playfulpups | Eco-Kids Preschool

Autumn, Birds Migration and Easter

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THEME

Autumn, Birds Migration & Easter

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COLOUR

White

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SHAPE

Cross & Oval

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NUMBER

Recap

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LETTER

Oo – Oval

As we hop (quite literally 🐰) into the Easter long weekend, it’s been a short but oh-so-busy week here in our Playful Pups class!

With Autumn making its presence well and truly known, there’s been a definite change in the air — cooler mornings, crunchy leaves under little feet, and plenty of curious noses sniffing out all things new. We took full advantage of this beautiful season by heading out on a couple of nature walks around our campus, and what an adventure they turned out to be!

Armed with nothing but enthusiasm (and very busy hands), the Pups set off in search of treasures. Sticks, leaves, pinecones and all sorts of interesting natural bits and bobs were carefully collected along the way. We paused to feel the rough bark of the trees and admired the changing colours of the leaves — a wonderful reminder that even the smallest things can spark the biggest excitement.

A particular highlight was our mission to find the tiny wildflowers growing in the veld. The Pups did not disappoint! We discovered cheerful little yellow daisies, pops of bright purple flowers, and a variety of delicate dried blooms. Of course, a few special leaves and pinecones also made their way back to class… all in the name of future masterpieces, of course!

Monday morning kicked off with our ever-popular Yoga session with Teacher Nicole. It’s safe to say it took a little longer than usual for our Pups to get going — we suspect a few busy weekends may have been to blame! But once they found their rhythm, they stretched, balanced, and followed along beautifully (with a few adorable wobbles along the way).

Our creative corner has been buzzing over the past couple of weeks as we’ve been hard at work on our pinecone Easter bunnies. These have turned out beautifully, and we’re so excited to be keeping them safe for our upcoming Art Expo. Almost everything we’re creating now is being tucked away for this special event, which promises to have a fresh new look and feel — we can’t wait to share it with you!

Wednesday saw the return of Coach Trevor, who once again had the Pups moving and grooving. This week brought a bit of a sporty twist as they began preparing for our Sports Day in May. From tossing bean bags to running, jumping, and even trying their hand at a mini “javelin throw,” there was no shortage of energy or enthusiasm. The Pups absolutely loved the variety and, of course, the one-on-one attention from Coach Trevor.

Adding to the Easter excitement, the Pups also got creative with some bubble wrap painting, transforming their colourful prints into beautiful Easter eggs. These were turned into special cards that will be heading home on Thursday, complete with a little marshmallow Easter egg treat (because what’s Easter without a bit of sweetness?).

All in all, it’s been a joyful, laughter-filled week to lead us into our four-day weekend. Next week, we’ll be diving into our new theme: Trees, Plants, Wood and Paper, and knowing our Pups, there will be plenty more exploring, creating, and messy fun along the way.

To all our families celebrating, we wish you a very Happy Easter. Enjoy the special time together, and we’ll keep our fingers crossed that the chocolate supply is (somewhat) under control!

See you all back on Tuesday, ready for another week of adventures!

Have a beautiful Easter Weekend!

Dates to Diarise:

3 April – Easter Weekend Good Friday

6 April – Easter Weekend Family Day

10 April – Break Up Day

13 April – Holiday Club Starts

27 April – Public Holiday (Freedom Day)

1 May – Public Holiday (Workers Day)

4 May – Holiday Club Ends

5 May – Staff Return to School

6 May – Term 2 Starts

Lots of love

Teacher Sharon and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

My Pets

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THEME

My Pets

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COLOUR

Black

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SHAPE

Diamond

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NUMBER

3

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LETTER

Pp – Pets

Hi! Back again for another week in the wonderful (and slightly unpredictable) world of our Pups 🐾

This week’s theme was My Pets, and oh my goodness… the excitement levels each morning were next level! You would swear it was a mini pet parade at drop-off time. We had dogs of every shape and size—tiny little fluff balls, energetic youngsters, and a few wise old doggies who’ve clearly seen it all before.

