Salus Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Hi all In looking for ideas of how to manage the transition of about 28+ Preschool children from lunch to the garden. Staff have to tidy lunch away which takes about 15 min and the get children lining up to go downstairs to the garden.all the tables are used fr lunch so nothing can be ready set up for them to go too so In that 15 mins all sorts of toys see played with and children have to tidy IT up before they leave for the garden. We don't want thm sitting down again for s story after lunch, where would ALL of them sit anyway?? Any advice?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondie Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 is there an area that you could set up some stuff in builders trays as find those easier to tidy away as dont spread everywhere? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lashes2508 Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 I take it you have some floor space ? Activities on the floor and one member of staff to clear up whilst other staff take them into garden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Use one member of staff to do some song, dance,music and movement , circle rhymes, active stories, retell stories, some music with instruments, probably a lot more that can be done as a large group.. I used to do this with 24 children ,mixed ages. Once they were in a routine they were all very happy to join in. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salus Posted August 25, 2015 Author Share Posted August 25, 2015 Hi all, I did think of some sort of musical/ physical activity but with up to 28+ and one adult and limited space (as both sides of the room are used for lunch) it would not work and be difficult to support the children ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foreveryoung Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 The lunch transition is hard I know, we are lucky to have large indoor areas but it's still a pain so I feel for you. Could you say every 5 children that finish escort them to garden to staff member, as numbers increase outside your staffing levels also shift to outside eventually leaving the slower eaters and how ever many staff to finalise the clean up. Or small groups so a staff member takes a small group to wash hands then choose a game say pop up pirate, once you have two or three groups run on you can then choose to end these and go outside (or take games with you) x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Mine used to tidy their things away as they finished their lunch, putting plates etc into washing up bowl. Then they went and sat quietly in the book corner or doing floor jigsaws until tooth brushing time. They put their books/jigsaw away and came for teeth brushing then they could go their key person for sun cream or whatever. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zigzag Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Could you have an area on the carpet where they can help themselves to a book to look at. We do this and once the children are used to it, it works really well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panders Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 Hi all, I did think of some sort of musical/ physical activity but with up to 28+ and one adult and limited space (as both sides of the room are used for lunch) it would not work and be difficult to support the children ... I think it needs to be quieter things because they will distract slower eaters - or some don't eat enough and pretend they can't eat any more just to join the ones that have finished. I think it does come down to a routine and once that has been accepted by the children as "what we do" after lunch then things will get easier, but 28 is rather a lot of children! Do they all stay after lunch for a session? May be as Cait has suggested, keeping them busy with housekeeping things will stop them pulling out too many toys. Have story CD's ready to listen to, or even download some of the BBC schools programmes for them to listen and respond to, there are some nice selections for 3-5 year olds. Perhaps explain in the early days that this is better than pulling out the toys because they then get more time outside because they don't have to tidy them all up again. We have used the builder's tray idea and that does work, particularly if what's in it is something they don't always get to play with ordinarily, so specifically for after lunch things 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubblejack Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 In the summer term we have about 30 children staying to lunch. We tend to start the slow eaters first and the fast eaters last. Before they sit down to lunch they tidy up the toys. After they finish eating they can look at a book and do table top activities. This works well some days but if it's not working they are all called together for a circle time activity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thumperrabbit Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 I think it needs to be quieter things because they will distract slower eaters - or some don't eat enough and pretend they can't eat any more just to join the ones that have finished. . Have story CD's ready to listen to, or even download some of the BBC schools programmes for them to listen and respond to, there are some nice selections for 3-5 year olds. Perhaps explain in the early days that this is better than pulling out the toys because they then get more time outside because they don't have to tidy them all up again. Yes we do this they do seem to enjoy the story CD's On one particularly wet and noisy day I even put a Peppa Pig DVD on ! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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