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Helen Dempster
13-05-2011, 11:37 AM
Hi all

I've just been getting in a right tizz trying to put together my quiet/reading corner. My mum was getting rid of some lovely blue and white silky fabric and so I pinched it as thought it would be ideal. I have it pictured in my head, but I can't quite get it right. I've put a line of string up and have just pegged the fabric on to it. It's not the best, but it looks ok, loads of cushions etc. I was just wondering what you all do - do you have such a thing, does it stay up all the time? I'm trying to encourage mindees as well as my own ds to read more.

Enjoy the rest of your day - and whoop whoop it's the weeeeeekeeeeend!!! :clapping:

miss mopple
13-05-2011, 12:23 PM
I have a sofa- they sit on that to read. Does the job for me ;)

FussyElmo
13-05-2011, 01:01 PM
I have a little alcove in my dining room with cushions in - thats my quiet corner the box of books is by it.

buildingblocks
13-05-2011, 01:06 PM
I usually find the children end up finding whats right for hem not much use to you I know. I also have play tents that when they go up the children use a lot - i often put books in one outside

jumpinjen
13-05-2011, 01:16 PM
I have read articles that said that an enclosed quiet space really changed the way the children used the quiet/book corner and it was used more.....

but I've also read that changing the books and theme often with puppets/figures etc to go with the theme worked really well to get the children into the book corner too.

I don't do one..... they use the sofa/floor/read them to the dolls/come and sit on my lap etc....

have you thought about planning a couple of activities around a book to stimulate interest in them..... reading it every day then doing a craft, story telling with it or going out looking for real insects/going shopping like in the book etc etc?

I would only leave it up as long as it's working..... then ring the changes!

HTH, Jen x

AliceK
13-05-2011, 01:31 PM
I have a corner with a big rug and big cushions on the floor and the children would sometimes use it as a quiet corner but after having a move around I have added to that part of the room a big wicker type chest on which I placed cushions, the idea was for me to sit on there but 2 of my littlies have decided it's theirs to sit on with books. I'm happy with that and they seem to love it.
I've just put the tents away after having them out for ages, they go down well with all ages, they take toys and blankets in there. Only trouble is they then start arguing over which tent is who's :rolleyes:

xxx

Maza
13-05-2011, 02:22 PM
Mine isn't enclosed. I have a beanbag and a little bookshelf which displays the front cover of the books rather than the spine. It's called a Booktidy and was about £70 but I have to say it is probably my best investment. It makes the books really accessable and inviting to my toddlers and as soon as I got it I noticed a lot more reading going on. I only have a few books on the shelf at a time and regularly swap them according to our topics. Doing activities around books most definitely helps too.

A lot of the time they use the beanbag just whilst they select a book and then they bring it over to me to read to them whilst we cuddle up on the sofa.

JulieA
13-05-2011, 03:40 PM
I have a large soft cushion on a rug, with some smaller cushions to lean against. There is a wicker basket with a selection of popular books in, and it is next to the book shelf with more books on. We also have a book of the month which we use as a focus activity for basing crafts, role play, etc, and I try to tie this in with the theme we are looking at too. The children I have are only with me for 2 days a week each so not too overdone by the end of the month.

I have a crate of books which we take outdoors, put in tents, playhouse, or in the reading area on the decking too.

Goatgirl
13-05-2011, 04:30 PM
Hi Helen :),
I've been meaning to get to that too, although I already have a 'reading' corner - my project is to create a 'quiet' area. Been struggling with where to put it, but your post has pointed out the glaringly obvious: combine reading and quiet areas together :laughing: ! I sooo often miss the glaringly obvious.

Anyway, back to the point: I was going to (somehow) fix a hook into the ceiling, then hang up a hulahoop or something similar, to which I'll have attatched ceiling to floor coloured but see - through material. There's a Range in my town which does lots by the metre. Then I guess, just somewhere comfy to sit and appropriate toys and books to hand in cae they want to do things whilst they're being 'quiet'...

they have a silmilar thing at the local childrens centre which my 2 mindees loved (the privacy I think, although I could still see and hear them :D). they were in there whispering, reading , sneaking out to get things and sneaking back in again; hiding; reading. It was great fun. I'd like to add some way to fasten the 'curtains' to my version also: maybe something with velcro as it's easy and not lockable or dangerous. hmmmm.....

good luck with yours :thumbsup:

best wishes,
Wendy :)

miffy
13-05-2011, 04:53 PM
I have a bookcase for the children's books - sometimes I put big floor cushions by it, sometimes a table and chairs. I find the children just choose their book and then decide where they'll sit.

Sometimes they stay near the books but others they will take the book to the settee and read it or sit on the floor or go into a den/tent if we have one up.

If I have lots of fabric out they might even make their own den to sit in.


Miffy xx

Winnie
13-05-2011, 06:49 PM
I have a huge fluffy pink cushion from Ikea in a corner and the Ikea giant leaf over the cushion and a basket of books- of course :p The main bookcase is in the playroom and i just swap books occasionally to keep it 'fresh'.

buildingblocks
13-05-2011, 06:53 PM
Hi Helen :),Anyway, back to the point: I was going to (somehow) fix a hook into the ceiling, then hang up a hulahoop or something similar, to which I'll have attatched ceiling to floor coloured but see - through material. There's a Range in my town which does lots by the metre. Then I guess, just somewhere comfy to sit and appropriate toys and books to hand in cae they want to do things whilst they're being 'quiet'...

Wendy :)

Ikea do a hoop with net on it and it was used on a CFS training I attended. If i could remember what you call them similar to this one but mine didn't have the fancy top and was about £6

http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/20130878

mushpea
13-05-2011, 07:14 PM
I hve recently added a reading corner,, we have to rugs that look like a cow and a dog and two big cushions for them to sit on,, they are actualy dog cushions bought new from the pet shop, never used as dog cushions so clean and are a lot cheaper than bean bags and ofsted approved of them today,,anyway we have a box of books in the corner and I try and have books out to match out theme, so a the moment we have farm as our themes so lots of related books ,, I also have a magentic whitle board on the wall in that corner which we put theme rlated stuff on, like at the moment we have the farm poster from nursery wolrd on and I laminated the animals so the put them on the poster where they think they go,, the animals have little magnets stuck on them.
the children love the corner and use it with the books they also drag them in to the living room in the evenings when they have their tv half hour to sit on and make belivve they are beds and all sorts.