Our Pups absolutely loved getting up close and personal with these furry “best friends.” There were gentle pats, wide-eyed wonder, and yes… a little hesitation from some of our braver Pups when it came to the bigger dogs. Totally understandable, some of those tails wag with serious enthusiasm!

A special highlight was when one of our Pup’s dads brought in their very loved Scottie dog, Logan,who quickly became quite the celebrity. Not to be outdone, our very own yoga teacher Nicole introduced us to her pet hedgehog (which caused equal parts fascination and “is it spiky?!” curiosity), and just when we thought we’d seen it al, a Busy Bugs friend arrived this morning with a pet snake! Let’s just say there were some very big eyes and a lot of careful observing going on.

During our morning “tea ring,” we had lovely chats about our own pets at home. We looked at adorable pictures of dogs, cats, and even horses, and spoke about how important it is to be kind, gentle, and loving towards our animals, making sure they are always fed, warm, and well cared for.

We kicked off the week with our always-popular yoga session with Teacher Nicole, stretching, balancing, and finding our calm (well… as calm as Pups can be!).

Then on Wednesday, Coach Trevor brought the energy with our FunFit Sports session. Thanks to the rainy weather, we moved things indoors, where the Pups practiced their batting skills using foam bats and plastic balls. I can confidently say we have a class full of very enthusiastic fielders, retrieving balls like pros and returning them to Coach Trevor with great pride.

On the creative side, our Pups had lots of fun finger-painting spotty dogs, there were fingers, and hands full of paint, big smiles, and some wonderfully unique masterpieces! We also continued working on our houses from last week, and we’re almost there… just a few finishing touches and we’ll be ready to reveal our very own little village.

To wrap up this busy week, we have something extra special planned for tomorrow, our Pups will be bringing along their favourite fluffy, well-loved cuddly toys, a few snacks, and we’ll be heading outdoors for a picnic with our fluffy friends. Honestly, it doesn’t get much cuter than that We’re all set for a Fun FriYay!

Looking ahead, next week’s theme is Science and Experiments… and if there’s one thing we know, it’s that things are about to get messy, exciting, and full of surprises. What will we get up to? Stay tuned! 🔬✨

Have a beautiful weekend!

Dates to Diarise:

21 March – Public Holiday (Human Rights Day)

3 April – Easter Weekend Good Friday

6 April – Easter Weekend Family Day

10 April – Break Up Day

13 April – Holiday Club Starts

27 April – Public Holiday (Freedom Day)

1 May – Public Holiday (Workers Day)

4 May – Holiday Club Ends

5 May – Staff Return to School

6 May – Term 2 Starts

Lots of love

Teacher Sharon and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

My House

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THEME

My House

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COLOUR

Green

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SHAPE

Square

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NUMBER

2

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LETTER

Hh – House

Another busy week in the Playful Pups classroom has come and gone, and this time our theme was “My House” — a perfect follow-on from last week’s chats about “My Family.” After all, families need somewhere to live… even if it’s occasionally a block tower t

hat collapses every five minutes! We spent lots of time talking about what makes up a house — roofs, doors, windows and of course the all-important people (and sometimes pets) inside. The Pups took this discussion very seriously and immediately set to work building their own houses using all sorts of block materials. Many impressive structures were created… and then, in true toddler fashion, knocking them down turned out to be even more fun than building them in the first place. Construction and demolition seem to go hand in hand in our classroom!

Our creative project this week has been especially exciting because it will eventually become part of our Annual Art Expo later this year. The Pups have started transforming toilet rolls into little houses, and the plan is to build an entire mini village. Sustainability is always close to our hearts, so there has been plenty of recycling, reusing and reimagining involved.

The Pups have painted their houses in all sorts of colours and carefully added windows and doors made from recycled fabric. For the roofs, we tried something a little different, placing cardboard roof pieces into a box lid with paint and rolling golf balls around to create patterns and textures. Watching the paint swirl and splatter while the golf balls rolled around was nothing short of magical… and judging by their delight and the noise was just as entertaining as the artwork itself! Let’s just say our classroom was not the quietest place in the school during this activity.

