New school year, new class layout :-D

Sorry for the long break in posting - the first week back at school was great but very busy!!! I have worked really hard on trying to make my classroom more colour neutral (no more primary colours adorning the walls!) with lots of interesting areas to explore and am really pleased with how much calmer the class feels.

 The light/colour exploration corner. I have access to a fab concierge who helped me to put up this curtain for the OHP to reflect onto. I used an old IKEA shower curtain that we had lying around and stapled it to a length of wood, which was then hung from the ceiling.

I found an old mirror (acrylic) in the basement which I placed behind the light box - the children love watching what they are doing whilst they are playing and the reflections of the colours are beautiful.

 Our nature area - we are encouraging the children to bring in natural objects they find during their weekend to add to this area. I love the mats which my colleague found at a charity shop for very little money :-)

 I couldn't get away from the primary colours in the furniture but I am pleased with what we have been able to do with the area - it used to be enclosed but we have opened it out and taken away the boundaries which seems to be working really well. It has encouraged the children to share their play with children in other areas. I love sitting chatting to a child in the book corner and being offered an 'ice-cream' or slice of 'cake' that they have just baked.

Writing corner/mark making area - my fab assistant sewed the pocket at the back to hold all the felt tips in their colours. So far, so good! Lids back on pens and back in the right places!

After being inspired by several blog posts I have read recently, I decided to have a go at making my own sensory bags using Ziplock bags and gaffa tape. The blue one is just regular poster paint. The middle one was originally squishy with shaving foam and lentils...but...the next day we came in to find a rock hard square!! Logically I guess, all the shaving foam got soaked up by the lentils - sadly it was the day before the children came back but I might repeat it again to see their reaction the following day!! The left one is hand gel, a little water and loads of glitter :-)

 Blocks area and natural materials - pine cones, shells, sticks, corks etc

Mirror and stones/seed pods