Year 1 Update – Week 32
How the World Works
Central Idea: People explore the properties of materials to help them design and make.
Next week we will tune into our new unit of inquiry by sorting and classifying materials according to the children’s own categories. They will be encouraged to explain their thinking and extend their descriptive, scientific vocabulary. The children will continue to think about the similarities and differences between different materials.
Mathletics: – There are now some more activities open. Please enjoy supporting your child with these tasks. If your child is not yet logging onto Mathletics independently please support them to do so.
Please help the children to complete the Mathletics tasks that have been assigned to your child. The children can also enjoy Maths Live and play other children live across the world.
Next week in reading we will continue to focus on the strategy of inferring. The children will be taught how they can make inferences when they read by looking for clues in the text and combining this with their schema (background knowledge). Inference is an important reading strategy that can show a deeper understanding of texts.
Next week we will build up the scientific language work that the children did this week. They will be exploring descriptive scientific vocabulary and building a class vocabulary wall.
Unit 5 Phonics:
1L – Kei Balenieri
1P – Raina Law
1W – Ryoma Kobayashi
Hopefully the weather will be improving over the next few days. A good way to enjoy the summer weather is going on a family bike ride. Below is an article from Little Steps Asia about family friendly bike rides around Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Family Friendly Cycling Trails and Routes
Prepare to be impressed by the maze of bike paths for families at Tseung Kwan O! These wheel-friendly (not-car-friendly) roads are not only well-done but offer a slew of variety for bikers and bladers of all ages. Journey through tunnels, stop for a picnic or play at one of Hong Kong’s largest playgrounds. We recommend starting at the Velodrome where you will find a bike rental company catering to kids and adults (they have tandem too). The trail is directly in front of their store. One famous route is starting at Veledrome and biking along the seaside to Tiu Keng Leng where you can grab a coffee at the impressive Hong Kong Design Institute and then explore a very groovy outdoor playground and the Tiu Keng Lane library (English section here too). Note, the Velodrome has an awesome playground and park by the entrance making it a favorite stop once you return the bikes. Want more? Take the kids inside the Velodrome to see the professional cyclists – it’s a real sensory experience.
Bike Paths In Tseung Kwan O, Start at Velodrome, Po Hong Road, Tseung Kwan O. Rent your bike at the entrance of Velodrome and start your journey on the paths. Click here for more details on ways to access Tseung Kwan O paths.
Take a ferry to Cheung Chau Island from Central Ferry Pier for a full day of adventure. With kids we suggest you head past the main areas and into the tiny streets to explore local life. For bike rentals, you will find plenty! The area that has the most rental options is Pak Tai Temple area (Pak She Praya Road by basketball court). For little legs, you can also rent tuk-tuks. You can bike the whole island including the seaside (packed with yummy restaurants), the beachside, the town (a real local feel), and up to Reclining Rock and Cheung Po Tsai Cave. Inspired – we hope so!
Cheung Chau Island Biking, www.littlestepsasia.com/hong-kong/articles/play/cheung-chau-island. Catch the ferry from Pier No. 5 at Central Ferry Pier. The journey takes 30-45 minutes.
Gear up! Hong Kong’s very own BMX Park is sure to get your little rider’s adrenaline going. All young adventurers and adults are welcome – from first-timers to experienced little Evil Knievel’s! With over 39,000 square meters of trails and tracks, this BMX Bike Park is sure to thrill. This is fun for adventure-seeking kids ages 3+ and more info can be found here. Watch our Little Steps video here to get inspiration.
BMX Bike Park, 91 Kwai Hei Street, Kwai Fong, Hong Kong, +852 2419 9613, info@bmxpark.org.hk, www.facebook.com/hkbmxpark. Parking is available on site.
Escape to Discovery Bay for a day! It’s lush and green, and there is a plethora of lovely restaurants by the waterfront to enjoy pre or post riding, and most of them are super family-friendly. Ferries run around the clock from Central Pier 3 approximately every 20-30 mins. There is a bicycle track alongside Discovery Bay Road, which is perfect for novices and young ones.
Discovery Bay Biking, Lantau Island, Hong Kong. Click here for a route map.
Combine a bit of Hong Kong culture with easy biking for kids at this circular bicycle path located right at the gates of the Kowloon Walled City! The trail is small so it is ideal for young ones. You can pair it up with a journey through the very interesting Kowloon Walled City, check out historic landmarks, explore Chinese gardens, and have a play on the children’s playground. The bike path is fenced in and ideal for little ones. Be sure to visit one of the many famous Thai restaurants in this area for lunch!
Kowloon Walled City Bike Path, Tung Tau Tsuen Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. Park at the mall and access at the Carpenter Road entrance to the park.
The Tolo Harbour Cycling Track starts in Shatin via the Hong Kong Science Park, extending to the Tai Po Waterfront Park and Tai Mei Tuk. Rent your bikes in Shatin or Tai Po Market, and then enjoy the ride and seaside scenery. In addition to the harbor, you can also see the dam in the Plover Cove Reservoir in the distance.
Tolo Harbour Cycling, Click here for more info.
