simple maths to count reliably, simple adding and subtracting,
to recognise 2d and 3d shapes, to be able to solve practical problems and use simple mathematical words
and prepositions.

Jigsaws... Co-ordination, offers shapes colours, problem solving, counting pieces, pattern recognition
and sorting. It fosters social adjustment through levelling abilities, encourages turn taking, perseverance,
concentration and improves the memory

Singing, story-telling, music, dance... will encourage early maths and to be sociable, these will give
practise in voice control and encourage language and help children to recognise new words.







Water/Rice/Peat/Play dough offers different textures, creativity, basic maths, different concepts and
science skills, these can be therapeutic and an outlet for aggression.

Sequencing/Sorting... working towards maths and pre-reading skills. We use a wide variety of activities
that will help hand and eye co-ordination, encourage counting, and recognising colours.

Social skills & mixing with peers... are equally important and we have found that this aids the transition
from pre-school to primary school.

Construction... toys offer hand eye co-ordination, early maths, colours, shapes, sizes, problem solving,
and logical thinking.







All our activities are primarily for fun but they have been chosen and planned for, to aid in the development
of your child, they are also part of the preparation for key stage 1 of the National Curriculum in readiness for
your child’s admission to school, and through a variety of activities these skills will be encouraged to develop
during your child’s stay with us.

There is a range of physical play for co-ordination enabling children to judge speed and distance, balance
and confidence. These will strengthen muscles; stimulate appetite, digestion and circulation.

Each child is special and each child requires different and individual care. We are aware of children’s need
to play and learn through play and we as a pre-school wish to provide the play and experiences to expand
a child’s social, physical, emotional, language sensitivity and spiritual well-being.


Should you wish to enrol your child with us you will find a registration form and contract for you to sign and
complete by clicking here.

We sincerely hope your child enjoys your time with us.


Ros Johnson
Owner/Manager