activities for re-opening??

[blondie]

Looking at resources to use if/when re-opening - 

sand - no

water with washing up liquid - yes?

mud kitchen - ?

any ideas re mud kitchen?

[finleysmaid]

I don't have an issue with any of these things outside...but i do know that people are being cautious about sand play, though i have found no evidence for why this might be the case...unless you have a sand muncher!

[Panders]

I'm going to say shaving foam as its soap could be ok,  we always used to put anti-bac soap in our water rather than washing up liquid.  Washing babies and caring for the dolls, washing their clothes.  A  lot of filling and emptying containers of different sizes with coloured water.  Using ice for activities

Edited May 21, 2020 by Panders

[Mouseketeer]

This looks good and has W.U.L in, own tray use, keep in names bags for the week, if a child has symptoms you can bit it?

[Panders]

I used to have shallow cat litter trays for the children to use for individual containment while in use, worked reasonably well, kinetic sand can get messy to clear up, but the children do enjoy it, so always worthwhile.  I have made my own, don't remember putting w u l in it, but excellent idea.

I think anything the children can tolerate that may be a little sticky on their hands so they need to wash them afterwards would be a good idea

One of the other activities ours liked was making patterns on the table top (it was red) with a soapy mix, they could write and draw and quickly rub it away and begin again.

Edited May 24, 2020 by Panders

[Mouseketeer]

20 minutes ago, Panders said:

used to have shallow cat litter trays for the children to use for individual containment while in use, worked reasonably well, kinetic sand can get messy to clear up, but the children do enjoy it, so always worthwhile.  I have made my own, don't remember putting w u l in it, but excellent idea.

I’ve never made it, that seems like a small quantity, could double it up, they can make their own, choosing their own colour or colours if making smaller quantities.

[finleysmaid]

I was having a think about this and have decided i am just going to throw the children outside and just let them run around like banshee's for about 4 days before i even try to have a conversation with them i have been told mine are mostly feral 

[finleysmaid]

Actually just thinking about it how are people feeling about the BIG questions?   Are you going to allow cuddles? will you let children hug each other? will you do activities where they will hold hands? will you allow them to go in the bathroom areas without supervision????

[Mouseketeer]

4 minutes ago, finleysmaid said:

Actually just thinking about it how are people feeling about the BIG questions?   Are you going to allow cuddles? will you let children hug each other? will you do activities where they will hold hands? will you allow them to go in the bathroom areas without supervision????

If a cuddle is needed then yes from their group (I’m already fed up of typing bubble) staff, I can see problems early on until they used to only looking to those 2 staff for support when they would normally seek out a different member of staff, and I worry in the longer term that it isn’t could for them to only rely on the same staff and become attached to the same small group of chn :’( 

I guess they could wash their hands before doing ring game/hand holding activities but lots they could do without.

To begin with yes (1 group), when we get to 2 groups though I’m not sure, I plan on open, clean, close different cubicles but if I have 1 group inside the others will need to go through to get to the toilets which might be a problem without adult supervision now as they wonder in for the toilet and get distracted.

[finleysmaid]

I was thinking about my own questions and have just watched a video on toilet spread! (nice) ..we don't have lids on our loos (if you do i would close the lid before flushing) but basically it was talking about the aerosol effect, having watched it i suspect i may limit the people in the loos at any one time unless you can be over 2 metres away from them.....going to be tricky to wipe bottoms from that distance

[Mouseketeer]

1 hour ago, finleysmaid said:

I was thinking about my own questions and have just watched a video on toilet spread! (nice) ..we don't have lids on our loos (if you do i would close the lid before flushing) but basically it was talking about the aerosol effect, having watched it i suspect i may limit the people in the loos at any one time unless you can be over 2 metres away from them.....going to be tricky to wipe bottoms from that distance

I was thinking a dishwashing mop in a stick 😝 

[finleysmaid]

30 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

I was thinking a dishwashing mop in a stick 😝 

very romanesc!

 

[louby loo]

36 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

I was thinking a dishwashing mop in a stick 😝 

No, you need those extender sticks [for the larger than normal person] that you see advertised in those strange  supplements that come with the Sunday papers.

[blondie]

5 hours ago, Mouseketeer said:

If a cuddle is needed then yes from their group (I’m already fed up of typing bubble) staff, I can see problems early on until they used to only looking to those 2 staff for support when they would normally seek out a different member of staff, and I worry in the longer term that it isn’t could for them to only rely on the same staff and become attached to the same small group of chn :’( 

I guess they could wash their hands before doing ring game/hand holding activities but lots they could do without.

To begin with yes (1 group), when we get to 2 groups though I’m not sure, I plan on open, clean, close different cubicles but if I have 1 group inside the others will need to go through to get to the toilets which might be a problem without adult supervision now as they wonder in for the toilet and get distracted.

how many are you expecting each day? 

[Panders]

4 hours ago, Mouseketeer said:

I was thinking a dishwashing mop in a stick 😝 

Go the full hog and have a jet washer (oh no, the spray!)

[Panders]

The more you over think it, the worse it gets.    Huge part of me just says, get on with it, wash hands as often as possible, issue no assurances to parents, this is something we must live with for an awfully long while.      The next moment I'm thinking the opposite.      It's an impossible situation for you all to have to think about.