Of course, our week would not be complete without a bit of movement and adventure. We kicked things off with our usual Monday Yoga session, helping our little Pups stretch, balance and start the week feeling calm.

Later in the week Coach Trevor arrived to put the Pups through what can only be described as mini boot camp training in the playground. The challenge began with climbing the tyre pyramid, but with a twist — they could only step on the colours that Coach Trevor called out. Concentration levels were high! Once they reached the top, there were many proud little faces and hands thrown up in celebration, of making it.

Next came the jungle gym obstacle, where the Pups had to climb up and make their way through the rope tunnel. With a bit of encouragement, determination, and the occasional helping hand, every Pup completed the challenge. Safe to say everyone passed their training with flying colours!

It has been a wonderfully creative and energetic week, and our little village of toilet roll houses is already starting to look quite impressive. We can’t wait to see how it grows over the next few weeks.

Next week’s theme is “Pets”, and if the excitement in the classroom is anything to go by, we’re expecting plenty of chats about dogs, cats, fish, and possibly the odd goldfish who may or may not have had an adventurous life.

We can’t wait to hear all about them! 🐾

Have a beautiful weekend!

Dates to Diarise:

19 March – Pet Demo

21 March – Public Holiday (Human Rights Day)

3 April – Easter Weekend Good Friday

6 April – Easter Weekend Family Day

10 April – Break Up Day

13 April – Holiday Club Starts

27 April – Public Holiday (Freedom Day)

1 May – Public Holiday (Workers Day)

4 May – Holiday Club Ends

5 May – Staff Return to School

6 May – Term 2 Starts

Lots of love

Teacher Sharon and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

My Family

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THEME

My Family

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COLOUR

Purple

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SHAPE

Triangle

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NUMBER

1

j

LETTER

Gg – Granny

This week in the Playful Pups classroom our theme was “My Family”, and here at school we like to think of ourselves as one big happy family too. Of course, our little Pups are still very young, and the idea of “family” is quite a big concept for them to fully grasp, so we spent a lot of time chatting about what families are and how wonderfully different they can be.

We looked at lots of pictures of families and talked about how some families are small and some are big, with lots of extended family members. The Pups loved pointing out moms and dads in the pictures, and we spoke about how each of them belongs to their own special family. Some of our Pups proudly shared that they have brothers and sisters. As you can imagine, these conversations came with plenty of enthusiastic pointing.

Monday morning, as usual, kicked off with our Yoga session with Teacher Nicole. The Pups stretched, bent, balanced and did their very best yoga poses, which sometimes looked a little more like interpretive dance… but the effort was there! As always, the session ended with a very sweet and slightly wobbly “Namaste” from our little yogis.

On Tuesday Coach Trevor was back for our FunFit Sports session. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans, so once again we brought the action indoors. Coach Trevor had the Pups choose a couple of brightly coloured balls and, from a short distance, try their best to land them inside a basket. Now, while this sounds simple in theory, our little athletes quickly discovered that aim and coordination are still very much a work in progress! But what they lacked in accuracy they certainly made up for in determination, and there were lots of proud smiles whenever a ball made it into the basket.

One of the best parts of this activity was watching the Pups happily collect their own balls afterwards. When it was time to pack up, they were more than willing to help get all the balls back into the basket. We are also seeing some lovely progress with taking turns and patiently waiting for their turn, which is no small achievement at this age!

We also continued with our trademark “Tea Ring”, which has become a firm favourite in our classroom routine. Sitting together at the table with a warm cup of tea and a snack keeps the Pups engaged while we chat about our number, colour and shape of the week.

This week’s colour was purple. A few of our Pups are getting very good at recognising it, while others remain absolutely convinced that everything is still blue — shouted out with great confidence, of course!

Next week our theme will be “My House”, and we’re looking forward to making it another fun and exciting week of learning and discovery with our little Pups.

Wishing all our families a lovely weekend, and we look forward to seeing everyone again next week.

Have a fun, family-filled weekend!

