Nursery Poem

[Guest]

Hi,

 

I am searching for a poem about nursery and can't seem to find it anywhere. It said something about playing in the sand, having milk and a nap and holding hands. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

[Marion]

CHILDS PLAY

Oh what a busy morning I’ve been playing with the dough

And with a little help, upon a card I learnt to sew

I helped my friend nurse Amy to perform an operation

Then put some track together for my train and built a station

I went into the home corner to make a cup of tea

And stood beside the cooker making lunch for 23

I completed three whole jigsaws and played a new board game

Then I went on all the bikes, the slide and climbing frame

I helped prepare and hand around the fruit at our snack time

I listened to a story and sang a nursery rhyme

Now the mornings over and the parents are all waiting

I hope that mine don’t say “I WISHED YOU’D DONE A PAINTING”.

[Marion]

Just Playing by Anita Wadley

 

When I’m building in the block room,

Please don’t say I’m “just playing.”

For, you see, I’m learning as I play.

About balance and shapes.

 

When I’m all dressed up,

Setting the table, caring for babies,

Don’t get the idea I’m “just playing.”

For, you see, I’m learning as I play.

 

When you see me up to my elbows in paint,

Or standing at an easel, or moulding and shaping clay.

Please don’t let me hear you say “he’s just playing.”

For, you see, I’m learning as I play.

I’m expressing myself and being creative.

I may be an artist or an inventor someday.

 

When you see me sitting in a chair,

“Reading” to an imaginary audience,

Please don’t laugh and think “I’m just playing.”

For, you see, I’m learning as I play.

I may be a teacher someday.

 

When you see me engrossed in a puzzle,

Or some “plaything” at my school,

Please don’t feel the time is wasted in “play”,

For, you see, I’m learning as I play.

I’m learning to solve problems and concentrate,

I may be in business someday.

 

When you see me cooking or tasting foods,

Please don’t think that because I enjoy it, it is just “play”.

I’m learning to follow directions and see differences,

I may be a chef someday.

 

When you see me learning to skip, hop, run and move my body,

Please don’t say I’m “just playing.”

For, you see, I’m learning as I play.

I’m learning how my body works.

I may be a doctor, nurse or athlete someday.

 

When you ask me what I’ve done at school today,

And I say, “I played”,

Please don’t misunderstand me.

For, you see, I’m learning as I play.

I’m learning to enjoy and be successful in work.

I’m preparing for tomorrow.

Today, I’m a child and my work is play.

 

.

[Marion]

What did you do?

 

What did you do at Nursery today?

Well, I sat at the dough table and rolled the dough in my hands.

Lucy said hers was a snake but mine, mine was a worm.

The lady talked about long ones and short ones, and medium sized ones,

and Sarah rolled her dough so long it went right over the edge of the table.

(And nobody said “what are you going to make – a cake would be nice”)

 

Yes, but then what did you do?

I played on the climbing frame

and do you know

I can jump off the very top step.

 

Yes, but did you do anything today?

Sarah and me went to the paint table.

It was lovely, all gooey and slippery on our hands.

We made lots of patterns with our fingers and elbows.

Sarah had yellow paint and I had red

and Mummy, do you know what,

if you mix red paint and yellow paint together it goes ORANGE!

(And nobody said “what a mess you’ve made”).

 

Yes, but what else have you done?

At milk time a big boy pushed me over

and I bumped my head.

The lady picked me up and loved me better,

and the boy said “sorry”.

 

And then did you do anything?

The lady sang a new song

and I can remember it,

it was about our fingers, thumbs and toes.

 

But, did you do anything today?

I made lovely traily patterns in the sand,

and then Sarah and me had a race to see

who could put the sand in the sand-wheel quickest.

 

So, what did you do at Nursery today?

We sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Nicholas

and then the lady read us a story.

 

But, did you do anything today?

Yes, when the lady said “it’s time to tidy up”

I quickly painted you a picture

‘cos I knew you’d say ....................

 

‘What did you do at nursery today?”

 

We have these on the walls near the coat pegs with suitable photographs to illustrate the words (sadly they are aimed at the Year1 teacher as much as at the parents)

[Guest]

Thanks for all those Marion, I actually managed to find the one I was after in school in the end. I have forgotten it though but will post it next week in case anyone is interested.

[Guest]

Is it this one

 

ALL I EVER REALLY NEEDED TO KNOW I LARNED IN KINDERGARTEN by Robert Fulghum

 

'Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in Kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain but there in the sandbox at Nursery School.

 

These are the things I learned. Share everything. Play fair. Don't hit people. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don't take things that are't yours. Say you're sorry when you hurst somebody. wash your hands before you eat. Flush. warm cookies and cld milk are good for you. live a balanced life. Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.

 

Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out in the world, watch for traffic, hold hands and stick together. Be aware of wonder. Reember the little seed in the plastic cup. The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows hw or why, but we are all like that.

 

Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the plastic cup - they all die. So do we.

 

And then remember the book about Dick and Jane and the first word you learned, the biggest word of all : LOOK. Everything you need to know is in there somewhere. The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation. Ecology and politics and sane living.

 

Think of what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world- had cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap. Or if we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to always put things back where we found them and cleaned up our own messes. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out in the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together'

[Guest]

Yep, that's the one Mimi.

[Marion]

What a wonderful thought ! Definitely one for the wall and website

[Cait]

What did you do?

 

What did you do at Nursery today?

Well, I sat at the dough table and rolled the dough in my hands.

Lucy said hers was a snake but mine, mine was a worm.

The lady talked about long ones and short ones, and medium sized ones,

and Sarah rolled her dough so long it went right over the edge of the table.

(And nobody said “what are you going to make – a cake would be nice”)

 

Yes, but then what did you do?

I played on the climbing frame

and do you know

I can jump off the very top step.

 

Yes, but did you do anything today?

Sarah and me went to the paint table.

It was lovely, all gooey and slippery on our hands.

We made lots of patterns with our fingers and elbows.

Sarah had yellow paint and I had red

and Mummy, do you know what,

if you mix red paint and yellow paint together it goes ORANGE!

(And nobody said “what a mess you’ve made”).

 

Yes, but what else have you done?

At milk time a big boy pushed me over

and I bumped my head.

The lady picked me up and loved me better,

and the boy said “sorry”.

 

And then did you do anything?

The lady sang a new song

and I can remember it,

it was about our fingers, thumbs and toes.

 

But, did you do anything today?

I made lovely traily patterns in the sand,

and then Sarah and me had a race to see

who could put the sand in the sand-wheel quickest.

 

So, what did you do at Nursery today?

We sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Nicholas

and then the lady read us a story.

 

But, did you do anything today?

Yes, when the lady said “it’s time to tidy up”

I quickly painted you a picture

‘cos I knew you’d say ....................

 

‘What did you do at nursery today?”

 

We have these on the walls near the coat pegs with suitable photographs to illustrate the words (sadly they are aimed at the Year1 teacher as much as at the parents)

This is the one I meant!

[Inge]

This is the one I meant!

well done Cait, managed to revive a thread from 2005 with different poems for play based learning.. seems it is a constant battle that never gets resolved..

[lashes2508]

I posted the Just Playing one on our FB page , amazing response from parents , gave them food for thought maybe or reinforced what they want from preschool for their children