Activities......

[Kerry84]

Do you all have set activities and themes etc everyday? Or do have have days that are a bit more relaxed and free play time? I'm new to all this and am struggling with coming up with activities and themes etc! Today we spent the morning at bounce an rhyme time at the library, mindee is now sleeping, then we will have lunch, then i don't know what to do until 5:15 I have school run in between! Would live to hear others routines for some inspiration :-) xx

[tess1981]

i do a lot of free play... i attended a course a few years back and this was the main theme. i doset activities at easter, christmas valentines st. patricks etc but dont plan activities everyday
some days the kids want a lazy day other days they cant get enough activities.
i show the children when they start what activities i offer and they usually come in and tell me what they want to do and i go get it.
i go at the childrens pace. if they in lazy mode i offer activities like painting play dough colouring or jigsaws and see if they are interested, if not then its up to them... but they must always spend a reasonable amount of time doing an activity before i get out another one... some children i have had started one activity and wanted another one less than 5 mins later because they want it all...

[jackie 7]

Ally Los are around 2. So hard to do activitities. I do mostly free play. I do things like Christmas etc. I don't make them do an activity and have found the more time I spend setting up the less they will want to play. I keep trying!

[Dragonfly]

Totally agree.I don't do an activity every day painting ,gluing etc always available. always do easter dawali, chinese new year, christmas but toddlers do not always want to do an activity, they like exploring toys,being outside exploring etc. One activity everyone wants to do though is cooking/baking!,

[cathtee]

I have activities at cm group on Mondays and at playgroup on a Tuesday so I don't always do activities the rest of the week unless its for easter etc. My lo's like to do a lot of free play when they are given messy play it doesn't last that long and the walk away from it :(

[samb]

I find it depends a lot on the age and mix of the children and their personal routines as well as the setting routine. Mine are mostly just 2 or under and so when I have the 4 year old here he has an afternoon where little ones nap and he is the only one up. He has some free play whilst I tidy up lunch and do the diaries but then I try and do an activity with him alone.

[yummyripples]

We are out every morning and then just see what the afternoon brings. Our mornings can be anything from soft play, park, toddler group, library or even just the garden centre.
Afternoons free play, baking, craft whatever x