Investigations - nurturing tadpoles to observe life cycles
Spring brings many changes in nature, and it is a great chance to discuss growth and new life with the children.
This year, Reception were fortunate to be able to learn about the life cycle of a frog, through a lovely first-hand experience, curtesy of grandparent with a ponds They passed on a jar of frogspawn for the children to look after and observe. The tadpoles were transferred into a large tank and a rock and pond weed were added to make the environment a little more natural.
As the tadpoles hatched, they caused a lot of excitement and the children loved watching them swim about. Later, a number of pond snails and lettuce were added. They were really greedy and Mrs Buckby, from the kitchen, had to keep the creatures well stocked up with leaves.
The children loved nurturing the tadpoles but, as they grew, they were passed back the grandparents. This was an important step, as the tadpoles needed to be returned to their pond as they grew bigger and started to develop legs. It is exciting to know that these tadpoles will develop into froglets soon, on their way to becoming frogs.
High-quality experiences such as this are a fantastic introduction to the Science syllabus the children will study throughout school.
