Pancake Day

Tomorrow is Shrove Tuesday. The children will be whisking away the flour and eggs to make their own pancakes ready to be served for snack time. Children will be encouraged to sample the pancakes and decide whether they like them or not.

Why not have a try and share your favourite pancakes with us. Please send your photos to a.halstead@stmarysblackburn.ac.uk

Ingredients

150g (5oz) plain flour

2 medium eggs

300ml (1/2pt) semi skimmed milk

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

Sift the flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Crack the eggs into the well and whisk, drawing in the flour from the sides of the bowl. Gradually add the milk and continue whisking, until you have a smooth batter. Leave to stand for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, line a baking tray with nonstick baking paper. Preheat the oven to gas 1/4, 110°C, 90°C fan.

Brush a 20cm (8in) frying pan with a little oil and warm on the hob, over medium heat. Add a tbsp of the batter to the pan, tipping gently until it coats the base in a thin layer. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until golden, then carefully flip the pancake over and cook the underside for 1 minute more.

Transfer to the prepared baking tray and keep warm in the oven. Repeat to make 12 pancakes, adding a little more oil to the pan before each addition.

Kitchen Quiz Answers

Here are the answers to our Kitchen Safety Quiz, no peaking if you haven't took the quiz yet.

Answers

 

1.      Half

2.     Chip pans

3.     Pour water on the fire

4.     Hot drinks

5.     15 mins

6.     90%

7.     It should be kept away from warm places like radiators

8.     In a locked cupboard well out of reach

9.     No, some 3-4 year olds can open them in seconds

10.   True

How safe is your kitchen?

How safe is your kitchen, are you aware of all the possible hazzards to your family? Take the time to complete our Kitchen Safety Quiz.

Answers will be on the next blog page, no peaking

Kitchen Safety Quiz

What proportion of accidental house fires start because of cooking?

a.    One third

b.    Half

c.    Two thirds

What is the most common cause of house fires?

a.    Chip pans

b.    Electrical faults

c.    Candles

What should you not do to put out an electrical fire?

a.    Pull the plug out

b.    Pour water on the fire

c.    Smother the fire with a fire blanket

What is the number one cause of scald injuries among young children?

a.    Irons

b.    Hot drinks

c.    Saucepans

How long after you have made a cup of tea can it still scald a baby?

a.    15 mins

b.    25 mins

c.    35 mins

What percentage of serious hot drink scalds involve children under five?

a.    30%

b.    60%

c.    90%

When your medicine says it should be kept cool, what does this mean?

a.    It should be stored in the freezer

b.    It should be kept away from warm places like radiators

c.    It should be stored in the fridge

What is the best place to store your cleaning products?

a.    On a kitchen work surface

b.    In the cupboard under the sink

c.    In a locked cupboard well out of reach

Is a ‘child resistant’ container ‘child proof’?

a.    Yes

b.    No, some 3-4 year olds can open them in seconds

c.    No, but only if the top has not been fastened properly

Some products have a bittering agent that makes them taste very unpleasant

a.    True, check the label

b.    False

 

 

Wellbeing Wednesday

Wednesday 1^st March is our well being Wednesday. This month the children will be learning all about caring for our teeth. The children will be carrying out some different activities to encourage them to develop their understanding of what are teeth are for and what we need to do to take care of them for the future. Please also dress your child in green clothes and bring into nursery an item of food that is good for teeth and one that is bad. The children will have an opportunity to share their good and bad items with their friends during group time and practitioners can discuss the food items with the group. Information on healthy teeth, for parents, will be displayed in the cloak room.

 

Our safety message for parents will be Kitchen Safety. Some information with regard to this issue will be sent home.

New Term activities

As we move into the new half term we are continuing to explore their children's interests. We are learning all about Pirates and their adventures and tea parties. If you have anything to support our topic then please feel free to bring it in.  We will also be carrying out mni topics alongside children's interests.

Police visit

To celebrate the end of our Police topic we had a visit from two of our Community Police Officers yesterday. The children were eager to tell them all about the crimes they had helped to solve at nursery and the Police talked to the children about their role, their uniform and how children can keep themselves safe. They also explained to children how the Police are their friends and if they are ever lost or need help then they could identify Police by their uniforms.

Baby Area

We have recently enhanced our role play area to focus on a baby themed area for the children. This was planned from two children's interest in playing with the dolls. Practitioners encouraged children to take on the role of a parent and act out daily routines of caring for babies. Children noticed what adults do, imitating what is obsereved and doing it spontaneously when the adult isn't there. They engaged in imaginative role play basd on their own fir hand experiences. They used available resources to create props to support their role play and played alongside other children who were engaged in the same theme.

Who blew down the three pigs houses?

The Park Police have been back at the scene of the crime solving the mystery of who blew down the three pigs houses. The children arrived at the scene and assessed all the available clues. They rescued three frightened pigs from the brick house and found them a safe house to rest. The Police then studied the CCTV footage and clearly saw Mr Wolf blowing down the straw house and the stick house and threatening the little pigs before fleeing the scene. The Police filled out an incident report and put out an APB on Mr Wolf who is currently still missing. A reward of 30 gold coins has been offered for information leading to his arrest.

Making Playdough

Mummies and Daddies, did you know that the children are so clever at nursery that they make their own playdough. Carefully mixing the ingredients, adding the colour and flavour and binding it all together. Allowing children to take control an own their own activities help children develop a sense of pride in their achievements and helps them develop a 'can do' attitude towards other activities. The children really enjoy playing with the dough at nursery and many spend a lot of time in the playdough area making many different things.