This week we have had some very tiny visitors in nursery, 4 chicks! During the visit from the chicks the children showed significant interest in the new arrivals. They spent a considerable amount of time observing the chicks in their enclosure, pointing and using a variety of nouns to describe their actions, "eating " while watching a chick peck at food, "drinking" as one dipped its beak into the water, and "running" as they moved quickly around their space.
When given the opportunity to gently hold a chick, the children approached with caution but followed instructions to use "kind hands and quiet voices. They stroked the chick's head gently with one finger, maintaining a quiet voice as prompted. This demonstrates developing self-regulation in managing their own behaviour and understanding the need to be gentle with living things. 
We discussed the life cycle of the chicks, the children recalled that the chicks came out of an egg and we spoke about what the chicks would look like when they grow. The children found the chicken out of a group of farm animals and linked this with the growth that we would see!