Weekly Topic: Bonfire Night, Fireworks & Diwali – A Celebration of Light! 🎆🪔✨

This week at Our Lady’s Pre-school, we explored the exciting themes of Bonfire Night, fireworks and Diwali – the Festival of Lights!

Through stories, discussions, creative activities and sensory experiences, the children discovered how different cultures and communities celebrate with light, colour and traditions.

🎆 Bonfire Night – Remember, Remember the 5th of November!

We introduced the children to the story of Bonfire Night, learning in a simple, age-appropriate way about Guy Fawkes, the Gunpowder Plot and the Houses of Parliament in London.

We talked about why people remember the 5th of November and how fireworks and bonfires have become part of this British tradition.

The children enjoyed creating a spectacular 3D bonfire using tissue paper, colourful cellophane and shiny materials. They explored different textures, colours and shapes while working together to build their masterpiece.

We also created beautiful firework pictures using glitter, paint and other creative materials, encouraging the children to express their ideas and develop their imagination.

🪔 Diwali – The Festival of Lights

We also explored Diwali, a special festival celebrated by millions of people around the world, including Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities.

The children learned that light can represent hope, happiness and the triumph of good over evil.

Our activities included:

• Creating colourful Diwali cards and decorations.
• Exploring traditional diya lamps and their beautiful colours.
• Designing henna-inspired hand patterns.
• Using tweezers and colourful pom-poms to decorate paper diyas, developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
• Making bright decorations using colourful and shiny materials.

These experiences encouraged curiosity, creativity and respect for different cultures, religions and traditions.

🗣️ Our Words of the Week

This week, our three focus words were:

🎆 Fireworks – 🪔 Diwali – 🌈 Colourful

Throughout the week, we encouraged the children to listen to, repeat and use these words during stories, conversations and creative activities.

By revisiting the same vocabulary in different situations, we supported the children’s communication, language development and confidence in expressing themselves.

📚 Stories, Conversations and Caring for Our Planet 🌍

Throughout the week, we shared two books about Bonfire Night and Diwali, helping the children develop their listening skills, vocabulary and understanding of celebrations.

We also discussed how fireworks can affect animals, people and the environment. The children were introduced to the idea that we can celebrate in different ways, including using colourful lights and light displays instead of fireworks, helping to reduce noise and pollution.

This supported our growing awareness of climate change, environmental responsibility and caring for the world around us.

🏡 How Can You Support Your Child’s Learning at Home?

Learning becomes even more meaningful when children can connect their preschool experiences with family life.

Here are some simple ways to continue our learning together:

🏛️ Discover London and Parliament

Talk about London, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament. Look at pictures together or, if you have the opportunity, enjoy a family trip to London to see these famous landmarks. Explain that Parliament is where important decisions and laws are discussed and made.

🪔 Explore Different Cultures and Celebrations

Talk about celebrations that are special to your family and learn about those celebrated by others. Look at pictures of Diwali, Christmas, Eid, Hanukkah and other festivals. Discuss what makes each celebration special and what they may have in common.

🎨 Create Your Own Celebration of Light

Use torches, battery-operated candles, colourful paper or recycled materials to create your own light display. Encourage your child to describe the colours, patterns and shapes they can see.

🌍 Think About Our Environment

Talk about how we can protect animals and our planet. Discuss why some animals may be frightened by loud fireworks and explore quieter ways of celebrating. Small conversations like these help children develop kindness and environmental awareness.

🗣️ Practise Our Words of the Week

Help your child remember our three focus words: fireworks, Diwali and colourful.

Use these words naturally in everyday conversations. For example:

• “What colours can you see?”
• “Can you remember what we learned about Diwali?”
• “What do fireworks look like in the sky?”

Encourage your child to share what they remember, allowing plenty of time for them to respond. Repetition and positive encouragement help build vocabulary and communication skills.

📖 Share Stories and New Words

Read books about celebrations, lights and different traditions. Encourage your child to talk about what they remember from preschool. Introduce descriptive words such as sparkle, bright, dark, colourful, celebrate, tradition and environment.

❤️ Learning Together, Celebrating Differences

At Our Lady’s Pre-school, we believe it is important for children to learn about the world around them, appreciate different cultures and develop respect for others.

This week’s activities supported many areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage, particularly Understanding the World, Communication and Language, Expressive Arts and Design, Physical Development, and Personal, Social and Emotional Development.

We are very proud of the children’s enthusiasm, creativity and curiosity throughout the week!

Thank you for supporting your child’s learning at home and helping us celebrate the wonderful diversity of our community.

The Our Lady’s Pre-school Team