We read a special big book in class about Diwali. Did you know? Diwali was on the 28th October this year • Diwali is the Hindu festival which celebrates the start of the New Year. • It is called the ‘festival of lights.’ • Diwali lasts for five days and is celebrated by Hindus all around the world. • The fourth day of Diwali is the actual Hindu New Year. • Lakshmi is the goddess of prosperity and wealth. The festival is held in honour of her. People pray to her in order that they will have good luck in the New Year. • Little lamps called ‘divas’ are lit around the home. Hindus put them out in their gardens as well. Sometimes little electric lights are also used. • Families give gifts to each other. Sometimes they are sweets. Fireworks are also lit at this time. The reception children have been celebrating this special time of year learning about festivals and customs. Seasonal festivals and customs. The children have been learning about special festivals and customs. The children drew patterns on Miss Parson’s hands. The children in Owl class drew mendhi patterns. They carefully used fine black pens to draw patterns. The children practised their fine motor hand control using these pens. Beautiful mendhi patterns Lots of needed. concentration Reception Curriculum Information Sheets. Autumn/ Seasonal festivals and customs. Gusford Primary School. Jean Matson. 08 was The children made symmetrical patterns using the pattern blocks. Beautiful patterns were created by the children in reception. The children extended their creative ideas. The reception children drew ‘rangoli’ patterns outside their class. Hindus decorate their homes They drew some by their back door. They used chalk outside. and their temples by drawing beautiful patterns on the The children also used paint, flour and water on the tables in class ground outside. These to make prints. Rangoli Patterns. patterns are made up with a mixture of flour and water. They also used coloured sand in trays to make ‘rangoli’ patterns. Coloured powder such as sand They were all very beautiful. is also used. Rangoli patterns in yellow and white. The children drew rangoli patterns in the spices. They tried to make the patterns symmetrical. The children printed their patterns onto black sugar paper. Reception Curriculum Information Sheets. Autumn/ Seasonal festivals and customs. Gusford Primary School. Jean Matson. 08 Turmeric was the smoothest spice to draw in. Flour and paint rangoli prints. Drawing patterns in spice. Rice was a good medium to make patterns in as well. The children had to concentrate when making patterns. We had a lovely Diwali in Reception and learnt lots of new things and we even learnt to say some words in Hindi. We learnt that ‘Namaste’ meant hello and goodbye! Reception Curriculum Information Sheets. Autumn/ Seasonal festivals and customs. Gusford Primary School. Jean Matson. 08 Look at these amazing symmetrical patterns created independently by our 4 and 5 year old children. The children used pattern blocks to make their own rangoli patterns. Reception Curriculum Information Sheets. Autumn/ Seasonal festivals and customs. Gusford Primary School. Jean Matson. 08 The children’s interest in rangoli patterns developed further. They went to the computer suite and drew symmetrical patterns on the ‘Colour Magic’ program. They also took their play outside and used the nursery sand to draw patterns. I am drawing patterns in the fine green sand. Reception Curriculum Information Sheets. Autumn/ Seasonal festivals and customs. Gusford Primary School. Jean Matson. 08 Did you know? It is thought that our ancestors used The reception children made ‘Soul’ cakes on Thursday. to celebrate New Year on November They tasted a little like Hot cross buns. 1st? • They celebrated their New Year’s Eve on October 31st. ‘Samhain’ marked the end of the season of the sun (summer) and the beginning of the season of cold and darkness (winter). • Halloween comes from ‘All Hallow Even,’ the eve before All Hallows day. Halloween is thought to be the eve of All Saints Day. • Halloween was sometimes called ‘Snap Apple Night,’ in England. A game called Snap Apple was played where apples were hung by string and people had to try and bite them without using their hands. We sometimes play the game bobbing The children also had a go at apple bobbing. We apples in water. all got a little wet in class but had lots of fun. • Many places in England joined Halloween with ‘Mischief Night’ (4th November) when children played tricks on their neighbours. • Another tradition was called ‘souling.’ It was a Christian festival where people would make calls at houses begging for ‘soul cakes.’ It was thought that even strangers could help a soul’s journey to heaven by saying prayers. They would promise to pray in exchange for a cake. We had fun trying to catch the apples. Reception Curriculum Information Sheets. Autumn/ Seasonal festivals and customs. Gusford Primary School. Jean Matson. 08 We got quite wet trying to catch apples. We got a little wet bobbing the apples. Then we remembered we had to have our photos taken so we dried off quickly! We looked at some of our autumn customs. Reception Curriculum Information Sheets. Autumn/ Seasonal festivals and customs. Gusford Primary School. Jean Matson. 08 The children shared an old favourite book about ‘Meg and Mog’ in the book corner. They dressed up to get in the mood. A few strange characters came to listen to the story. • Percy’s hut in the park had visitors from a little witch and a wise old owl. • • The children thought of lots of words beginning with the phoneme ‘m’. They sang a song about a monster on a Monday morning. They made up some magic spells and put things in a cauldron that started with the phoneme ‘m’. Did you know? • • • The children finished off their ‘Seasonal festivals’ by In 1605 in the month of November looking into the history behind the 5th November. it is said that the ‘gunpowder plot’ took place in London. th ‘Remember, remember the 5 of It is said that the Catholics were November, plotting to kill the King of England. In 1605 it is said that a man called, Gunpowder, treason and plot. Guido Fawkes was put in charge of We see no reason why gunpowder the explosives to blow up the houses treason of Parliament and kill the protestant King. He was not the leader but his Should ever be forgot.’ name has been remembered to this day. Catholics were not allowed to Do you remember this old rhyme and wonder practise their religion in public and where it comes from? the King would not change the law. Reception Curriculum Information Sheets. Autumn/ Seasonal festivals and customs. Gusford Primary School. Jean Matson. 08 • • • In celebration of his survival it is said that James 1 ordered that great bonfires would be lit on November 5th. In the 18th century the term ‘Guy’ was used to refer to a dummy which would be paraded round the towns and villages on the anniversary of the plot. Children would ask for money. ‘A penny for the guy’. • • • • • Traditional food on bonfire night is baked potatoes wrapped in tinfoil. Parkin cake, sausages and marsh mallows are traditionally eaten. Many towns and villages have large firework displays. Did you go to Christchurch Park to see the fireworks on Saturday 1st November? In Ottery St. Mary, in Devon, people in the village carry flaming tar barrels through the village. It is quite a sight to see. The first fireworks were made in China over 2,000 years ago. Look at our amazing firework pictures. We used wet chalk to draw on black sugar paper. We even went outside to draw on the pavement. Do you like the indoor or outdoor pictures the best? The children used wet chalk to make the colours brighter. Reception Curriculum Information Sheets. Autumn/ Seasonal festivals and customs. Gusford Primary School. Jean Matson. 08 Beautiful firework created in class. pictures were The sparklers and Catherine wheels were a favourite. The children used an amazing interactive firework program. They had to touch the board as quick as they could to make the fireworks appear. Reception Curriculum Information Sheets. Autumn/ Seasonal festivals and customs. Gusford Primary School. Jean Matson. 08