Armed with hoops, magnetic sticks, and plenty of chalk, the Brilliant Pandas worked in groups to create their movable clocks. Using the hoops as clock faces, they carefully positioned the magnetic sticks as hour and minute hands. Each group was challenged to show different times on their clocks, and they did a fantastic job discussing where the hands should go and why.

The Brilliant Pandas got creative, making beautiful Easter baskets for the big Easter Egg Hunt. From colouring to cutting and composing, these little artists were hands-on and full of smiles.

The Brilliant Pandas had a wonderful time playing a lively circle game, passing the ball around with bright smiles and enthusiasm. They stayed focused and listened attentively, building their concentration and listening skills. When the music stopped, they laughed delightfully and quickly tossed the ball to a friend, creating moments of surprise and joy. This playful activity supported their social interaction, turn-taking, and ability to respond to musical cues with coordination and timing.

The Brilliant Pandas put their minds to the test. From team challenges to brain-boosting games, our young strategists sharpened their skills and thought several moves ahead, all in preparation for mastering the chessboard.

The Fashion Show was a great success and the school raised a lot of money for this year’s charity- Hungarian Children’s Rescue Foundation. Following the show, the class had the opportunity to explore one of their ambulances. They explored all the equipment carried in the ambulance and learnt a lot. The children had the chance to ask the paramedics all of their questions, as they were very excited and curious.

The Brilliant Pandas are excited as they dive into the fascinating world of honey bees. Recently, they have been exploring the life cycle of these incredible pollinators and using their creativity to build stunning beehives made from recycled materials.

Circle dances are rooted in the rich tradition of communities coming together through movement—a practice that is both timeless and profoundly relevant today in fostering connection and unity. Dancing in a circle nurtures the mind, body, and spirit, offering a joyful way for people of all ages and abilities to participate. As Michaelsen explains, “Circle dance is a very accessible form of dance for people of all ages and abilities, emphasising participation, not performance.” Through this shared experience, the Brilliant Pandas learn to cooperate, follow steps together, and develop a sense of belonging and contribution within the group.

The Brilliant Pandas are leveling up their chess game. During our recent lessons, they mastered positioning chess pieces across files and ranks, sharpening their strategic skills. But that’s not all. They also unlocked the knight’s special moves through fun and engaging games, making bold jumps across the board!

The Brilliant Pandas had an amazing outdoor art experience, connecting with nature as they sketched delicate leaf branches and fragrant lavender sprigs. This hands-on activity helped them sharpen their observation skills, enhance their memory, and refine their artistic imitation techniques. Watching their creativity bloom in the fresh air was truly inspiring.

The Brilliant Pandas are on a chess adventure. In their recent lessons, they have masterfully mastered the movements of each chess piece, gliding along the ranks and files with precision. Through engaging and mindful games, our young strategists are building confidence, focus, and tactical skills.

For young children, movement is fundamental to body awareness. The Brilliant Pandas are discovering what their bodies can do, defining their physical boundaries, and refining their understanding of each body part’s role—both independently and in coordination with others. They are learning to navigate the full spectrum of physical activity through movement, from energetic motion to moments of stillness. This growing awareness lays the foundation for confidence, coordination, and control.

​The Brilliant Pandas learnt about animal habitats through a fun and interactive activity. We started with a brief introduction to different habitats and their features, then headed to the garden, where the children drew pictures of various animals. There were pictures to inspire them, or the children could choose their animals. The pictures were done carefully, and the class was proud of their creations. The children then placed their animals on the image of the habitat where that animal lives. It was a fantastic way to combine learning with creativity.

​During the recent chess lessons, our little grandmasters-in-the-making dived into the fascinating world of the Bishop. They explored how this powerful piece glides across the board diagonally and played exciting games to master its positioning. But that is not all. The children also sharpened their understanding of ranks and files by revisiting different chess pieces’ movements. They’re developing strategic thinking through fun-filled activities and interactive learning, one move at a time.

The Brilliant Pandas enjoyed exploring their creativity during our recent art activity. With watercolour brushes in hand and imaginations set free, our young artists dove into the colourful world of watercolour doodling. Using playful lines, shapes, and dots, they transformed blank sheets into vibrant masterpieces, each unique expression of their creativity. This was just the first step in our doodling project, and we cannot wait to see where their artistic journey takes them next.