Dates to Diarise:

12 March – Haircut Day

19 March – Pet Demo

21 March – Public Holiday (Human Rights Day)

3 April – Easter Weekend Good Friday

6 April – Easter Weekend Family Day

10 April – Break Up Day

13 April – Holiday Club Starts

27 April – Public Holiday (Freedom Day)

1 May – Public Holiday (Workers Day)

4 May – Holiday Club Ends

5 May – Staff Return to School

6 May – Term 2 Starts

Lots of love

Teacher Sharon and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

Safety

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THEME

Safety

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COLOUR

Red

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SHAPE

Star

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NUMBER

3

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LETTER

Ss – Safety

The Playful Pups have bounced back into school after our mid-term break with renewed energy and enthusiasm and in true Pups fashion, we’ve packed a lot into our short four-day week! Our theme has been Safety, and we’ve been exploring some very important lessons in ways that are hands-on, memorable… and occasionally hilarious.

Tuesday saw the return of our much-loved FunFit Sports session with Coach Trevor. With the weather deciding to be rather chilly and drizzly, we took the session indoors, which, as it turns out, makes balancing activities even more exciting! The Pups were introduced to a simple square balance beam and encouraged to carefully step up and walk their way around from end to end.

For some of our little adventurers this was a big ask, and there were a few cautious toes and outstretched arms in the air as they tested their bravery. Coach Trevor, with his endless patience and encouragement, was on hand (quite literally!) to offer support when needed. Beyond the physical skills of balance and coordination, this activity also gently reinforced patience and turn-taking, two very important skills for busy little preschoolers.

With Sports Day on the horizon in May, we thought there’s no better time than now to start practising. At this rate, we are quite certain our Pups will be absolute balancing champions by the big day!

Safety Week would of course not be complete without learning an essential fire safety rule: Stop, Drop and Roll. Teaching this to a group of enthusiastic toddlers proved slightly more challenging than anticipated and provided plenty of giggles for the teachers. There were a few creative interpretations at first (including some enthusiastic rolling without the “stop” part!), but we are delighted to report that most of our Pups have now mastered the sequence. In fact, they are so proud of their new knowledge that we now occasionally hear spontaneous cries of “STOP, DROP AND ROLL!” echoing around the classroom at the most unexpected moments.

Our art activity this week tied in beautifully with our safety theme. The Pups created firefighter faces and then used their own little hands, painted bright red, to stamp bold “STOP” handprints. The results were wonderful, each one unique and full of personality, just like their creators.

We were very excited to have planned a visit from our local Fire Truck today, but as fate would have it, our real-life heroes were called away to attend to an actual emergency. While we were disappointed to miss them, it also gave us a meaningful moment to explain to the children that firefighters must always go where they are needed most.

We are keeping everything crossed that we will end our week with lights flashing and sirens sounding as the Fire Truck makes its rescheduled visit tomorrow. We have even been warned that the firefighters may give our unsuspecting Pups a surprise spray from the hose, which we suspect will produce equal parts squeals, laughter, and very soggy socks. Cameras will most definitely be at the ready to capture the excitement!

What a wonderfully busy and safety-filled week it has been in the Playful Pups classroom.

Stop, drop and roll into the weekend!

Dates to Diarise:

12 March – Haircut Day

19 March – Pet Demo

21 March – Public Holiday (Human Rights Day)

3 April – Easter Weekend Good Friday

6 April – Easter Weekend Family Day

10 April – Break Up Day

13 April – Holiday Club Starts

27 April – Public Holiday (Freedom Day)

1 May – Public Holiday (Workers Day)

4 May – Holiday Club Ends

5 May – Staff Return to School

6 May – Term 2 Starts

Lots of love

Teacher Sharon and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

Healthy Eating, Etiquette and Manners

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THEME

Healthy Eating, Etiquette & Manners

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COLOUR

Orange

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SHAPE

Rectangle

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NUMBER

2

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LETTER

Ff – Food

Teaching two-year-olds about healthy eating, good manners and polite table behaviour may sound like a tall order… but our little Pups have shown us that it can be done, one tiny bite, turn and “thank you” at a time!

