Ride-ons

[Guest terrydoo73]

We have recently had an extension to our outdoor play area which incorporates part of the existing car park at the lower end. It is quite a distance away from the main door and outside space and we have to erect crowd barriers across the car park to keep the children enclosed within this new area each day. Not a problem as we put them out as part of our normal daily set up. The reason I asked for this extension was for ride-ons - our other area has the mirror activities from inside including a climbing frame/slide and gardening area. At present with the weather we are doing the ride-ons just a day or 2 a week and are hoping as the months progress to do like an hour in each area just to keep interests alive! We have managed to buy ride-ons for all 12 children present each day, some new and some second hand and are hoping to build on these new ones as we have been approached by parents to do a fundraiser for Easter.

 

Our problem is this - obviously it is new to all the children and all except one particular child has embraced the new area and particularly having a choice of ride-ons. Some of our children cannot pedal but that is ok because they move along using feet on the ground. However we have 1 child who absolutely refuses to even sit on a trike or whatever. He just stands beside the trike and will not get on. We have asked his mum if he has a trike at home and she said yes and he does ride it at home. We have overcome this on the past few days with having a wheelbarrow for him but he uses the wheelbarrow to run in front of the other trikes and purposely banging into them - causing a danger to himself and annoying the other children who do get upset with him and leads to them trying to knock him down too!

 

What would you advise we do in this situation? Is there anything else we could offer him?

[Lyanne]

Could he bring his trike in from home? Or have a clipboard to 'keep a record of who's on what ride-on/who's turn it is next for the (most desired) ride-on...'? Have you tried offering him first choice?

 

What are his gross motor skills like in other areas? Could you say 'Ok, Johnny doesn't want to ride a bike today'? Although I'm thinking from the way you've described it that you all go to the ride-on area at the same time, so would need something for him to do in that area.

[Guest]

I hate ride ons and very rarely have them out. We find that they can cause arguments and that the children just charge around on them not actually 'playing' anything so we made a decision not to get them out unless they were part of a focussed activity or if a child had requested them from the 'Choices Book' so maybe theboy in question just doesn't want to play on them. Can he not choose to go to the other part of the outdoor area or even stay inside. If his physical development is not causing any concerns and he is using a trike at home then I guess it might not be a real problem and prehaps he could be in charge of petrol or parking

[Guest terrydoo73]

Part of our agreement to have this extension of the outdoor play area was that we all would be in the one area - for child protection purposes we cannot "split" ourselves ie have 2 people in the one area and 1 in the other (ie staff/volunteers). The Registraiton Certificate clearly states that it is 2 members of staff for all children at all times - there is no deviation from this - this in NI and they are quite strict on these rules!

 

We have watched this child in the other outdoor play area and he causes problems there too as he doesn't actually play with the toys in question without a great deal of persuasion on our part. While all the rest are kicking a ball, playing in the sand or water, painting, pushing some cars, mark making, sliding, climbing etc he is the only one just running around trying to get people annoyed by saying "catch me catch me". The other children do avoid him as far as possible and let him just run about while they enjoy the activities but he tends to trip them up with his running about or annoys them until someone stops him to tell him not to run!

 

As I said before we are limiting the ride-ons - last week we only had them 2 out of 5 days and only once out this week so far. We do not want them to take over for the present as we realise there is so much to be gained in addition to them.

[narnia]

I think if he doesn't want to go on a trike, then why worry? I would also let him have the wheelbarrow, BUT if he starts to bash it into other children then give him one warning that it will have to be removed if he is going to hurt others with it. Then do that if necessary, don't make idle threats. If he doesn't want to join in on ride ons, I agree it would be a good idea to ask him if he would like to be in charge of petrol/car wash etc, give him some coins ( plastic, real, or card ones he can make and cut out for himself) and ask him to make sure everyone pays for the petrol. He could perhaps keep a tally sheet, or mark on a a blackboard to monitor how much petrol he is selling/how many cars ect have been washed.

[Guest terrydoo73]

We did exactly this today - gave him one warning and followed it through. Then it was floods of tears from him as he didn't like the idea of having his wheelbarrow off him and he wasn't going to even try to get on a trike. Our problem is - what alternative can we offer him in this situation. We remove the wheelbarrow from him but what then? He just stands there looking forlorn and eventually we have to give it back as he whines on "I'm sorry I won't do it again" etc etc We had to repeat this twice today and are concerned more at the safety aspect.

[Lyanne]

What else do you have space for in this area & do you need both staff focussed on the other 11 children or could one of you give him some one to one interaction of something he does like to do, in the ride on area? Would it be safe for that to be his run around space, so if you marked out a track, could he be an Olympic athlete training for the games?

[Inge]

We did exactly this today - gave him one warning and followed it through. Then it was floods of tears from him as he didn't like the idea of having his wheelbarrow off him and he wasn't going to even try to get on a trike. Our problem is - what alternative can we offer him in this situation. We remove the wheelbarrow from him but what then? He just stands there looking forlorn and eventually we have to give it back as he whines on "I'm sorry I won't do it again" etc etc We had to repeat this twice today and are concerned more at the safety aspect.

 

 

by giving it back you are giving him the message that by sulking and crying etc he can get it back... even if he has calmed down returning it for him to repeat the behaviour is not a good message.. time for you to remove it and not return it that day... next time try again, then remove if he continues with the behaviour.. explaining why each time so he will begin to realise it is removed because of his behaviour . but do not return it the same session..

 

That said is there anything he can actually do with the wheelbarrow other than move it around... could be it needs a focus to use it correctly or in a more responsible way... fill it with something so it can be used as a wheelbarrow and not a bashing or item just to cause issues with other children.

 

provide something different.. have a box of items to use alongside the ride ons to occupy him when he or anyone else does not really want to do the activity you are telling them to do. It could be a simple box of paper, clipboards and pens attached, coins to act as a toll or petrol station, a few magnifying glasses and boxes to put things found in, binoculars or telescope type things to look through.. ribbons to use in the wind or run with behind him, small kites, we had some really tiny ones which the children could use in a small area.. or make paper bag kites to use outside.. introduce a few simple games to play, prepare a few items place outside for him to find and task him to bring back certain ones.. discovery bag to sort through while outside..

 

I have said this before but I too am not one keen on ride ons, all the experiences can be gained in other ways more varied with much more learning in them, and I would never expect all children to want to use them at the same time, or even all want to use them if he has one at home it is not a new experience or one that is missing as it could be for others. I do suspect if you offer one child something different and have other opportunities at this time more children could choose to do this , they all use the ride ons because there is nothing else to choose from..

[Guest terrydoo73]

Just returning to this topic as it has been a couple of months. We now have introduced new rideons in the form of a scooter, tractor and trailer and go karts. This child has now tried most of our ride-ons but as we thought - he expects to be pushed about without having to pedal! We are slowly helping him to see that it is fun when he is able to pedal after his friends - ha!