Child Initiated/ Adult Led- Directed Balance- Does Playtime Count?

[Guest]

Hi everyone - hope you're all enjoying your snow days.

 

Does playtime (as in children being sent into the playground at set times for 15 minutes) count as adult directed time, child initiated time, or do you discount it altogether, as a separate part of the day as I have done? I'm trying to work out what my balance is and would really appreciate any input. Thanks!

[Guest heleng]

I count this as 'dead time' personally and so not into my balance at all.

[Guest]

We no longer have playtimes, so children have free flow child initiated activities throughout morning unless needed for small group time with an adult.

[catma]

Personally I wouldn't worry about it!

I would always be trying to see if there was another way to manage this tricky issue though and allow the children to remain in their part of the school but it's not always easy when you are part of a larger school community and don't have the higher ratios is it.

However if there is no option other than the children going out for playtime then I would seriously consider who is their regular key person during this 15 min period and how are they supported if they need it.

 

Cx

[Marion]

I wouldn't count it as part of the school day personally

[Guest tinkerbell]

I don't include it myself,but my reception children don't join the school in playtimes (just lunchtimes)

I do tend to use the school'playtime' as our snack/fruit time which I use as a problem solving activity..we then go to the toilet and the children can then get on with what they were doing or go out into our outside area.

 

Tinkerbell

[Guest]

Our Reception children now stay in their own area so they can continue with whatever they were doing, so in effect it has become part of C.I.A. I personally wouldn't get too hung up on it. Their play is child-initiated anyway unless you have adults telling them what games to play which I imagine doesn't happen.

[Guest]

I also count it as 'dead' time, but I don't think that the children going out to play with the rest of the school (or part of it of it is a big school) is a bad thing. Our children play really well together and enjoy their play with children from different classes and of different ages.

[Guest]

Thanks for your replies everyone - they all make a lot of sense and I am assured that I am thinking along the right lines.