Our now well-loved morning “Tea Ring” continues to be a firm favourite. The children happily gather at the tables, cups of warm tea in hand, ready to chat about the day’s topic. This week we added a healthy twist by enjoying a piece of fruit with our tea while talking about foods that help our bodies grow big and strong. It’s such a gentle, social way to explore healthy habits together and the Pups are beautifully settling into the routine.

The highlight of the week was undoubtedly our very own Playful Pups Breakfast Experience. The children were fascinated as we showed them how to boil an egg, and once cooled, each Pup had the chance to roll their egg on the table to crack the shell and carefully peel it. Armed with their little plastic knives, they proudly chopped up their egg pieces all by themselves.

And the verdict? A resounding success! Every Pup happily tasted (and many enthusiastically finished!) their egg, followed by a colourful fruit platter and a buttered sandwich. A wholesome, balanced breakfast and such a wonderful opportunity to practise independence, table manners and trying new foods.

Our weekly rhythm continued with our much-loved activities. After six weeks of yoga with Teacher Nicole, the difference is clear to see. The Pups are confidently attempting the poses and are beginning to truly enjoy this calm, focused time, a lovely sign of growing body awareness and confidence.

Coach Trevor’s FunFit Sports session brought plenty of excitement with bats and balls. The children took turns trying to hit the ball from the T-ball stand, learning important lessons about waiting patiently, cheering for friends and good sportsmanship. For two-year-olds, these are big skills — and our Pups are making beautiful progress.

As we head into our four-day mid-term break, it feels quite incredible to realise we are already halfway through the first term. The weeks have been filled with growth, learning and many proud little moments.

We wish all our Playful Pups families a restful, happy long weekend and look forward to welcoming our little learners back next Tuesday for more adventures together.

Have a wonderful Mid-Term Break!

Dates to Diarise:

20, 21, 22, 23 February: Mid Term Break

24 February: Back to School

12 March – Haircut Day

19 March – Pet Demo

21 March – Public Holiday (Human Rights Day)

3 April – Easter Weekend Good Friday

6 April – Easter Weekend Family Day

10 April – Break Up Day

13 April – Holiday Club Starts

27 April – Public Holiday (Freedom Day)

1 May – Public Holiday (Workers Day)

4 May – Holiday Club Ends

5 May – Staff Return to School

6 May – Term 2 Starts

Lots of love

Teacher Sharon and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

My Emotions and Valentine’s Day

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THEME

My Emotions & Valentine’s Day

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COLOUR

Pink, Red, White

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SHAPE

Heart

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NUMBER

1

j

LETTER

Ll – Love

Playful Pups Explore “My Emotions” ❤️😊😠

What a heartfelt week we’ve had in Playful Pups as we explored our theme of My Emotions, perfectly timed with Valentine’s Day just around the corner!

This week has been filled with very expressive little faces. We’ve practiced our happy faces (big smiles and sparkly eyes), our grumpy faces (furrowed brows in full concentration), and our very convincing cross faces too! One of the highlights was standing in front of our classroom mirrors and making faces at ourselves, because apparently nothing is funnier than watching your own dramatic expressions staring back at you!

We’ve had some beautiful chats about love, the love we have for our moms and dads, our families, and our friends. We spoke about how being kind makes others feel good, but also how it makes us feel warm and happy inside. It’s truly special hearing how some of the Pups say “I love you” in the sincerest way.

Of course, we’ve been busy little artists too! The children have created some gorgeous Valentine’s art which will be heading home on Friday, keep an eye out for those precious handmade treasures.

As always, we started our week with our much-loved Yoga session. Teacher Nicole guided the Pups through their stretches and finished off by encouraging them to lie quietly, breathing deeply while listening to soft bubble music. A rare and peaceful moment of calm that we absolutely cherish.

We missed our FunFit session this week as Coach Trevor was cheering on the Primary learners at their inter-schools’ athletics meet. We’re looking forward to having him back next week to get our energy levels moving again!

With the weather being an absolute scorcher, we’ve made the most of cooling down with water play — lots of splashing, pouring and giggling involved! We even made our own ice lollies, which were thoroughly enjoyed and very necessary in this heat.

It’s been a week full of feelings, kindness, creativity and keeping cool — and we’ve loved every moment of it.

