HappyMaz Posted October 18, 2008 Posted October 18, 2008 Welcome to the Forum Aline - lovely first post (although I am very envious of your lovely spacious outdoor area!). What sort of setting do you work in? Maz
Guest Posted October 18, 2008 Posted October 18, 2008 older members of staff were creating reasons not to go out! Its the other way in our setting!!!! The 2 youngest members of staff don't like going out and if they are out they complain constantly about it being cold, look total miserable and wander aimlessly about looking in through the windows. I'm the second eldest in our setting and suffer with arthritis which means at times I use a stick and damp cold conditions make it worse and I love being out with the children! Maybe its just some people who don't like going out rather than their age.? Can you ask them if there's anything that can be done to make them more comfortable when they go out? I have a small buffet as I find gettting down and up again difficult. The children know its mine and will bring it to me if they want me to join their play.Perhaps even allowing in your rota for a 5 minute hot drink break after they come in?
Guest Posted October 18, 2008 Posted October 18, 2008 Hiya, am new to the forum and this topic really caught my eye. We are a Unit and have problems with the very confident R children taking over somewhat outside. Any suggestions? Also, our outside area is an almighty wind trap and we do not have much sheltered area (well, not as much as I would like!). Does anyone know of any funding or a way to generate funds for this type of thing? We really do try our best out there but a whiff of wind and whoof off goes anything (including buggies last year!!) that is not held down...painting can be a nightmare, the sand flies away and the children become less focussed on the learning taking place and want to simply run around chasing the runaway items (great for physical development and excitement but not for my leader who wants every minute of the day to have fully engaged learning linked to ELGs...not the wind...taking place!! We find that the children love to be out there but we often have to bring them in due to health and safety!! Any suggestions of funding greatly appreciated.http://1.2.3.9/bmi/www.foundation-stage.info/forums/style_images/fsf2.2.2de/folder_post_icons/icon1.gif We have just spent some money - and not too much either- setting up weather boxes. This was done with the children, discussing types of weather and what to put in them etc. We have a 'sunny day' box with sun hats, sun glasses etc in. A 'cold.snowy day' box with hats, scarves, gloves etc for those children that turn up to nursery in Dec in a summer dress, a 'rainy day box' with rain coats, umbrellas and welly boots, and finally (which may help your problem) a 'Windy Day box'. In it we have a large flag to hang up, so that children can run into it as the wind blows, little pinwheels, kites etc. We got most of this stuff from cheap children's wear shops, pound shops etc. So, as the weather differs, we don't get everything out as usual, but get the appropriate box out and let the children use them. It's still structured as the children can explore what is in the boxes and you are using the weather as a learning tool! Plus, it takes seconds to get a box out, rather than all the bikes, prams etc. Another idea for using the weather, is when it is raining too much to go outside, get the children to paint a picture inside and take it outside in the rain to see what effect it has (where our raincoats oome in useful). We have large cemented in umbrellas in our outside area to provide cover, but we still have days it is just too wet to go outside as the wind blows the rain underneath the umbrealls, but you can still use the weather to develop children's KUW! Hope this helps!
Guest Posted October 18, 2008 Posted October 18, 2008 Welcome to the Forum Aline - lovely first post (although I am very envious of your lovely spacious outdoor area!). What sort of setting do you work in? Maz It's a nursery within a primary school. I feel we are fortunate with the space we have for out outoor area, but I feel our biggest asset is our Head who is extremely supportive of the Foundation Stage - it makes a huge difference! He's been involved in meetings down our end of the school, and I only began the role of FS Co-ord a year last Sept. and naturally there have been things to develop within the setting, which he's been interested to know more about, and has fully supported me in spending money where needed! He was the one who chose our outdoor playhouse, as he saw an offer for it on the net! We are expecting the phone call from the Big O anyday, as we know we are due, so am just trying to make sure all is in place for when it happens!
Guest Posted December 18, 2008 Posted December 18, 2008 Hi Emmajess.Free flow is probably trickiest in the two person setting, as you say when one of you is out, one of you may end up with all the children, but if you are both out or in, then it isnt free flow. One thing we used to do was have a limit on the number of children outside at any one time, we used the high vis jackets hung up at the door, no jacket no space outside. I saw it as no different from saying 4 children at the sand or 2 children at the computer. As the others have said, you will also find that the novelty will wear off and the children will tend to even themselves out, some will prefer to stay indoors if it gets noisy or boisterous outside.
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