Graphic notation is a term that refers to any written or visual music system that represents sounds and silence using simple pictures, shapes, or symbols instead of traditional music notes and rests. This alternative method of notation allows musicians, especially young learners, to explore musical concepts more intuitively and visually engagingly. Because of its simplicity, graphic notation gives the Brilliant Pandas an accessible and creative introduction to music, helping them connect sounds with visual representations. Recognising patterns, shapes, and symbols, they can develop a foundational understanding of rhythm, pitch, and dynamics before transitioning to standard notation. This approach fosters early musical literacy and encourages creative expression, allowing children to experiment with making and interpreting music in a way that feels natural and fun. As they grow more comfortable with these visual cues, they build confidence in their musical abilities, paving the way for a smoother transition into reading and playing traditional sheet music in the future.

As part of our current Unit of Inquiry, the Brilliant Pandas are diving into the fascinating world of different systems—both in humans and animals. To kick things off in a fun and interactive way, the class headed outside to explore the stages of a frog’s life cycle. Each group was assigned a specific stage—frogspawn, tadpole, froglet, or frog—and had the chance to act it out! From the early stages of frogspawn to the fully grown frog, the students brought the life cycle to life through movement and creativity. It was an engaging and memorable way to start this exciting topic.

Our young chess geniuses are mastering the art of strategic movement, learning how each piece navigates the board across ranks and files! Through engaging games and interactive challenges, the Brilliant Pandas sharpen their skills, boost their confidence, and deepen their understanding of chess tactics. Every move they make brings them closer to becoming future grandmasters.

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The Brilliant Pandas had an exciting and hands-on learning experience as they explored the magic of cool and warm colours! Inspired by the beauty of nature, they used their creativity and imagination to bring their surroundings to life through art. From the calming blues and greens of the sky and trees to the fiery reds and oranges of a glowing sunset, these young artists embraced the power of colour to express themselves. Their masterpieces reflect their artistic skills and their deep connection with the world around them.

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Engaging the Brilliant Pandas in finger play by individually touching each finger helps them develop an awareness of their fingers as distinct from one another. Children gradually learn to move their fingers independently, starting with the thumb and index finger. This skill, finger isolation, is essential for fine motor development. Strengthening finger isolation supports crucial everyday tasks such as holding a pencil correctly, using scissors, buttoning and zipping clothing, tying shoelaces, and playing musical instruments.

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The Brilliant Pandas’ current Unit of Inquiry has been global climates. As part of this, the children discussed the weather daily during circle time and used technology to check the weather.

Recently, the Brilliant Pandas took a step closer to nature by going into the garden to collect various natural materials to create wind catchers. This hands-on activity allowed them to connect with the environment while engaging their fine motor skills. This was a fun and creative way to understand the effects of wind and weather.

This week, our young chess enthusiasts had an exciting time learning and mastering the placement of chess pieces on the board.  They also dived deeper into understanding the important concepts of ‘Ranks’ and ‘Files’ through fun and engaging games!   It is incredible to see their skills and strategies grow with every session.

The Brilliant Pandas had an amazing time practising their drawing skills while creating the most imaginative snowmen ever!  Armed with crayons and vivid imaginations, each child brought their snowman to life with unique colours and designs. Every snowman was a masterpiece, as unique as the child who created it!  The joy and excitement on their faces during the process were truly heartwarming. Watching creativity bloom is one of the most rewarding parts of what we do!

Exploring and playing instruments is a fantastic way to strengthen fine motor skills, and the Brilliant Pandas are discovering this firsthand. For example, playing the glockenspiel involves holding a mallet with a pincer grip, a motion that directly supports skills needed for writing, sports, and learning to play other musical instruments. The Brilliant Pandas are encouraged to use both hands while playing to enhance their development further. This practice strengthens their dominant hand and helps build coordination and strength in their non-dominant hand. Through these engaging activities, the Brilliant Pandas are laying the foundation for a wide range of skills—all while having fun making music.