Next week we turn our focus to Healthy Eating, Etiquette and Good Manners — we can’t wait to see those polite little Pups in action!

Wishing all our Playful Pups families a love-filled Valentine’s weekend ❤️

Happy Valentine's Day For Tomorrow!

Dates to Diarise:

19 February: Flip Flop Day

20, 21, 22, 23 February: Mid Term Break

24 February: Back to School

Lots of love

Teacher Sharon and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

Health and Hygiene

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THEME

Health & Hygiene

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COLOUR

Green

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SHAPE

Triangle

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NUMBER

3

j

LETTER

Cc

Health and Hygiene & Happy Little Humans! 🦷💧

What a wonderfully busy (and slightly sweaty!) week it’s been in Playful Pups as we focused on our theme: Health and Hygiene, a topic our little ones tackled with enthusiasm.

We kicked things off, as always, with our Monday morning yoga session led by the ever calm and bendy Teacher Nicole. The Pups stretched, balanced, breathed deeply and showed off some impressive poses — who knew downward dog could be so adorable?

Tuesday brought along FunFit Sports with Coach Trevor, who wasted no time putting the Pups through their paces! They zig-zagged around cones like mini athletes in training before conquering the wooden jungle gym, climbing ladders, braving heights and zooming down the big slide with squeals of delight, and sometimes big eyes.

With the weather being exceptionally hot this week, hydration has been our top priority. After outdoor play and sporty sessions, the Pups made sure to refuel with plenty of water, sip, sip, hooray! And speaking of outside time… we continue to enforce our very important rule: “No hats, no play!”
Now, keeping hats on a lively bunch of toddlers is… let’s say… a work in progress. But we persevere — sun safety is serious business, even when hats mysteriously fall off every five minutes!

During our cosy morning tea chats, the Pups have been learning all about keeping their bodies clean and healthy, from taking regular baths and washing their hair, to brushing their teeth every single day.

These chats also double as learning time, where we practise counting from 1 to 10 and revisit different colours throughout the week. The progress in just four weeks back at school has been remarkable, many of our little ones are adding new words to their vocabulary daily, and we couldn’t be prouder!

Handwashing before meals has become part of our routine too, and we’re hopeful that these small but mighty habits will stick with them for years to come.

To top off our week, we’ve started creating some very sweet Valentine’s artwork in preparation for next week’s theme: My Emotions. We’ll be exploring and naming feelings such as happy, sad, mad and scared, helping our Pups build their emotional intelligence in fun, age-appropriate ways. ❤️

It’s shaping up to be another fun-filled and meaningful week ahead!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Dates to Diarise:

6 February: Bonfire Picnic

10 February: Curious Crew Parent Info Meeting

12 February: Haircut Day

13 February: Valentine’s Disco (during school)

17 February: Happy Hoppers Parent Info Meeting

19 February: Flip Flop Day

20, 21, 22, 23 February: Mid Term Break

24 February: Back to School

Lots of love

Teacher Sharon and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

My Senses

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THEME

My Senses

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COLOUR

Yellow

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SHAPE

Square

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NUMBER

2

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LETTER

Bb

This week our theme was Senses. We started the week by enjoying some ring time, where we discussed our different senses and what they are used for. We also played many fun games related to our senses.

The bugs enjoyed a smelling activity where we sprayed a scent over their heads and they had to guess what they could smell. We also played a hearing game where the bugs had to guess the names of animals based on the sounds they heard. For touch, we enjoyed some playdough play, where the bugs explored and felt the different textures. On Friday, we ended the week with a yummy tasting activity using marshmallows to explore our sense of taste.

For art this week, we made little rattles using toilet rolls. The bugs painted them yellow and then inserted small rocks inside to create sound.

We also enjoyed a numeracy activity where the bugs had to stick stickers along the outline of the number 2, which was our weekly number—of course, on yellow paper! Hehe

During FunFit sports, the bugs played a fun game with Coach Trevor, where they had to throw small balls into buckets. They did absolutely amazing!

We also completed all our fun demos this week, and I can proudly say that the bugs enjoyed each and every one of them.

