Every year we dedicate some extra time to learning about science and nature. We do experiments inside and outside of the classroom. We have made our own chalk that we can use in the nursery and we made butter for our snack time. We have blown up balloons using carbon dioxide, made salt crystals and grew bacteria. We have done many more science experiments and our next experiment will be to make our own biodiversity to study.

For our nature studies we hatch out chicks every year and last year we also hatched some butterflies and let them go in the nature garden nearby. We will be making a nature area to our garden in the new year with homes for all sorts of wildlife.

At Amberley Hall Nursery we take the children to the beach every term. We visit a local beach. It’s not your typical beach with golden sand and blue sea it’s a rugged place that is a site of special scientific interest. It has a diverse range of wildlife varying from seals to peregrine falcons. We take the children on the train from Clifton with all our buckets and spades, thermometers, kites etc.

The children then get the chance to use the time in the way that they want. Some want to dig or collect seaweed, some want to run and jump, some are interested in the noisy kittiwakes flying overhead. We make a small fire to cook our hot lunch and we toast marshmallows. We have found that this type of outdoor learning is extremely beneficial to all the children and we have noticed that it is especially helpful for children who find it hard to engage. By letting the children do their own thing we were amazed by some of the children and the differences in them.

In the brilliant sunshine we held our summer concerts. The theme this summer was The Circus. Parents, grandparents and friends watched their children put on a great show. We had a Ring Master, clowns, strong men, gymnasts, jugglers and cheer leaders. Parents and children enjoyed a picnic in the garden; some of the cakes for the picnic were made by the children.

This summer the children all went on a hunt for Shaun The Sheep around Bristol, we could walk to some but had to take the bus or train to some of  the others. We took photos of each sheep that we found and had lovely days out all summer long.

We are now on the Gromit Trail. We have been to Temple Mead Station on the train, found three there, and then came back to nursery on the bus. So far we have found Newshound, Tutangromit, Bushed, Golden Gromit, Dog Rose, Blossom, Sugar Plumb, a Mandrill's best friend, Gromit-o-matic, and it's Kraken Gromit.

We borrowed an incubator and bought some fertile eggs then let the children hatch them out in spring, they have now grown and are laying their own eggs that the children are selling.

The children are dancing to raise money for the orphanage that we support in Nepal. The children raised this by doing a Strictly Come Dancing Marathon. Look in the Gallery for pictures.

We are doing a project about children around the world, as part of this we want to adopt the Angel Orphanage in Nepal. Evans grandparents run this orphanage and instead of fundraising for children in need we would like to ask you to support us to fund raise for these children. We hope to exchange photos and letters with the children.

The Children around the world project is going well. The children have been served food from 8 different countries. These include Italian, French, Asian, West Indian, American, Scottish, Arabic and Mexican. Some of the foods the children were introduced to included duck, goat, shellfish, and haggis. The menus were a great success, and now parents are bringing in their favourite recipes from foreign countries for Kate to cook.

We are making instruments from around the world and soon will perform music by Our Children Around the World Orchestra.

Fund raising for the Angel Orphanage in Nepal totalled £780.00.