The children have been participating in an exciting project where they planned and built their castles using recycled materials. First, they discussed what their castles would look like and what resources they would need. Parents supplied various excellent materials, and the children looked at pictures of different castles to spark ideas. As they explored other parts of the castle, new vocabulary was introduced, such as “battlements,” “drawbridge,” and “moat.” The children used their creativity in groups to design and build their castles. They told countless stories about what each part of their castles did—catching bad guys, holding secret cameras, setting traps, and even having arrow shooters! The children had a fantastic time working together, coming up with striking and creative ideas. It was an excellent opportunity for them to learn about design, construction, and teamwork while exploring the world of STEM.

​The Brilliant Pandas levelled up in their latest chess class! They deepened their understanding of how different chess pieces move, reviewing how each one travels along the ranks and files of the chessboard. Special focus was given to the Rook, and the children had a blast learning its unique movements! Through fun, interactive games, they made learning both enjoyable and effective.

The Brilliant Pandas are diving into the world of polar animals in their latest art lessons. As part of their exploration, they painted adorable polar bears during a free-hand painting activity, using fun stamp painting techniques to create their furry friends. The children loved experimenting with this technique, adding texture and creativity to their artwork while learning more about these incredible animals.

The Brilliant Pandas had an exciting time tuning into the unique sound of the slide whistle, transitioning from low to high and high to low.  This helped them connect to glissando, where sound moves fluidly in pitch.

The children engaged in a dynamic, multi-sensory activity, using their voices and body movements to mimic the sound and shape of the glissando. This hands-on approach stimulates multiple brain areas, deepening their understanding of musical concepts in a fun and interactive way.

Incorporating movement and sound makes the learning process more impactful, enjoyable, and long-lasting, creating a strong musical foundation! 

The Brilliant Pandas have been very busy learning about mass. We participated in a carousel of activities, each designed to engage and expand every child’s learning. To introduce the topic, the class used a balance scale to compare the mass of various items, predicting which would be heavier before measuring them. This activity then progressed to using digital scales to calculate the exact mass of one or more items in grams and then compare their masses. On the SmartBoard, the children played a game where they read an analogue scale and typed in their answers. The third activity involved baking cupcakes. The children were responsible for measuring the ingredients’ mass and mixing the cake batter. They then enjoyed the cupcakes as part of their afternoon snack.

Checkmate in the making! In our recent chess classes, the Brilliant Pandas had an amazing time diving into the world of chess. They learned how to position each piece on the board and discovered the unique moves and special features of every piece.

To make learning extra fun, they played engaging games that sharpened their skills while keeping the excitement high. It’s wonderful to see their confidence grow as they master this classic game!

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The Christmas spirit was in full swing as the kids let their imaginations run wild! Armed with crayons, markers, and a lot of holiday cheer, they drew their Christmas trees and decorated them exactly how they envisioned.

Each tree was as unique and creative as the little artists, from glittery ornaments to colourful lights.

In the fun-filled activity Beat and No Beat, the Brilliant Pandas honed their listening skills by carefully distinguishing between music with a beat and without one.  As they listened, they responded creatively, exploring movement and expression based on what they heard.

This activity is more than just fun—developing rhythmic awareness through music helps children recognise patterns and rhythms in the world around them, enhancing their ability to speak, read, and listen with fluency and understanding. Identifying these rhythmic structures lays a strong foundation for literacy and communication, making learning more enjoyable and meaningful.

Through this playful exploration, the Brilliant Pandas are building skills that will support their musical and language development in exciting ways.

The Brilliant Pandas have been blending tech and nature in our latest TRIBES activity. The children explored the garden in their TRIBES groups, snapping photos on the school tablets. They then used those photos to create their garden maps. So much thought and creativity went into their designs, and the results were amazing! We wrapped up with a class reflection, sharing what went well and ideas for improvement next time. The children could not decide if they loved taking photos or drawing the maps more – both were a hit!

The Brilliant Pandas are diving into chess basics! They’re mastering the names, features, and movements of chess pieces while playing games that teach them the art of strategy.

The Brilliant Pandas celebrated St. Nicholas Day by crafting stunning paper plate boots! They had endless fun during their art lesson, from painting to lacing and decorating.

