In this topic, we will be looking at houses old and new and finding out how our streets have changed over the years. Finding out where our grandparents  went to school or worked.

Children will have the opportunity to make maps and plans of the streets around us, planning routes. Questions such as - What can you see? What can we find? Where do you live? Do you know your address?

Children will learn how to write instructions, directions, adverts and learn rhymes all about our community from different times.   

We will visit the community and plant our own plants in the polytunnel. The final focus of the project will be to sell/share the winter pansies we have grown with the community during the Christmas fete.

We will be listening to a range of stories linked to the topic this term.  Gruffalo Granny, On the Way Home and the Jolly Postman are the books that we will be linking to our  journeys of writing. Our 3 journeys of writing will focus on  story retell, Diary writing and instruction writing. 

Supporting Learning at Home: Street Detectives

Keep activities short, fun, and talk‑focused. Learning happens best through play, conversation, and curiosity.

📚 Reading together

Share community‑themed stories such as The Jolly Postman, Katie Morag, The Smartest Giant in Town, or simple non‑fiction books about buildings, maps, transport, and people who help us.

🗣️ Talk about vocabulary

Encourage children to use words like street, community, building, pavement, route, map, sign, shop, traffic, neighbourhood.

✏️ Simple writing

Write a postcard describing something spotted on a walk. Make a short fact file about a local building or community helper. Compose a sentence using a “wow word” (e.g. busy street, towering flats, colourful shopfront).

🔢 Counting & grouping

Count cars, windows, doors, road signs, flowers, bins, or patterns on buildings.

🔁 Patterns

Create repeating patterns using everyday objects (leaf, stone, leaf, stone).

🧠 Problem solving

“If we see 10 cars and 4 drive away, how many are left.” “How many steps does it take to walk from our door to the lamppost.”

📏 Measuring

Compare lengths and heights of buildings, fences, lampposts, or pavements (longer/shorter, taller/shorter).

🎨 Art & craft

Paint or collage a picture of your street. Make simple houses or shops from cardboard boxes. Create a map of your neighbourhood using paper, pens, and recycled materials.

🎶 Music & movement

Sing songs about journeys or travelling. Move like community helpers — march like a police officer, deliver letters like a postman, sweep like a street cleaner.

🐾 Talk about animals

Notice birds, insects, and pets in the community. Discuss where they live and what they need.

🧱 Materials

Look for brick, wood, metal, plastic, and glass. Talk about why different materials are used for buildings and objects.

🏙️ Habitats

Discuss where people live, work, and play. Talk about why parks, shops, and homes are important in a community.

🔍 Mini research

Watch short child‑friendly videos about towns, maps, or people who help us and talk about what you learn.

💬 Encourage children to explain their ideas

“What is your favourite place on our street and why.” “What might you see on a busy road.” “What would you add to make our community even better.”

🎭 Role play

Pretend to run a shop, be a bus driver, a builder, a librarian, or a café worker.

❓ Question prompts

“What do you think this building is used for.” “Who might work here.” “How do we know where to go.”

🌍 Talk about looking after the community

Why litter is harmful. How families can help keep streets clean. Why recycling matters.

🤝 Encourage turn‑taking and sharing

During role play, building activities, or map‑making.

🚶 Real‑world exploring

Visit the local park, high street, library, or community centre. Spot different types of buildings and signs. Use Google Earth to “travel” around your town or explore famous cities.

🧺 Create a “street detective basket”

Fill it with small objects such as stones, leaves, toy vehicles, photos of buildings, and simple maps for imaginative play.