sjcree Posted May 5, 2015 Share Posted May 5, 2015 Has anyone got any ideas for keeping two year olds occupied at the end of the afternoon? I am tearing my hair out at the moment because so far nothing seems to work, as soon as we tidy up for home time they go wild. Today four of them were jumping up and down on the mini sofas we have in the book corner and just grinned at me when I tried to stop them. We have tried play dough, puzzles, crayons, threading, music, singing but if one jumps up that is it the rest follow suit and then all hell breaks loose (or that is how it feels). Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinthinguk Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 this sounds familiar, we have ours in a room that is set up all the time so we literally let them play until parents are outside waiting, we do some singing and a story for those who are interested, otherwise its like trying to nail jelly to a tree, we do however, try to keep them all down one end of the room so that parents can enter and empty drawers etc. Ours are usually very crabby by the end of the day and bicker with each other and trying to separate waring 2 year olds becomes very very tiring ! we do a tidy up with the children and then again when they have gone home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubblejack Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 Yes we are the same as you we gather them together 5 minutes before doors are open. They do learn to sit still for longer periods gradually. We have tidy up times throughout the day so it only takes 5 minutes for 6 staff to put away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 try standing in the middle of the room and jumping up and down (no talking!) see what happens!!!!! Then once you have them together lots of interactive singing and action songs. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob6692 Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 I suggest lots of physical activities and interactive signs and rhymes as stated above. Try the Animal Acting game, where you all pretend to be animals. Call out different animals that you all pretend to be. This works much better if staff do it with them. You can do vehicles too. Or just call out things for them to do .. like the classic, 'sit down!' .. 'right now stand up!' .. 'no no no, sit down!' .. jump up and down, hop, etc. Sticky Kids CDs are good Blow bubbles for a few minutes (or get a bubble machine) maybe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rafa Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 As its the end of the afternoon, and you've all had a verrrry long day, i'd say...'coats on, lets go outside and play"!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjcree Posted May 6, 2015 Author Share Posted May 6, 2015 i love the idea of Animal Acting, and getting them outside was my first thought. The trouble is we have three characters who get wound up at the slightest thing and seem to have absolutely no boundaries. One of them, and we have him every afternoon, loves to run into other children and the others think this is hugely amusing and are now joining in. The other problem we have is that our parents start picking up any time after three and this makes the littler ones who have to stay longer much more restless. Today we did our singing / story much earlier in the session and left tidying up till the very last minute, which worked a little better (but probably only because the worst of our hoodlums went home early - would that this happened every day!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 can you separate your little ones who are staying in to another room? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjcree Posted May 6, 2015 Author Share Posted May 6, 2015 not really, we do take small groups int the office for very short periods of time but it isn't really suitable for two year olds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 could they have a snack time or extra drink to keep them occupied whilst you get rid of the others?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lsp Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 Oh sjcree - your group sounds so much like mine. We have so many similar issues, as I am sure lots of others do?? We try to get the children ready and outside for at least 30 mins before going home. They help to tidy up the outdoor resources. Then we 'invite' them all back into the cloakroom and they are already in coats etc to be signed out and handed over to parents/carers. I am considering employing a couple of sheepdogs to help with the 'rounding up'. We use the giving instructions e.g. hands on head, thumb on ear etc (the sillier the better!) getting quieter with each instruction to try to calm everyone. It doesn't work everytime. :huh: could they have a snack time or extra drink to keep them occupied whilst you get rid of the others?? Staff or children??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twinthinguk Posted May 7, 2015 Share Posted May 7, 2015 we too have children being picked up at a variety of times from 3 oclock till 4.15 when we close, it does unsettle some of the younger ones who go into what I like to call "meer kat" mode.....they start to get restless and want to go home too! we do our best to keep them engaged in play so that they don't feel like they have been left behind lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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