Lighting up our understanding of special celebrations

As the nights grow longer and darkness settles in, Footsteps Preschool has been celebrating two magnificent festivals that revolve around the theme of light—Fireworks Night and Diwali. These celebrations not only bring an array of colourful and vibrant activities but also serve as a wonderful opportunity for our young learners to understand the significance of light in our lives.

The Light of Fireworks Night

Fireworks Night, also known as Bonfire Night, marks the commemoration of the failed Gunpowder Plot in England in 1605. Celebrated on November 5th, it’s a night filled with dazzling fireworks displays and crackling bonfires. At Footsteps Preschool, we honour this event with a wide array of creative activities and opportunities to promote language and new skills.

Firework Painting: Children can express their creativity by using different colours to recreate the burst of fireworks on paper. We have used lots of materials for mark making, printing and exploring mixing colours.

Shapes and numbers:  We have been using our fireworks theme to look at what shapes we can use to make rockets as well as counting up and down to 5 ready for them to blast off!

Cooking: We have been cooking up a storm (luckily with bangs not included) in the Footsteps kitchens.  We have been making sparklers from chocolate and breadsticks as well as biscuits and covering them with an array of coloured sprinkles to represent the colours the children can see in the sky.

Imagination:  We have had a fantastic time in our role play areas and with our small world play recreating rockets shooting for the moon. We have wizz, banged and whooshed around the classrooms and danced like fireworks exploding.

Diwali: The Festival of Lights

Diwali, the Hindu festival, symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and good over evil. It’s celebrated with much enthusiasm and a myriad of activities at Footsteps to teach our children the values behind this joyous festival. So what have we been up to?

Diya Making and Painting: Children decorate traditional clay lamps (diyas) with vibrant colours and patterns, understanding the significance of these lamps in the festival.

Rangoli Making: Using coloured sand or flower petals, we can create intricate rangoli patterns, learning about the importance of these designs in welcoming prosperity and good luck.

Storytelling: Engaging children with stories that narrate the triumph of good over evil, teaching them about the traditions and rituals associated with Diwali.

The Common Theme: Light and Safety

Both Fireworks Night and Diwali share the central theme of light, making it essential to highlight safety measures to our little ones. At Footsteps, safety is our utmost priority. We teach children the importance of:

• Adult Supervision: Ensuring that adults are always present during any activities.
• Safe Distance: Understanding the importance of maintaining a safe distance from fireworks or flames.
• Respect for Safety Rules: Instilling in them the significance of following safety guidelines and rules set for each activity.

These celebrations not only bring joy and excitement but also foster an understanding of different cultures and their significance. They teach our children the importance of light in our lives and the necessity of celebrating it safely and responsibly.

At Footsteps, we utilize these events in our National calendar as opportunities to enlighten our young minds and create lasting memories as we embark on a journey of understanding, learning, and celebration.