sand rules

[Guest]

Hi All

 

does anybody have pictures of sand rules?

 

I talked over this with the staff team as we have a couple of 2 year olds, that pictures of how we come down the slide have worked really well. I took photos of a memeber of staff demonstrating coming down slide headfirst and feet first. With a red cross over head first and tick next to feet first.

 

But they wern't sure this would work with the sand, and I'm not sure how I'm going to take the photos. we have a few children who regularry throw sand, or just drop in onto the floor, or put inside toys into the sand. I feel like I'm saying the same things every day, or removing these children from playing in the sand but there are no visuals for this children about how we play in the sand

 

thanks Sally

 

 

[Guest]

I think this is just how 2 year olds play with sand. Are there toys which they can transport into the sand that can be kept on a trolley nearby and is it really harming the toys that they do put in it? Can they play with sand in a tray or tough spot or outside where it doesn't matter if they drop it? With throwing sand, I think it is just about modelling and reinforcing appropriate play, I have not seen or heard of any photographic sand rules but maybe someone else on here has.

[Fredbear]

Hi i wouldn't expect two year olds to keep the sand in the tray really, or even some three or four year olds.

Is there anyway you could offer them the opportunity to be able to do this, perhaps outside in a tuff spot.

I'm certainly not suggesting you let them throw it and photos may help to reinforce the rules if playing with it.

At the beginning of a new academic year we take a photo of a child(ren) showing the preschool rules, such as walking indoors, washing hands, aprons, climbing frame etc, these then go in a ring binder and come out each day in the book area.

Great for a visual clue, or reinforcing appropriate play.

I know it's really tricky, we are not allowed sand at all indoors, but we let the children explore this resource without too many boundaries if we can outdoors.

However they do help to tidy, sweep at the end of the session.

Good luck with this.

[Guest]

'At the beginning of a new academic year we take a photo of a child(ren) showing the preschool rules, such as walking indoors, washing hands, aprons, climbing frame etc, these then go in a ring binder and come out each day in the book area.'

 

 

Fredbear, we use photos as well but of staff showing the rules. 1. they don't need changing each year and 2. it is important for children to see staff modelling and reinforcing the behaviour boundaries

Edited August 15, 2013 by max321

[Fredbear]

We prefer for the children to show this instead of the adults, just a personal taste I guess.

It is also lovely for the children to see themselves and others in our special book.

All the staff model acceptable play and behaviours through a range of visual cues, and interactions, this is embedded in all we do at our setting.

[Stargrower]

Greystorm, it sounds like your sand is already outside as you say the children put indoor toys in it. The only rule I would be concerned with reinforcing is the no throwing. We keep reminding children and if they continue they have to come out of the sandpit. Like so many things, its a constant drip of modelling and reminding. If there are toys that can't be put in the sand (and I agree that some things just can't) then we would ask the children to take them back and we'd see if we could find an alternative. With dropping sand on the floor, I'm not sure there is anything that can be done...our sand spreads far and wide! :1b

[Guest]

Found a clip art picture of a child throwing sand - I have adapted it a little. It might be of use to you. :1b

 

Child throwing sand.docx

[lashes2508]

can i ask why the children are not allowed to come down head first ? we allow them too as all part of physical development - we don't allow down on feet but being able to explore different ways is important and part of learning. When we go to the park we also allow it and often make trains with 4 or 5 kids coming down together - am I the only one allowing this ??

just to add children are supervised and explain to the risks etc and safe provision made for landing !

Edited August 16, 2013 by lashes2508

[Inge]

head first may depend on the slide you have.. ours had a huge drop at the bottom.. not a smooth transition.,, and was not good at all for any use other than feet first.. was really dangerous any other way with a 8 to 12 inch drop at end of the slide.. we had to have a feet first policy..

[lashes2508]

thanks Inge - thought i may be taking the risk element too far ! no drop on ours and is a smooth ride down - pretty small so some of the older ones pretty much fit it when laying down

Edited August 17, 2013 by lashes2508

[Guest]

We discussed rules with our children, the children drew pictures we then added on a big red circle with a red line going through it , these sit outside by the sand pit, we just reinforce with each cohort for as long as takes the rules of playing with the sand. By end of term 1 they have all usually got it

 

We do this for any rules that we feel we need in the setting, we involve the children. So recently we bought brief guns and asked them what rules did they think they needed and so on

[Guest]

I am a child minder and I also work in a pre school , of which both allow children to put any toys in to sand and sand really does end up every where. How ever throwing sand is never permitted and we re-enforce this but saying to the children playing in sand " wow your playing with the sand nicely well done for not throwing it" I just think my praising what you want you get less of what you don't want , but there is always going to be children that throw sand , may be just say no thank you and repeat it till they stop , this works in my setting and pre school but of course it wont work for every one ..

[Guest]

Should have said nerf guns not brief !

[Lumpty]

I found that finding out what children really enjoyed doing in the sand and then 'going with the flow' really helped. For example, there were some boys that really wanted to run diggers down the slide into the sand pit, then we had some girls that liked to watch dry sand run down the slide. So we tried to embrace these experiences so we filled the childrens interests reinforcing positive play. We would discourage negative play either by ignoring it or discouraging it, explaining why that kind of play was not a good idea to the child.

[finleysmaid]

the problem with rules is that if you are going to have them they have to be agreed by all. We had 3 rules last year

1. dont run inside (lots of reasons in our setting for this!)

2 use your manners (this came from a very polite young lady....we had lots of chats about what manners were!)

3. don't hurt anyone

...seemed to cover most eventualities!

using these sort of rules is easy because you can adapt them for every situation....if you have a long list then the children feel that they have no control over their play ...and we just end up nagging!

[Froglet]

Finleysmaid - our whole school has the same rules:

1. be kind

2. be safe

3. be polite

We've had them in place for several years and I've not yet found a situation that I can't explain in terms of these.

[Guest]

It's not working because that is their natural instinct...I.e. Exploration...

Perhaps being less concerned about indoor/outdoor toys or finding some toys that they can put in the sand would work better.