Quiet Time

[Guest]

Our Nursery girls have quiet time every day after lunch where they have a little blanket. We have used calm music and allowed them to read quietly but it doesnt seem to work. Any ideas please for our own sanity???

[Beau]

Hi Hannah,

 

You work with 3-4 year olds don't you? I'm wondering why you think they need to have a quiet time. In my experience children tend to be more active following on from eating, particularly if they have been sat for quite some time eating.

[Guest]

I agree children seem to be very active after eating and sitting down for a period of time. When I used to work in a nursery after lunch was a time for going outside, having a run about or doing something phyiscal. This quite often then meant when we were back inside they would want a quiet time for stories or beat baby etc etc.

 

samfrostie

[dottyp]

In our setting after lunch (12.30-1.30) we usually divide the group in two. One group will go outside to play physical

games such as 'what's the time Mr Wolf' or 'Please Mr Porter' while to other group will do activities such as chalking, white board pictures, colour in sheets, cutting and sticking or a collage of some sort.

 

It works well for us and not too much mess to clear up before they are collected at 1.30pm.

 

dottyp

[Guest]

I would agree that by nursery age the majority of children have inexhaustable energy supplies and no longer require a rest period, in fact lunch only boosts their energy. We have a quiet area available but it is their choice to use this and most choose to play; we don't have an outside area so all our activities are inside. Generally we find that use of the parachute or large exercise balls work well here as they allow the children to be involved in an activity whilst other members of staff begin to clear the hall.

[Guest]

do you mean that the quiet time is used untill everyone has finished eating? our children bring in packed lunch and you often find that some are finished before others so we encourage the children to choose a book from the book box and bring it to the table and have a look at, this seems to give enough time for a group of children to finish and then explore the outside area or activities inside it also gives children that may not spend alot of time near the books an oppertunity to realise that books are FUN there are always members of staff to read or encourage the children to have a look at a book. as others have said we do seem to find the children need to burn off some of the energy after eating!!

[Cait]

Ours are similar to debatwrittle. Once early finishers have had their lunch they go over to a book area to wait for everyone else to finish. Then we brush teeth and get active for the afternoon!

[Guest]

I am not sure about the post, as I wouldnt expect children over 2.5 years to be having an afternoon quiet period.

We usually have lunch and then the children go into the garden or we may go to the park before the school children arrive.

I forgot to mention that I am a childminder.

Edited March 17, 2009 by westbrom44

[Guest]

Thank you everyone for your comments. I think Im going to stop doing it and just start the afternoon session. In response to your posts the quiet time is after outside play, not straight after lunch. Usually during this quiet time we would set up the activities for the afternoon while the children were on their blankets and it gives us a breather aswell as we only have 20 minute lunch breaks!! Anyway, thank you again.