music for tidy up time

[Lynne28]

Hello,

 

I'm not sure that this should be posted on the management issues however I am sure that you will have the answer to this.

We are a packaway setting which we do each day and as you are aware there is a lot to pack away, we would like the children to help us and as this is also in the EYFS we would like to make it fun,

 

Can anyone share what they do to make this less stressful for staff and children, I am thinking maybe some kind of music so the children will understand after a while that when the music plays it is time for us to pack away. I am thinking that the song needs to just play music otherwise the children will be distracted and concentrate more on singing the words. we are a preschool open for 3 - 4 hours per days (one hour extra on some days for lunchclub) and cater for children between the ages of 2 - 5 years

 

Any ideas of any appropriate songs and what cd they come on?

I would appreciate your help

Many thanks

[lsp]

We use Disneys 'Whistle While You Work' but have found that since we started to have more 2 year iolds that it has become a signal for more dancing than tidying! We now try to give the older children specific jobs to do before putting the music on.

[Rafa]

The 633 squadron?? gets them flying around! Tidied up in no time!

[lsp]

Is that the Dam busters music Rafa?

[Guest]

In the past I have used 'tidy-up cards' - a labelled photograph of every piece of equipment that needs to be tidied. At the end of the session we come together and each child is given a tidy-up card (often working in pairs or perhaps 3 or 4 children, as appropriate).

The children enjoy taking 'ownership' of their task and working as part of a team. It worked well for us.

[Panders]

Is that the Dam busters music Rafa?

No, but of a similar type.

 

We gave up music some years ago as we found the children get too hyped, we have re-introduced it last term, but don't use it every day - we have several pieces we use, Hi ho, hi ho, Whistle while you work, Mission Impossible etc. We tidy to music a couple of times a week, but not before we have brought all the children to just one area of the room and spoken about what needs to be tidied away and given out little jobs for them to do, even if that is one thing each or groups going off to do, say, the train set and trains. Sometimes they have a dip in the number bag and have to tidy that many items away (have to say that is rather popular) sometimes we have teams with their key person doing complete areas. We do, however, always have adults beginning the tidy up process while the children are still playing so some of it is done already before they are asked to join in. When the majority of tidying up is done, an adult then collects the children together once more and we have story time while adults finish off and set out the snack. The children are praised for their help and we try to notice something good that each one is trying to do. I often pretend I don't know where something goes to get a little one to help, they love showing adults how brilliant they are.

[mrsbat]

We use Heigh ho from snow white and it works - as soon as the music comes on 75% of the children drop what they are doing and tidy up (the other 25% suddenly have a desperate need for the toilet!)

 

We also make a game from it so 'can everyone put away 3 red things..... 4 wooden things......2 things........5 bricks' etc

[manor]

What about

 

Tidy up time, tidy up time

Thank you for helping.

or

Are you helping, are you helping

Tidy up toys, tidy up toys

Everybody helping, everybody helping

Girls and boys, girls and boys

 

 

( Tune Frere jacques )