Throw the bikes in the car, and head to Quarry Bay Park for a ride on Hong Kong’s longest cycling track. No matter their level, your kids will love freely racing around the scenic 640-meter loop. And you’ll love that it’s flat and cushioned and never too crowded. There’s even a nearby jogging path that runs alongside the entire length of the bike path, so runners are welcome also! More info here! Want a cool sightseeing option? Be sure to take a stop at the Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery where kids can explore a historical fireboat.
Quarry Bay Park Cycling Track, Quarry Bay Park (near Hoi Tai Street), Quarry Bay, Hong Kong, +852 2513 8499, www.lcsd.gov.hk
If you’re done with Mickey and Minnie, why not take a few hours out by the Inspiration Lake. You can cruise around the lake on a pedal boat, as well as cycle around the walkway. The lake itself is Hong Kong’s largest artificial lake and features water jets shooting 18m high streams of water into the air, waterfalls, and mountain views. Pedal boat and bike rental service available every day from 10am to 5pm. This is one of the few places in Hong Kong where all wheels are welcome and super easy for little ones.
Inspiration Lake, Disneyland Hong Kong, Lantau, Hong Kong, Click here for more information.
For those seeking easy trails and top views of Hong Kong harbor – head to Nursery Park in the renovated West Kowloon Waterfront Park. What’s more – they have SmartBike here which is a bike sharing programme designed to complement the future provision of cycle paths in the West Kowloon Cultural District. Explore the art park, take in the views, and organize a picnic. This bike path has the best views of the Victoria Harbour. For kids, be sure to bring their bikes as Smart Bike does not rent bicycles for kids.
West Kowloon Waterfront Park, Nursery Park Hong Kong, www.westkowloon.hk
This is one of the most popular cycling routes in Hong Kong. From Sha Tin Park, cycle along the easy track along the Shing Mun River and continue along the coastline of Tolo Harbour, until you reach the grand dam at Tai Mei Tuk. This is a beautiful bike ride so make sure you pack a picnic and take in all of the scenery. Families can also start at Science Park (bike rentals are available here as well). Science Park offers lots of food, coffee, and drinks so it is also a nice place to start your journey.
Sha Tin to Tai Mei Tuk, From MTR Sha Tin Station Exit A, walk to Shing Mun River via New Town Plaza and Sha Tin Park. Alternatively, start at Science Park where you will find The Contact Store.
This is an excellent 8km route that’s easy for all of the family to enjoy. Start and finish at MTR Yuen Long. The journey takes around 1.5-2 hours depending on how quickly you cycle and how much you want to explore en-route. There are places to stop off along the way including a lot of fantastic bird watching at the marshlands. You can see Shenzhen on clear days! Note, some of the trail is open to cars too so if you are with little ones, take note.
Nam Sang Wai, MTR Yuen Long – trail starts directly behind the MTR. Rent bikes at Tin Fung Bicycle Company, Shop B, G/F, Lee Kwan Building, 37 On Lok Road, Yuen Long, Hong Kong, www.yl.hk.
Discover Hong Kong’s ecological diversity by bike – a sneaky way to get a geography/biology lesson over the weekend! Take the kids down to the Hong Kong Wetland Park for a relaxed stroll around the mangroves. You can not take bikes into the actual Wetland Park, but you can visit the park then jump on one of the bike paths directly in front of the park and cruise all the way past old Hakka style villages, ancestral halls, and temples – to Kam Tin and Yuen Long. Note, you should bring your own bikes for this route. Rentals are available in Yuen Long if you want to go from there to Hong Kong Wetland Park.
Wetland Park Road, Tin Shui Wai, New Territories, Hong Kong, www.wetlandpark.gov.hk.
This lovely little green area is filled with families on the weekends, and you can bring doggie too. It’s the perfect place to teach little ones how to ride a bike as it is flat. They will be off their training wheels in no time! Just remember to BYOB (bring your own bike) as there is no bike rental. Enjoy a weekend brunch at the nearby Le Meridien Cyberport hotel or grab a takeaway picnic from the nearby supermarket.
Cyberport Waterfront, Click here for more information.
For a fabulous day out, hop on the ferry to Mui Wo on Lantau. Check schedules online and take the fast ferry, although dogs are only allowed on the slow ferry. The Friendly Bicycle Shop, near ParknShop (on the left, just beyond the bus station, as you arrive on the ferry) rents ordinary bikes and mountain bikes for a day. Cycle around the paths and small roads along and behind Silvermine Beach or head to the northwest of Mui Wo basin to the Silvermine Waterfall. Or, head over post-biking to the seaside local favorite, China Beach Club on your route for sangria and snacks.
Mui Wo Biking, Lantau Island, Hong Kong, website.
In the Western New Territories, Tai Lam Country Park is the largest riding area in Hong Kong, with almost 20km of trails open to mountain biking and 25km of country park roads. The loop around Tai Lam reservoir is a scenic trail for all levels and a good choice for families. There is also some tougher terrain for Mom and Dad and older kids who are into mountain biking.
Tai Lam Country Park, Hong Kong. Click here for more info.
Want your own ride? These are a few spots that sell bikes for kids and adults:
BUYING BIKES/WHEELS:
Buying Bikes/Wheels In Hong Kong – Hong Kong top shops for bikes!
TOP BIKE RENTAL COMPANIES IN HONG KONG
HANDY WEBSITES:
