First Day

[Guest]

Hi everyone,

 

Just thought i would update you all on my first day with all the changes I have made in place. Firstly i wrote a letter explaining everything to parents and got some lovely feedback.

 

The cafe style snack bar was excepted by the children and they really enjoyed it. Each group (there are three) takes turns each day to prepare snack with their keyworker, this aspect was particulary welcomed by the children.

 

Our Theme is patterns and the children have been using wonderful descriptive language whilst getting involved in all the activities. Overall our learning intentions were met and i felt it was a really good day.

 

At the end of the day the staff said did i want their feedback now, of course i welcomed this. I was asked if they could have puzzles and playdough back everyday...i said i thought we should offer the children a range of tactile experience, such as cornflour, compost, sand, playdough etc, but i thought playdough everyday would get very boring as well as puzzles every day.

 

What do you think, is playdough and puzzles everyday ok, we didnt do this in my last nursery but offered a continuous provision which covered all learning areas but ones that revolved over a four week period.

 

Any advice on this would be great.

[Guest]

i tend to rotate mine but with the playdough it is so popular its always out you can however think of different ways of using the dough each week for example our children are making playdough continents this week last week they were making models of the planets

[belle06]

we tend to let the children have access to playdough and puzzles as and when they wish. We have all the toys labelled and the children get what they would like to play with out at free play

[aliamch]

We have playdough out every day, which the children help to make each week, but we also have a trough which we vary with sand, water, compost, cornflour etc.. each week. The puzzles aren't out everyday (unless specifically requested) as we found the children got bored with them and ended up putting the pieces in the most unusual places!

Karrie

[Inge]

our children request both of these if not out on one day, so we have them both available every day. other items like mud , goop are in addition to these,

Inge

 

this is a case of going with the children and what their current interests are next year will probably all change.

[Guest]

we have playdough out everyday but we have it on a table in the homecorner. Children then also have messy play which can be anything from cooked spaghetti, cornflour, shaving foam. We also put a couple of puzzles out on a table at the side of the room so if they want to do a puzzle they can.

[Guest]

Our pdn children have free access to a wide variety of puzzles which are in small baskets on shelves or large boxex on floor for them to self select - these are changed regularly to maintain interest, but children can ask for favourites to come out when they want. I'm planning to take photos of puzzles and laminate them (idea from someone on the forum, thanks), leaving them on a tray so children can show an adult which puzzle they want to use if it is not out.

 

We have playdough out every day - we vary the colour, smell and sometimes add a little sand to vary the texture. Again children help themselves to the dough and choose from a selection of shapes, cutters etc. They are also supported to include anything else they wish to in their dough exploration - a 2.6 year old girl currently likes sticking in plastic straws which she says are hedgehogs, a little boy likes to squash flat the dough making a roadway and runs his car over it - he also likes to push dough inside the cars (yuck!), they incorporate plates and knives from home corner, use items from 'recycled modelling' such as egg boxes (checked for egg residue!), roll it in glitter etc. One little girl likes to spread glue over it or wrap sellotape around it.

 

We supplement the dough with other tactile substances mentioned like cornflour....I Love that stuff, and cooked and uncooked pasta, coloured rice, mud.

 

I haven't tried shaving foam yet....does it need to be hypoallergenic or is sensitive good enough?

[Guest]

many thanks for your replies, its been really helpful

 

Claire

[JacquieL]

I'm glad to hear that things are going well with you Claire.

I have always found that playdough is a really popular activity, and there are so many ways it can be used and different ways of making it. Somewhere on here is a thread on playdough and the wonderful recipe for chocolate playdough- Mmmmmm!

Type in chocolate playdough - er I must find out how to do a link

[Guest Wolfie]

There's also one of the Little Books published by Featherstone called The Little Book of Dough with loads of ideas in it.

[Marion]

Im pleased its going well.

We have a malleable table every day but playdough is definitely the children's favourite, and they will ask for it if its not out for a day or two.

[Guest]

Absolutely agree. Playdough is a must every day, with other tactile experiences provided alongside

[beth1]

I am too pleased its going well.

 

I have had a couple of funny days in my new workplace, umm how can I sum it up, interesting working in a multi cultural setting. I felt a bit overwelmed by the language at first and what activites I did, umm B23 read the stuff yes I do know what it is etc. Cleaning out the store cuboard amosted other things. On top of working with the children.

 

 

Beth