Listening, thinking, and making choices are required for the Brilliant Pandas to pay attention to the sound prompts in this game. In this process, they are using and developing their listening skills. They are using and developing their creative thinking skills as they think about the sounds in nature and imitate them (e.g., a bear’s growl). Finally, as they choose and use these sounds in the game, they are exercising choice and strengthening their listening awareness.

The Brilliant Pandas explored directions through exciting games! From running challenges to guiding blindfolded teammates, they have been practising forwards, backwards, left, and right in a fun and interactive way.

The Brilliant Pandas took their chess skills to the next level with the enchanting story ‘The Campfire’, which brought each chess piece to life in a relatable and exciting way. They also mastered chessboard ranks with fun activities like ‘hide and seek’ and the energetic ‘bean bag dance.’ Learning chess has never been this lively and engaging.

The Brilliant Pandas got into the Thanksgiving spirit with a fun pumpkin painting activity. Using water-resistant techniques and vibrant watercolours, they brought their pumpkins to life with creativity and excitement.

Our brains are hard-wired to see patterns and sequences in the world around us. Learning to see or hear and then recall patterns and sequences means that we can extract meaning from information, language, music, and movement and organise the information to remember it more easily. As the Brilliant Pandas develop the ability to recognise and decode patterns and sequences, their learning potential is greatly enhanced because their brains build skills in prediction and categorisation, which can be applied to any new information they encounter.

The Brilliant Pandas have been learning about ordinal numbers. Rather than sitting on the carpet, staring at the board or flicking through a book, we took our adventure outside for some racing. Each race consisted of different actions and movements, and we discussed who came to which place after each. The children were very good at tracking their classmate’s positions and could go much further than the traditional first, second and third place. They all encouraged one another, and there were no negative reactions from those who did not win. The fresh air and active learning programme meant the children had much fun and were engaged throughout the lesson.

The Brilliant Pandas dove into the fundamentals of chess, learning each piece’s names, movements, and unique characteristics. They had a great time navigating the chessboard and exploring ranks and files. A highlight of their week was the musical chess game, paired with some delightful chess-themed rhymes.

In a step-by-step directed drawing activity, the children illustrated rainy scenes complete with colourful umbrellas. This guided experience encouraged independent drawing and nurtured their artistic confidence.

Through singing games, the Brilliant Pandas are developing critical social skills that will benefit them into adulthood. They learn to take turns and wait patiently, as well as how to work cooperatively with others. These activities also encourage them to observe and consider each other’s ideas. They practice leading and following, which builds both skills and confidence. Additionally, they improve their abilities to watch, listen, and communicate effectively with one another.

The Brilliant Pandas have recently been learning about 2D shapes and their different properties. After a discussion using the Smart Board, we went outside to the garden and played a running game in which the children had to identify the correct shapes. They then collected a giant pile of leaves and practised their cutting skills as they used scissors to cut out the different shapes before placing them in the correct area of the football pitch.

The Brilliant Pandas enjoyed an active day at Rolli Polli, tying in perfectly with our unit on health and fitness! They practised gross motor skills through rolling, jumping, and climbing, and absolutely loved the giant inflatable trampoline. Each movement helps build their strength and coordination, all while having a blast!

Imagine the brain as a set of filing cabinets! For Brilliant Pandas, each clap, stomp, and movement strengthens brain connections, boosting multi-tasking and problem-solving skills. These fun sound and movement activities help build pathways that support lifelong learning!

With Halloween just around the corner, Brilliant Pandas painted webs and spiders in a fun water-resistant project. They loved bringing these spooky images to life with watercolours!

The Brilliant Pandas buzzed with excitement during chess class! They learned the names, moves, and personalities of each piece, practising how to navigate the board through ‘ranks’ and ‘files’ with fun games and rhymes to remember.

During the chess lesson in Brilliant Pandas class, the children were introduced to the basics of chess, from the names and features of the pieces to understanding the ranks and files on the chessboard. They engaged in various chess-related games and enjoyed learning chess rhymes, which added a fun twist to the lesson. The children’s favourite activity was the musical chess game, where they walked in a circle, anticipating when a chess piece would be raised so they could sit down and participate in the game. They also enjoyed playing the “passing the chess piece” game, reinforcing their learning playfully and interactively.

