It’s been a busy November and December at Bangers & Smash with Christmas plays, concerts and events to prepare for and projects to bring to a close!
Kitty and Sarah presenting Carols in the Wildlife Garden
Kitty has continued to run indoor and outdoor sessions at Crystal Nurseries, Mother Goose Greendale, Under the Willow and School Outdoors Dulwich as well as hosting a Zoom Christmas Concert for Mother Goose Greendale and presenting Carols in the Wildlife Garden with Bangers & Smash co-founder, Sarah Allen.
Crystal Nurseries and Mother Goose Greendale
Diwali and Bonfire Night
Children and staff at Crystal Nurseries and Mother Goose Greendale celebrated Diwali and Bonfire Night in the first part of November.
They enjoyed:
looking at pictures of rangoli patterns and Diwali lights while singing:
Diwali Is Coming
This Is The Way We Clean The House (to the tune of Here We Go Round The Mulberry Bush)
looking at a branch and listening to the leaves shaking
talking about Bonfire Night and singing:
Bangers & Smash original, Red Flames, Yellow Flames
On Bonfire Night
Christmas
Crystal Nurseries then began rehearsals for their Christmas concerts, which we performed on Zoom and video in mid-December.
A couple of Santa’s reindeer!
Children and staff enjoyed dressing up as Mary & Joseph, shepherds, kings, angels, stars, robins, reindeer, Santas and trains and singing, dancing and playing to festive songs and carols, including:
When Santa Got Stuck Up The Chimney
Jingle Bells
Rockin’ Robin
Mary Had A Baby
Twinkle, Twinkle, Christmas Star
Away In A Manger
Silent Night
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Meanwhile, children and staff at Mother Goose Greendale practised festive songs for their Zoom Christmas Concert on Sunday 19 December.
All set to start the Mother Goose Zoom Christmas Concert!
Over 25 families and members of staff attended and we had fun tapping wooden spoons to make the sound of Rudolph’s hooves, shaking bells in Jingle Bells and showing everyone our special stars and crowns!
Under the Willow and School Outdoors Dulwich
Under the Willow and School Outdoors Dulwich brought their termly projects to a close with Project Celebrations for parents and carers on Thursday 25 November.
Animals
Staff and children at Under the Willow presented poems, songs and activities based on the themes of Minibeasts, Animals on Land and Animals Under the Sea.
An animal crown
Children dressed up in animal crowns and sang and danced to:
A Worm Is Very Wiggly
Incey Wincey Spider
There’s A Tiny Caterpillar On A Leaf
Sticky Situation by Kiko Bun
The Ladybugs’ Picnic
Down In The Jungle
One Big Elephant
Monkey, Monkey, Up The Tree
Bangers & Smash original, Monkeys Are Clever
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, Once I Caught A Fish Alive
Little Crab
The Children Went To Sea, Sea, Sea
Baby Shark
Under The Sea from The Little Mermaid
Trees
Meanwhile, staff and children at School Outdoors Dulwich presented songs and activities based on the theme of Trees.
Getting ready for School Outdoors Dulwich’s Project Celebration!
Children played the names of nuts and fruits on sticks and shakers and sang and danced to:
Five Little Leaves
The Parts Of Trees
If You’re Ever In The Forest
Bangers & Smash original, I Like Trees
Under The Baobab Tree
Yellow Bird
Fanga Alafia
Both nurseries celebrated Christmas with performances for parents and carers, including festive songs at Under the Willow and a musical play at School Outdoors Dulwich.
Carols in the Wildlife Garden
And finally, Kitty and Sarah presented their annual Carols in the Wildlife Garden event on Sunday 12 December.
Over 80 people turned up to make Christmas wreaths, sing festive songs and share mulled drinks and mince pies around the fire pit in the Mother Goose Wildlife Garden in Camberwell.
Making Christmas wreaths in the Mother Goose Wildlife Garden
One happy Mum said: ‘My daughter instructed me that if you ever have any other events, we have to go. She loved it!’
To read Kitty’s blog post about Carols in the Wildlife Garden, please click here.
Merry Christmas from Bangers & Smash!
We’d like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Bangers & Smash – we look forward to seeing you in 2022!