Sea Transport Week at Monkey Puzzle Marleigh
At Monkey Puzzle Marleigh, we rounded off our transport-themed topic with a week all about sea transport. All three rooms took part, from our youngest babies right up to preschool, with each group exploring boats, ships and water in a way perfectly suited to their age and stage of early years development.
Preschool: Why Do Boats Float?
Our preschool children started the week with some big questions. They talked together about why heavy objects can float and how the shape of a boat helps it stay on top of the water. Then it was time to put their ideas to the test with sink or float experiments using a variety of found objects. Making a prediction, trying it out and seeing what happens is the very beginning of scientific thinking, and a brilliant way to build curiosity and confidence ahead of starting school.
Toddlers: Small Boats and Very Big Ships
In the toddler room, the children learned the difference between small boats and very large ships, and what those ships might carry, from everyday items to the foods we eat (bananas included). It’s a lovely, hands-on way for toddlers to compare sizes, grow their vocabulary and start connecting the wider world to the things they see at home every day.
Babies: Splashes, Ripples and First Words
Our babies explored a range of sensory activities, including pushing boats through water. As they played, they could see how their own actions made the boats move and created ripples, an early lesson in cause and effect. Our focus words were ‘boat’, ‘ship’, ‘splash’ and ‘on’, giving little ones simple, repeated words to hear and begin to use as their language develops.
How Themed Learning Helps Your Child
Topic weeks like this let children explore one idea in real depth, with every room approaching it at just the right level. For your child, that means learning through play that builds early science skills, language and communication, and a growing understanding of the world around them, all while having a genuinely good time. It’s one of the many ways our Cambridge nursery and childcare team supports every child’s development through the early years.