In addition, we enjoyed a music lesson in class where the bugs had to follow instructions given by their teachers. We moved fast, fast, fast and slowww, slowww, slowww.

I am so proud of the bugs and how well they are adapting to the school routine. You are making Teacher Nettie’s heart very happy!

See you at the Bonfire Picnic!

Dates to Diarise:

30 January: Bonfire Picnic

4 February: Smart Squad Parent Info Meeting

10 February: Curious Crew Parent Info Meeting

12 February: Haircut Day

13 February: Valentine’s Disco (during school)

17 February: Happy Hoppers Parent Info Meeting

19 February: Flip Flop Day

20, 21, 22, 23 February: Mid Term Break

24 February: Back to School

Lots of love

Teacher Monette and the Busy Bugs Assistants

Our Bugs!

My Senses

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THEME

My Senses

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COLOUR

Yellow



SHAPE

Square



NUMBER

2

j

LETTER

Bb

Playful Pups Go on a Sensory Adventure! 👃👂👀👅✋

What a wonderfully sensational week we’ve had in Playful Pups! Our theme focused on the five senses — sight, sound, taste, smell and touch and goodness… did we put them to good use!

We kicked off Monday morning with our much-loved yoga session with Teacher Nicole, who had the Pups stretching, breathing and tuning into their hearing sense as they listened to calming music. The session ended with the magical sounds of a rainforest, chirping birds, trickling water and rustling leaves, which had everyone sitting surprisingly still (for a moment at least!).

Throughout the week, every activity tied back to sensory exploration, an important part of building language, cognitive growth and physical development. One of the big hits was our sensory tub filled with toys of all shapes, colours and textures. The Pups squeezed, squished, poked and proudly told us what they could see and feel. Serious business, this investigating!

Next up was our sensory board, which featured little pots filled with sponge, carpet, rattan and plastic. We added a few drops of different essential oils and suddenly tiny noses were working overtime! The looks of concentration as they touched and sniffed each one were priceless… some curious, some delighted and a few very dramatic sniff-and-pull-backs for good measure.

Then came what we officially dubbed “The Sweet and Sour Experience.” 🍋🍫
First on the tasting menu: lemon slices. We fully expected scrunched-up faces… but nope! Some of our brave food explorers happily munched away and even finished their entire slice! This was followed by white chocolate, which, shockingly received glowing reviews and requests for seconds from absolutely everyone.

We also whipped up some cloud dough, with the Pups helping to mix cornstarch and body lotion in a big bowl before adding blue food colouring. Then the real fun began kneading, poking, pulling, rolling into balls… and yes, attempting to taste it too (a totally normal response at this age!). Sensory curiosity at its finest!

Bubbles made daily appearances this week and, as always, were met with squeals of laughter, energetic chasing, heroic popping attempts and the occasional tumble to the ground followed by giggles.

Mother Nature decided to join in on the sensory fun too when a sudden heavy downpour caught us off guard. The first raindrops had everyone wide-eyed and eager to dance in the rain, while the booming thunder made sure our hearing sense was wide awake and on high alert!

All in all, it was a truly exciting, hands-on, nose-twitching, ear-listening, taste-testing, squishy-filled week in Playful Pups and we loved watching the children explore the world through all five senses.

We can’t wait for another week of discovery ahead! 🌈

See you at the Bonfire Picnic!

Dates to Diarise:

30 January: Bonfire Picnic

4 February: Smart Squad Parent Info Meeting

10 February: Curious Crew Parent Info Meeting

12 February: Haircut Day

13 February: Valentine’s Disco (during school)

17 February: Happy Hoppers Parent Info Meeting

19 February: Flip Flop Day

20, 21, 22, 23 February: Mid Term Break

24 February: Back to School

Lots of love

Teacher Sharon and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Pups!

Me and My Body

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THEME

Me & My Body

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COLOUR

Red



SHAPE

Circle

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NUMBER

1

j

LETTER

Aa

💪👃 Playful Pups Get to Know… Themselves! 👀🦶

It has been a wonderfully busy first full week back at school in Playful Pups, and our classroom has been buzzing with new friendships, fresh routines, and curious little minds exploring their new surroundings. Settling into school life is no small task, especially when there are so many exciting things to do, but our Pups have been absolute champions!

