This week, our children have been exploring The Three Little Pigs through a fun STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) approach inspired by The Big Bad Wolf Investigates Fairy Tales by Catherine Cawthorne and Sara Ogilvie.
We began by retelling the traditional story before becoming investigators ourselves! The children discovered some surprising facts about animals and humans, including learning that humans are the only animals with a chin. Using mirrors, photographs and x-rays, they explored their own features and compared them with different animals. They enjoyed using playdough to create imaginary animal chins and discussing how animals might look if they had one!
Next, we investigated whether the Big Bad Wolf could really “huff and puff” a house down. The children observed how we use our lips to blow and compared this to animals such as wolves, whales, dolphins and elephants. Through water play and creative activities, they explored how different animals use air and water to create powerful spouts.
Our young engineers then designed and tested pig parachutes, learning about air resistance and gravity. They made predictions, tested their ideas and reflected on what helped their pigs land safely. We also experimented with straws, pom-poms and marbles to see how far we could huff and puff, introducing scientific vocabulary such as inhale, exhale, prediction and observe.
Finally, we became builders! The children explored different building materials and discussed what makes a house strong and sturdy. Using a range of natural and recycled materials, they designed and constructed houses which were later tested against strong “wolf winds” using a hairdryer. This encouraged problem-solving, teamwork and creative thinking while introducing concepts such as structure, forces and materials.
It has been wonderful to see the children’s curiosity, imagination and resilience as they investigated fairy tales through science and engineering. We are very proud of our little scientists, engineers and storytellers!
Please remember to top up spare clothes for your child, have waterproofs on rainy days and suncream and sunhat on hot days!
As always, healthy snack donations are greatly appreciated!
Have a wonderful weekend!
The Nursery Team