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Reception Celebrations
New Beginnings

This is a Block for involving adults known to the school – who could be invited in to share their expertise? Are there parents or governors who could explain how to put on a turban, wear a sari, baptise a baby or tell the faith story? We think about and explore symbols of new life such as chicks, rabbits and lambs. We learn about festivals that celebrate new life and Spring.

block outcomes

Session 1 Celebrating babies!

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Objectives

Early learning goals

  • Talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members.
  • Know that other children do not always do the same things, and are sensitive to this.
  • Know about similarities and differences between others, and among families, communities and traditions.
  • Represent ideas, thoughts and feelings through art and role play.

Lesson Planning

Puddles the cat teaches children about the Christian sacrament ‘Christening’ - to name and welcome new babies into Christian community.

Children will:

  • Learn about the Christian sacrament ‘Christening (Infant baptism); recall at least 5 facts.
  • Consolidate their learning with role-play.
  • Compose a promise for a god-parent to make to their god-child.

Provided Resources

This session does not need any provided resources.

You Will Need

  • Selection of Christian artefacts in large treasure box and ‘surprise’ baby bottle, bib or soother
  • Puddles the cat toy
  • Puddles and the Christening Splash! by Gill Vaisey
  • Area for role play church
  • Paint, tape and paper for ‘name art’
  • Playdough and photos of fonts
  • Paper and card for Godparent promises

Session 2 Celebrate Spring!

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Objectives

Early learning goals

  • Know about similarities and differences between others, and among families, communities and traditions.
  • Sing songs and dance and experiment with ways of changing them.
  • Use what has been learnt about media and materials in original ways, thinking about uses and purposes.
  • Represent ideas, thoughts and feelings through design and technology, art, music, dance, role-play and stories.

Lesson Planning

Reflect on the new beginnings, life and activity Spring brings using dance and Art.

Children will:

  • Dance, experimenting with movement and action to symbolise the new life and changes Spring brings.
  • Create paintings to express changes and new beginnings in Spring.

Provided Resources

This session does not need any provided resources.

You Will Need

  • Guess how much I love you in the Spring by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram
  • Seasons come, seasons go Tree by Britta Teckentrup
  • Paper, paint, paint brushes
  • Resources for wool wrap sheep
  • Toy farm and animals
  • Playdough
  • Information books and jig saw puzzles

Session 3 Celebrate Holi!

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Objectives

Early learning goals

  • Talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members.
  • Know that other children do not always do the same things, and are sensitive to this.
  • Know about similarities and differences between others, among families, communities and traditions.
  • Sing songs and dance.
  • Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.
  • Represent ideas, thoughts and feelings through art, dance, role play.

Lesson Planning

This festival inspires colourful and lively celebration as Hindu people remember the games played by Lord Krishna when he was young; children experiment with splatter painting!

Children will:

  • Learn about the Hindu festival ‘Holi’; recall at least 5 facts.
  • Consolidate their learning with role-play.
  • Try new technique of splatter painting, experiment with colour to create art work for a display.

Provided Resources

This session does not need any provided resources.

You Will Need

  • Selection of Hindu artefacts concealed in treasure chest
  • Dance scarves, wands and/or wrist ribbons
  • Cut-out shapes of people or flowers, paint, paper, old toothbrushes or thick paint brushes for splatter painting
  • Glitter and shakers
  • Ingredients for Besan Ladoo sweets
  • Items for colour matching
  • Elmer the elephant toy or Big Book

Session 4 Celebrate Rosh Hashanah!

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Objectives

Early learning goals

  • Talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members.
  • Know that other children do not always do the same things, and are sensitive to this.
  • Know about similarities and differences between others, and among families, communities and traditions.
  • Sing songs and dance.
  • Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.
  • Represent ideas, thoughts and feelings through art, dance, role play.

Lesson Planning

Enjoy apples and honey with Sammy Spider for a sweet New Year to celebrate this Jewish festival.