The Brilliant Pandas have been continuing our unit of inquiry on how to keep ourselves healthy. This week, the focus was on hand washing and good hygiene. We discussed when we should wash our hands and why it is important to do it properly. To symbolise how germs spread, the children put a glitter mixture on their hands, symbolising the germs, and then the class shook hands with one another. The children were shocked to see how much the ’germs’ had spread around the class. To investigate the best way to wash our hands, the class experimented using different water temperatures with soap or not. First, we hypothesised what would happen, and after the experiment, we compared our predictions to what actually happened.

Children are naturally inclined to move, and in our Brilliant Pandas classes, we harness this innate energy through creative movement activities. These experiences are multi-layered, allowing children to explore their world physically while expressing their thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Creative movement is an invaluable brain-building tool, engaging multiple learning modalities, including auditory, visual, tactile, kinesthetic, spatial, and conceptual learning. Through these activities, Brilliant Pandas develop their physical coordination and strengthen executive function skills such as problem-solving, comparing, and experimenting with new ideas.
Movement in our classes is more than just physical activity; it’s a rich cognitive experience saturated with opportunities for language development. Children engage in receptive language (understanding others) and expressive language (sharing their thoughts and ideas), fostering communication skills crucial for their overall development. By weaving together physical, cognitive, and linguistic elements, we create an environment where children can flourish, building confidence in their ability to explore the world and communicate their ideas effectively. These early experiences lay the foundation for lifelong learning and emotional resilience.

The children at Brilliant Pandas had a fantastic time creating harvest baskets! They began the activity by colouring basket samples and fruits with vibrant oil pastels. After that, they cut out their designs and glued them together to form delightful fruit harvest baskets. This hands-on project encouraged their creativity and helped strengthen their colouring, cutting, and sticking skills. What a wonderful way to celebrate the harvest!

During their chess lesson, the Brilliant Pandas delved into the basics of chess with a captivating tale about the “Chess Palace.” They got to know the names and characteristics of the chess pieces through various games and catchy rhymes, making the learning process both fun and memorable.

The Brilliant Pandas began the school year with excitement, learning about themselves through mirror self-portraits. They collaborated on tribe-themed artwork, shared summer memories, and familiarized themselves with art room routines. They also enjoyed directed drawing lessons to depict pandas and celebrated International Dot Day with colorful dots and patterns.

Taking the learning outdoors allows for the lesson to become a multi-sensory experience. The Brilliant Pandas have been utilising this for our maths lessons. The large open space allows for a carousel of different activities to keep the children busy and engaged whilst also being in a natural and calming environment. Sending the children running off in all directions to find a set number of leaves, sticks or stones meant that not only were they practising their counting skills but also being active in their learning and expanding their language skills. A giant hopscotch was drawn on the football pitch, and the children had a lot of fun calling out the numbers as they jumped between the boxes. Those who would benefit from additional challenges were then asked to jump over one or two boxes at a time to improve their skip-counting abilities.

Our Unit of Enquiry is currently exploring how to keep our bodies healthy. Keeping active and natural fresh air go hand in hand to achieving this. We began our journey in the classroom where the class learnt about the heart and how it works. We discussed what we thought might happen to our heart rate when we exercise, but the class was divided and unsure. The learning then moved into the garden, and we played some running around games. The children were very excited to be able to check their heart rates and discover their own answers to the previous question. Learning experiences such as these not only promote the children’s love for learning but also their ability to research and find answers for themselves.

Pretend play enhances learning by engaging multiple areas of development simultaneously, including physical, social, emotional, mathematical, musical, language, and literacy skills. Through pretend play with others, the Brilliant Pandas are learning how to transition from concrete physical experiences to more abstract symbolic thinking, such as creating mental images. Their literacy skills are also evolving as they use symbolic thinking and language to structure simple actions into more complex sequences and imaginative scenarios. This lesson strongly emphasises pretend play activities, which simultaneously stimulate various areas of the brain, providing the Brilliant Pandas with valuable opportunities to practice and develop concrete and abstract skills. The approach supports a holistic method of learning, enabling children to grow in multiple developmental domains while having fun.