[Mouseketeer]

1 hour ago, blondie said:

how many are you expecting each day? 

 We were on about 7/8 (total of 12) now looks like 4/5 due to the school plan to take different years back on different weeks so parents are now wanting to wait until the school sibling can start too 🤦‍♀️

[finleysmaid]

15 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

 We were on about 7/8 (total of 12) now looks like 4/5 due to the school plan to take different years back on different weeks so parents are now wanting to wait until the school sibling can start too 🤦‍♀️

So are you doing one group for half/full days?

[Mouseketeer]

52 minutes ago, finleysmaid said:

So are you doing one group for half/full days?

Yes 1 group, opening for 3 days a week and they will all come a combination of those 3 days with the same 2 full time staff (all being well) for first 2 weeks, then find out if any others want to start from wk 3 and create a 2nd bubble, I’m a little unsure how things will work out when I bring part time staff back in though unless those staff are prepared to work their hours in a different pattern to the norm if possible :-/ 

[blondie]

we will have one group - 6 - 9 children each day over the week with total of about 16 children in total, although sure this will change. 

Question - all staff will work over the week with these children on different days, we dont envisage any more children coming in as lots have health issues or parents do or just dont want them to come back so does this work okay? Over thinking and re-thinking this plan.

[Mouseketeer]

4 minutes ago, blondie said:

we will have one group - 6 - 9 children each day over the week with total of about 16 children in total, although sure this will change. 

Question - all staff will work over the week with these children on different days, we dont envisage any more children coming in as lots have health issues or parents do or just dont want them to come back so does this work okay? Over thinking and re-thinking this plan.

How many staff do you have Blondie? I have 4 to start and am planning on having the same 2 with children so I have staff to be the next bubble, I have 4 already who missed the deadline after umpteen reminders so they will have to wait 2 weeks now ...that probably sounds harsh but I just want to get back in for a couple of weeks and find our way before the challenge of running 2 bubbles (or 3 starts).

[blondie]

17 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

How many staff do you have Blondie? I have 4 to start and am planning on having the same 2 with children so I have staff to be the next bubble, I have 4 already who missed the deadline after umpteen reminders so they will have to wait 2 weeks now ...that probably sounds harsh but I just want to get back in for a couple of weeks and find our way before the challenge of running 2 bubbles (or 3 starts).

there are four staff who will be in working - all will have a  day off (and probably after first week a half day as well) - one is owner who will probably oversee what is happening the rest of us will work with the children and do cleaning and kitchen duties such as prepare snack etc., will work out a rota for this. We have a large outdoor area where we hope to spend most of our time but that also means lots of cleaning afterwards too.

thinking box of books (6 ish) for each day then put away till following week? plastic construction with some type of small world which will be cleaned at end of day then new sets put out for tuesday - repeat this over the week so new stuff each day? 

worried not getting this right .xx

[Mouseketeer]

It sounds like you have it all under control, I’m thinking a lot more rotation than trying to keep cleaning resources, we have loads so it may be a good thing for us to scale back :-) 

[blondie]

good idea - we are usually packaway but not having to at the moment as going to be sole users of centre so we could rotate by returning used resources to cupboard but would need to work out a plan of how to put things in/take things out without getting them mixed as cupboard is very full of resources.

[Mouseketeer]

6 hours ago, blondie said:

good idea - we are usually packaway but not having to at the moment as going to be sole users of centre so we could rotate by returning used resources to cupboard but would need to work out a plan of how to put things in/take things out without getting them mixed as cupboard is very full of resources.

It might be a go back to the old way before continuous provision where you knew exactly what was coming out each day, we have units that we can change what’s on them and then turn the other units inwards so what’s on them can’t be accessed.

[blondie]

yes we usually have units out so could do it that way - owner is hoping that we will be outside all day. she is now talking about bringing second wave of children in after few weeks - not sure how that will work as more children mixing? will have 8-10 straight away.

[finleysmaid]

we have almost set up 2 pre-schools. We have sectioned off an area and sub sectioned it into 2  am and pm and then split the resources. All of ours are normally on open units for the children to help themselves but we do have loads of space inside and out so hopefully ok.....just got to do our best really. 

PS can i just send out a personal appeal for everyone to be REALLY careful about scam emails ATM i nearly got caught this morning

[anju]

On 24/05/2020 at 20:00, Mouseketeer said:

How many staff do you have Blondie? I have 4 to start and am planning on having the same 2 with children so I have staff to be the next bubble, I have 4 already who missed the deadline after umpteen reminders so they will have to wait 2 weeks now ...that probably sounds harsh but I just want to get back in for a couple of weeks and find our way before the challenge of running 2 bubbles (or 3 starts).

Totally agree - will be trying one group only for three days a week for at least two weeks before Possibly introducing A second group on the other two days 

[louby loo]

1 hour ago, finleysmaid said:

 

PS can i just send out a personal appeal for everyone to be REALLY careful about scam emails ATM i nearly got caught this morning

What sort? anything in particular we should watch out for?

[finleysmaid]

well today it was a mesage from my bank ..i have checked it wasn't from them but worrying that they had some of my details. (HSBC)

but the work account is having constant issues with fake HMRC ones