Activities /rota For Under Twos

[sharonash]

Hi can anyone share some activity plans?

 

We have recently opened a small baby unit and am struggling with planning, we do planning as per the childrens interests but feel we need to have some kind of plan for the week ? ie to plan for sticking, messy play music time etc?

 

What do you think? Do you work like this in your settings? Are we on the wrong wave length we are booked on birth to three training in May next yr- good aye! no one really to support us either!

The new staff have come from other nurserys they say their old nurserys had a daily routine and that was it they just sat with the babies? seems pretty boring and unexciting to me!?

 

 

Any help or advice would be appreciated please

 

thanks

[Sue R]

BTTM is all about observing and moving with children's needs/interests. So: Daily routine is good, then observe and 'go with the flow'. It shouldn't be boring if you follow the children. Don't be tempted to plan too much or you'll stay with it and miss what the 'punters' want!

(obviously, have lots of stimulating stuff out - sand, sensory etc...)

Sue

[Guest]

I agree with Sue, we watch and learn and then plan from what the children are telling us!

We may have a direction for the week but it can often get lost when you follow the children's lead. I like to be spontaneous and only intervene when the children will benefit fully, there play at the B23 age can be so diverse and interesting to watch, you can really plan alot from connecting with them.

The B23 guidance links nicely in with most setting's resources and set-ups so you can tweak here and there to promote their learning through play.

 

So in answer to your question, yes we have plans - but they are only guidelines taken from evaluations and observations from previous sessions and added info from parents that may be significant, these can change throughout the day, I will bring some home tomorrow to attach.

 

As for routine that also has to fit in with children but like the plans we do have a structure to the session and allow for extension when play is good and intervention will upset the learning opportunities. I think you have to stick to some kind of routine -

Edited December 13, 2006 by Guest

[Guest]

Agree with the replies you've have. Would suggest you include time for heuristic exploration (worth getting a book/read up on internet) and 'treasure' baskets/boxes - well stocked with lots of natural and sensorial objects - a wide variety but with many of the same. This is an area I am hoping to expand upon at my nursery for 2-3 year olds.

 

Patricia

[Sue R]

Of course! But then, that's a 'given', with this age group, isn't it!

 

Sue

[Guest DeborahF]

I'm not sure whereabouts in the country you are but I think most areas have an advisory member of staff specifically giving advice on BTTM now - is there someone in your early years unit who might be able to point you in the right direction? It's a long time to wait until May for any training!

[Running Bunny]

I did some BTTM training last night with some childminders, which admittedly is a bit different to a nursery setting, but we came up with a plan for planning..

 

* Long term plans - a seasonal calendar for the year, identifying the seasons, key festivals and other significant events in the lives of the children (no specific information on activities)

 

* Medium term plans - a month in advance, you can plan for buying resources/requesting artefacts from parents and thinking about possible activiites (based on what the children are currently doing)

 

* Short term plans - weekly, daily or reflective plans. Plan for individual children or groups of children based on observations from previous activities or reflect on spontaneous activities and then plan for the next day/week as an extension of this.

 

Don't get too hung up on planning in advance as you can guarantee that you will spend time lovingly preparing an activity and the children won't be interested in it! Go with the interests of the children!

[Guest]

We opened our provision for 2-3's this October so planning process is fairly new to us too.

 

We have an outline of our session routine (although this is flexible when it needs to be), which shows links to BTTM. We then have plans for each area of provision ( a kind of long term plan) outlining basic resources always available in room, possible activities & experiences, adult role, & links to BTTM. Each sheet e.g. malleable & sensory then has a column for observations & enhancements where we record observations of children's interests and any additional resources / experiences we are going to provide as a result.

 

We have also been wondering whether we need another level of planning showing all the bits of planning that go on at a weekly level.

 

Have so far decided to record in the children's personal records whenever we plan something in response to a personal need/interest.

 

Having read a little about heuristic play I would be very interested to hear more as you develop this with your 2-3's Patricia.

[Guest]

Elinor Goldschmied is the woman behind heuristic play, treasure baskets etc. If you do a Google search, I'm sure you'll fins some information that can help!

[Guest]

I have found the Birth to Three series of small books (color coded to match the Birth to Three Cards in the Gov. pack) a treasure trove of ideas and advice, including lots on treasure baskets etc. They are from Featherstone Education and I think they only cost me about £27.00. We bought those metal wall hanging book holders so that they are up on the wall facing out for all staff to use and be inspired by. We use them all the time in our Birth to Three planning.

 

Teri

[Sue R]

Yes, Teri, they're a real boon!!

 

Just shows how many 'senior moments' I'm having recently!

 

Sue