Police Officers

The first community helper we learnt about was the Police. The children read the story of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears at story time and discussed how wrong it was of Goldilocks to enter the 3 Bears house without their permission. Children then came into nursery to a crime scene that had been set up by the team with empty bowls of porridge, a broken chair and empty beds. The children were encouraged to investigate and look for clues to see who might have committed the crime. Both morning and afternoon children felt that Goldilocks had been responsible for the crime and went on a search for her to ask her not to do it again. This activity was to promote children's critical thinking, encouraging them to think of ideas, find ways to solve problems, make links and notice patterns in their experience. They had to plan, make decisions about how to approach the task, solve the problem and reach a goal. The children took part in an obstacle course game making their way through the obstacles to the police officer. They played cops and robbers, choosing to be the police officer and practising their counting skills before going to find the robbers who were hiding around the yard. Children dressed in police costumes acting out role play situations and went on a hunt to find the police officer's uniform and equipment. EYP's encouraged children's mark making skills using emergency vehicles, children rolled their vehicles in paint then made marks on large pieces of paper. They were supported in making different marks and observing different patterns. The children were encouraged to create their own wanted poster, looking at and talking about their features, recording their finger prints, looking at pattern and encouraging mark making and talking about boundaries at home. We also read a book called Elephant Pants where a crime had been committed and children were encouraged to solve the crime and Lisa the local PSO came in to visit the children and talk to them about her role in the community.