The children will be changing for this session so will need their named PE kits in school. Today we will explore races - not linked to Sports Day. Again we will warm up by pretending to be flamingoes (exploring how they stand on one leg as Sebbie suggested and walking and running like flamingoes as Brodie and Luna were interested in this). 

The children will still be working in colour teams on the field and will be practising some new races. They have found it quite tricky to understand the concept of racing and competing against each other so by exploring other races, mostly without equipment we are developing this. These are the types of races they will be trying;

Running, Walking backwards, Galloping 

Providing the weather is dry - to cool down we will have a mindful moment under the trees reflecting on what we have practised today.

Ellie suggested that we could paint a flamingo and Fiadh suggested that we could paint some tail feathers. We will show the children a wide range of paint colours, powder and ‘squeezy’. We will ask them which colours they will need to mix to make pink - we will carry out their ideas and talk about the results until we find the correct answer. Then the children will be able to explore until they have mixed a shade / colour that they are happy with. Using this they will need to paint a feather (using a template). Later in the morning they will need to cut out their feather (as Marsaili suggested), We will remind them of using an appropriate grip, using scissors safely and cutting close to the edge. The feathers will be used to create a giant, collaborative flamingo.

We will begin by talking to the children about a true story involving a Caribbean flamingo - this is linked to Maia H and Ernie asking how flamingos fly. This flamingo, named Frankie, was from a wildlife sanctuary in Cornwall. Despite having clipped wings, a gust of wind caught her during a wing-stretching session. She amazed everyone by flying 120 miles across the English Channel, eventually settling on the coast of Brittany, France. Zookeepers and bird experts decided to let her enjoy her newfound wild freedom. We will watch a very short video showing how flamingos fly and take off. Then the children will need to get a white board and pen. We will remind them of the whiteboard rules. Adults will model representing the wing movements (zigzag) on the board - the children need to imitate this, using an appropriate and firm pen grip. Then adults will model the flamingo getting buffeted by the wind (loops) - again the children will imitate this. Adults will model the flamingo landing and bouncing on the water. Finally we will show the children a picture of six flamingos in the sun. We need to write a label - we will ask the children to help segmenting the word ‘six’  - adults will record it and children will record each letter, retracing lines as needed and forming the letter correctly. We will repeat this for ‘sun’ and ‘leg’.

Marsaili was intrigued by how long the flamingo's legs are. So, today, we are going to be exploring size and length as the children make a flamingo. Firstly we will give each child two lumps of pink dough in balls. We will talk about what they notice. We will encourage them to compare the two balls - are they the same size? Is one bigger / smaller than the other? Then we will ask them to draw round the larger ball before flattening the ball to make the flamingo body - when they compare it with the drawing is it now bigger or smaller? Then we will ask them to roll out the smaller piece - how long can they make it. Compare with the person next to them. Is it the same length or longer or shorter? This piece will be the neck  - can they add it to the body and make sure it is firmly attached. Finally we will show the children some pipe cleaners that are scrunched up and short - their challenge will be to stretch them out to make them longer to attach to their models as legs. (Eyes and a beak will also be added).

Friday

We will remind the children of the information we found out about Frankie the flamingo who flew to France. We will then look at and compare the two environments (the wildlife park in Cornwall and being wild in Brittany). We will ask the children what is the same, what is different and what do they notice? Then we will look at some native habitats of flamingos (Child, Florida and Galapagos Islands), again we will compare them in the same way. We will find these places on the world map. Then we will talk to the children about places that they have been and talk about the differences they have noticed compared with Berkhamsted. We will look for these places and countries on the world map too.