Children will:

  • Learn about the Jewish festival ‘Rosh Hashanah’; recall at least 5 facts.
  • Consolidate their learning with role-play.
  • Use safely a variety of materials, tools and techniques to create Rosh Hashanah themed crafts.

Provided Resources

This session does not need any provided resources.

You Will Need

  • Selection of Jewish artefacts concealed in a treasure chest
  • Sammy Spider's First Rosh Hashanah Book by Sylvia Rouss
  • Toy/puppet spider
  • Apples and Honey by Jonny Zucker
  • Prepared apple shapes and strips to weave

Session 5 Celebrate Baisakhi!

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Objectives

Early learning goals

  • Talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members.
  • Know that other children do not always do the same things, and are sensitive to this.
  • Know about similarities and differences between others, and among families, communities and traditions.
  • Sing songs and dance.
  • Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.
  • Represent ideas, thoughts and feelings through art, dance, role play.

Lesson Planning

What are the 5 Ks? Make masks and crowns to celebrate this Sikh festival.

Children will:

  • Learn about the Sikh New Year festival Vaisakhi; recall at least 5 facts.
  • Consolidate their learning with role-play.
  • Safely use a variety of materials, tools and techniques to create Vaisakhi themed crafts.

Provided Resources

This session does not need any provided resources.

You Will Need

  • A selection of Sikh artefacts concealed in treasure chest, with khanda flag
  • Resources for lion masks and princess crowns, khanda flags, tissue paper flowers, and kanga
  • Role play resources for Gurdwara and restaurant
  • Garlic naan bread

Session 6 Celebrate Easter!

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Objectives

Early learning goals

  • Talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members.
  • Know that other children do not always do the same things, and are sensitive to this.
  • Know about similarities and differences between others, and among families, communities and traditions.
  • Sing songs and dance.
  • Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.
  • Represent ideas, thoughts and feelings through art, dance, role play.

Lesson Planning

Puddles the cat tells the story of Easter, the most important Christian Festival of the year. Children design, make and decorate a special hat for the Easter Parade.

Children will:

  • Learn about the Christian festival Easter; recall at least 5 facts.
  • Consolidate their learning with role-play.
  • Safely use a variety of materials, tools and techniques to create Easter themed crafts.

Provided Resources

This session does not need any provided resources.

You Will Need

  • Selection of Christian artefacts concealed in treasure chest and ‘Puddles the cat’ toy/puppet
  • Puddles and the Happy Easter Day by Gill Vaisey
  • Deedee’s Easter Surprise by Kay Kinnear
  • Resources for Easter Art activity, Easter nest cakes
  • Church role play
  • Play dough
  • Farm small world
  • Hot cross buns

Session 7 Celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr!

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Objectives

Early learning goals

  • Talk about past and present events in their own lives and in the lives of family members.
  • Know that other children do not always do the same things, and are sensitive to this.
  • Know about similarities and differences between others, and among families, communities and traditions.
  • Sing songs and dance.
  • Safely use and explore a variety of materials, tools and techniques, experimenting with colour, design, texture, form and function.
  • Represent ideas, thoughts and feelings through art, dance, role play.

Lesson Planning

Celebrate the end of Ramadan with the Muslim festival ‘Eid-ul-Fitr’ Recall at least 5 facts about this important event in the Muslim calendar.

Children will:

  • Learn about the Muslim festival ‘Eid-ul-Fitr’; recall at least 5 facts.
  • Consolidate their learning with role-play.

Provided Resources

This session does not need any provided resources.

You Will Need

  • Selection of Muslim artefacts concealed in treasure chest and glittery tinsel, balloons
  • Paint, paper cut into large regular shapes, square, circle, rectangle, equilateral triangle
  • Dried pulses such as orange and green lentils, dried beans
  • Glue, glue spreaders, stiff paper
  • Dates and almonds for eating

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