Most children will have experienced the fun and excitement of birthday celebrations and will relate enthusiastically to the activities in this project.
Adult-led activities
Parcel force
Gift-wrapped birthday presents are guaranteed to capture the imagination of young children. Help to develop their mathematical understanding of shape, space and measures by wrapping and unwrapping parcels.
Key learning intentions
*To compare the size, shape and weight of objects using appropriate mathematical vocabulary *To use developing mathematical ideas to solve practical problems Adult:child ratio 1:4
Resources
*Sheets of birthday wrapping paper *gift tags *pens *scissors *tape *ribbon *string *a selection of 'presents' and packaging containers such as chocolate boxes, books, soft toys, boxed games, video tapes or DVDs, some pre-wrapped parcels
Activity content
* Talk with the children about birthday presents that they have given and received. (Do bear in mind that some families of some cultures and religions do not celebrate birthdays.)
* Show the children the presents and encourage them to handle these in turn, to compare their size, shape and weight and to guess what might be inside.
* Ask each child to unwrap a parcel.
* Encourage children to choose some wrapping paper to wrap up 'presents'
for their friends. The children can then 'give' their friends the 'presents' and ask them to handle the parcel and guess the contents before opening it.
Extending learning
Key vocabulary
Big/bigger, small/smaller, heavy/heavier, light/lighter, long/longer, short/shorter, square, rectangle, circle, triangle, round, sphere, cone, cylinder, cube, cuboid.
Questions to ask
Can you find another parcel the same shape? Can you find a parcel bigger than this one? Is my parcel heavier or lighter than yours? What do you think might be inside the parcel?
Extension ideas
* Make resources such as boxes, wrapping paper, tape, ribbon, string and scissors available to the children over a period of time so that they can revisit ideas and develop their understanding.
* Set up a post office and include weighing scales. Encourage the children to weigh parcels before stamping and posting them.
* Construct an interactive display using two identical sets of items. Wrap up one set and encourage the children to match wrapped and unwrapped objects.
Child-initiated learning
Encourage the children to develop their own ideas and interests across the curriculum by adding topic resources to your basic provision.
Malleable materials (dough)
Additional resources
*Cake board *cake frill *birthday cake candles *cake decorations (such as age numbers *icing cutters *cake candles *cake recipe *birthday cards (with age numerals on) *dough in different colours
Possible learning experiences
* Arranging plastic decorations and frill on their 'cake'.
* Describing their own, and friends' birthday cakes.
* Rolling dough and cutting out shapes to put on their cake.
* Manipulating dough.
* Counting candles on to the cake.
* Matching numbers on birthday cards to candles on the cake.
* Singing 'Happy Birthday'.
The practitioner's role
* Work in the area, making and decorating a birthday cake.
* Demonstrate how to use tools appropriately.
Home corner
Additional resources
*Paper party plates *cups *serviettes and tablecloth *blank place cards *party play food *party hats *balloons *streamers *banners *wrapped 'presents' *tape recorder *music tapes *shopping lists *pens *telephone *telephone directory
Possible learning experiences
* Talking about their experiences of birthday parties.
* Organising a party in the home corner for a child, member of staff or soft toy character.
* Negotiating roles (for example, who will make the cake, buy the food, pass round the sandwiches).
* Telephoning friends to invite them to the party.
* Planning the party 'menu'.
* Writing shopping lists for party food and drinks.
* Decorating the home corner with balloons, streamers and banners.
* Writing names on place cards.
* Laying the table, counting out plates, serviettes, cups and cutlery.
* Serving food and pretending to eat and drink.
* Playing party games (such as musical statues and pass the parcel).
The practitioner's role
* Talk about birthday parties you have been to, perhaps showing children photographs.
* Play alongside children, listening and responding to their ideas.
* Ask questions to challenge thinking, for example: How many people are we inviting? How many plates will we need? How old is Teddy today? How old will he be on his next birthday?
* Support children's play by adding appropriate resources as ideas develop.
* Supervise the playing of party games. As far as possible, allow children to organise the games themselves but be available to join in as appropriate.
* Take photographs of the 'party' and put in an album to be kept in the home corner.
Sand area
Additional resources
*Jugs *water *mixing bowls *whisks *ice-cream scoops *teaspoons *plastic sundae dishes *plastic jelly moulds (individual and large) *'squeezy'
bottles * lentils *pebbles *beads *wooden lolly moulds *lolly sticks *photographs of desserts (from magazines or 'fast food' menus) *order pads and pens
Possible learning experiences
* Talking about likes and dislikes (such as flavours of jelly and ice-cream).
* Pretending to make jellies and ice-cream desserts for a birthday party.
* Talking about the 'ingredients' used in the desserts.
* Using tools appropriately and with control.
* Using materials to represent other things, for example, a lolly stick to represent a chocolate flake or lentils as chopped nuts.
* Mixing sand, water and other materials together, observing and talking about the changes that take place.
* Experimenting to find the most effective sand consistency for use in moulds.
The practitioner's role
* Model use of vocabulary such as 'wet', 'dry', 'full', 'empty'.
* Ask questions such as 'Why do you think the sand has not stayed in the shape of the mould?' 'What could you use as sauce on your ice-cream?'
* Look at the photographs of desserts with children and talk about similarities, differences, ingredients used.
Office/mark-making area
Additional resources
*Party invitation cards and pads *birthday cards (new and used) *'Thank you' cards *blank folded cards *greetings labels (for example, 'Happy Birthday', 'Love from') *envelopes *post-box *name cards Possible learning experiences
* Writing birthday cards and party invitations.
* Addressing envelopes and posting invitations and cards to friends.
* Recognising, and writing, own and other's names.
* Reading back own marks.
* Talking about the information included on a party invitation, such as date, time, place.
The practitioner's role
* Encourage children to make links with 'party play' in the home corner.
* Read invitations and card greetings with children.
* Encourage children to bring in their own birthday cards from home.