Pack Away Pre-schools

[Bigsue]

Currently completing FDEY and its got me really thinking

Do other pack away pre-schools set up their session the same every day? By this I mean in same areas/zones not just resourses used.

Also outside - Do you set up in any way ? I have read some people have table top activities outside in the summer what else do you do?

 

I am a pack away and I have found this really interesting evaulating the why we do etc?

We do not set up the same every day as the children vary so much each session so we tend to go with their needs. However we do have the snack bar and sink area in the same place, also the coat and wellie area. But table and mates etc are varied daily.

 

It works for us just wondered what do you do?

 

sorry probally in wrong area

Edited November 14, 2010 by Bigsue

[Inge]

we had some in same area each day .. usually because of nature of room, so water sand, dough, home corner, craft, using criterias like near the window, near a door for emptying water, floor surface home corner was carpet area.. etc

 

but that said we did often set up differently, woth one areas left as empty space which we used to a wide range of things... they loved to have a huge floor space to build and play on the floor with construction/small world/etc.. or a physical music session, or parachute... so things like books and other things usually in that area were moved and put elsewhere..

 

sounds really complicated but we went with the children, set up depending on needs..

 

and to be honest actually though packaway was a bonus as we always had a fresh canvas in the mornings, never had the same layout /toys out all the time, made it more interesting.. the one week we had we could leave it out we quickly discovered while good, became very 'samey' for want of a better word.. no one seem inspired to change it or use it differently..and rest of staff said the same whn asked.. seems its what you get used to!

 

Not sure we would have bothered to have a large empty space if it was other way around and we had to move stuff to get it, but to not put out! and Ofsted loved the fact we had such an empty space... commenting on how the children interacted while laying on the floor playing..

 

Inge

 

sorry outside... we had boxes the children used with resources in, chalkboards on wall... books/ table/ pencils etc in house aslo used for storage..

Edited November 14, 2010 by Inge

[Panders]

I'm packaway, very similar to Inge's way of working. Some things do remain in certain areas because they really can't go elsewhere what you might call the skeleton of the set up, but what gets bolted on to that frame varies according to interests currently doing the rounds.

 

Outside is a little different, we don't have any storage other than my car, so there are boxes of stuff in there which we can take out and use and exchange for others when the need arises or indoor stuff we take out there.

[Bigsue]

Thanks to both of you We are similar, which is encouraging as some people I have spoken to don't agree with this way.

 

i go to work and create an enabling enviroment within our pre-school from a beautiful blank canvas, I too think we are really lucky Outside we don't really set up the children let us know what they want, today it was just binoculars but what conversations we had were fantastic. I am concerned about the dragon hiding under the cabin in the garden

 

Sue

[Panders]

Yes, know what you mean we have a Gruffalo on the other side of the fence. Apparently you can see his purple prickles and everything.

[Guest]

Hi, some useful responses for you here.

 

Just one thought in the other direction, small children often like to know that something familiar will be in the same place it has always been. For this reason some of our stuff in a similar spot each time, although the resources will vary.

 

We've been told (by EYT) that we should resource 6 areas both inside and outside, however we do have plenty of shed space after a successful grant bid last year.

[Guest]

I love the description of the 'beautiful blank canvas' - on most days this is exactly how I feel.

 

We are packaway and tend to keep general areas in the same place such as construction/small world, malleable/creative and so on so children have the security of coming into pre-school and knowing where everything is. However having said that we don't always - there is usually something that has moved places - role play moves all around the setting depending on what it is at that time. Parent's comment on how there are always new things to see each day and how we keep children's interest and curiosity there. We are in a large hall and a smaller more cosy room. There are no carpetted areas so we can pretty much have anything anywhere.

 

Some days though you feel so tired by the prospect of all that moving - it's just so physical - racing against the clock with 30 minutes to do it all in!

 

Outside - we do the opening checks before the session starts and then set up with the children later on depending on what they want. We have lots of boxes - water play, sand, mud, den making and so on.

[Bigsue]

Some days though you feel so tired by the prospect of all that moving - it's just so physical - racing against the clock with 30 minutes to do it all in!

But doesn't it keep us fit!

 

Our parents faces like the children have been lighting up when we set up new things dailyto keep the children's interests its so nice, the only real old familar things are still in their normal places also myself and my deputy, were old and familiar

 

Big Sue