This week’s theme was My Body, and goodness… did we sing about it! From energetic rounds of Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes (performed at lightning speed by the end of the week) to the ever-popular Tommy Thumb, the children loved pointing, tapping, wriggling, and proudly showing off every body part they could find. We quizzed them with questions like, “Where is your nose?” and “Can you show me your ears?”, and were met with enthusiastic pointing, giggles, and the occasional whole-body wiggle for good measure.

🧘 Yoga with Teacher Nicole (a.k.a. Teacher Yoghurt!)
Our week kicked off with our very first yoga session with Teacher Nicole, affectionately renamed Teacher Yoghurt by the Pups (and we think the name might stick). While some of the poses will take a few sessions to master, everyone either gave it a good go or watched very carefully from the mat sidelines. Tiny yogis in training, we say!

⚽ FunFit with Coach Trevor
On Tuesday, Coach Trevor arrived for the Pups’ first FunFit Sports session of the year, armed with a variety of balls for kicking and throwing. It didn’t take long for the children to warm up to him, and we were so proud of how engaged and enthusiastic they were—proof that sport plus praise equals very happy Pups!

🎵🎨 Extra-Mural Explorers
The first week back always brings a flurry of extra-mural demonstrations, and the Pups soaked it all up. They thoroughly enjoyed Music Minds with Marlene and getting delightfully messy during Messy Play with Teacher Ingrid. Friday’s demo was with Teacher Peggy and Pottery—and we’re certain there were some very dirty hands and very proud smiles by the end of that session too!

👀👂 Coming Up Next… Our Senses!
We’re already gearing up for next week’s theme—Our Senses—and if this week is anything to go by, it’s going to be a whole lot of sensory fun. Think touching, smelling, listening, tasting (safely!), and plenty of wide-eyed wonder.

What a fantastic start to the year, Playful Pups—we can’t wait to see what adventures next week brings! 🌟🐾

Have a WONDERFUL weekend!

Dates to Diarise:

30 January: Bonfire Picnic

4 February: Smart Squad Parent Info Meeting

10 February: Curious Crew Parent Info Meeting

12 February: Haircut Day

13 February: Valentine’s Disco (during school)

17 February: Happy Hoppers Parent Info Meeting

19 February: Flip Flop Day

20, 21, 22, 23 February: Mid Term Break

24 February: Back to School

Lots of love

Teacher Sharon and the Playful Pups Assistants

Our Little Pups!

Christmas!

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THEME

Christmas

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COLOUR

Red, Green, Maroon, Silver & White

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SHAPE

Diamond & Star

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NUMBER

Recap

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LETTER

Jj – Jesus & Pp – Presents

🎄 Playful Pups Festive Finale – 2025 🎄

Well, we’ve jingled, we’ve danced, and thanks to the never-ending rain, we’ve done more indoor wiggle-wiggle dance parties than we ever thought possible! This week the Playful Pups have been fully immersed in the magic of Christmas. Between singing Jingle Bells at top volume (sometimes on repeat… many, many times), and creating a collection of festive masterpieces, the classroom has looked like Santa’s workshop met a glitter tornado.

Our Christmas art will be heading home next week along with the end-of-year reports, so prepare your fridges and display shelves, they’re about to get very merry!

We also wrapped up our final Yoga session with Teacher Nicole (lots of calm breathing… until someone spotted a “Christmas tree pose”) and our last FunFit adventure with Coach Trevor, who somehow kept the Pups moving even when they were buzzing like holiday elves.

As we close off 2025, we want to wish all our Ecokids parents and families a wonderful, joy-filled festive season and the very best for the New Year. Thank you for sharing your amazing children with us. We look forward to welcoming everyone back, rested, recharged, and ready for more fun—in January 2026!

Happy Holidays from the Playful Pups! 🎅✨

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Dates to Diarise:

1 Dec: End of Year Surprise (during school)

2 Dec: Christmas Party (during school)

3 Dec: Break Up Day