This week the children have enjoyed learning about Chinese and Lunar New Year, We found out why each year is named after a different animal and learnt that this year is the year of the Rabbit. The children did some fantastic drawings and writing about the story of the animal race that decided who was named after each year in the Chinese zodiac calendar. 
We learnt about The Legend of Nian and discovered why fire crackers are used as part of the celebrations. We also watched videos of traditional celebrations and learnt about the lion and dragon dances. 
We made lanterns which are often used as decorations to celebrate Chinese New Year. These are often red as the color symbolises good luck. 
The children also enjoyed trying some Chinese food. We talked about how Chinese New Year is similar and different to celebrations they take part in. What a wonderful week of learning! 

On Wednesday afternoon we enjoyed our 'Outdoor Explorers' session. In small groups we went all around the school grounds to look for signs of Winter. We had a checklist of items that we needed to look for and after putting on our wellies and wrapping up warm, we headed outside. We found pine cones, lots of bare trees, some evergreen trees, berries and even spotted some robins! What a fun afternoon!