How much do i need to record?

[alex__17]

Very new to all this and I'm a bit unsure what I need to record...

I've got 2 eyfs children with me 1 day a week, still settling and I'm going to start with tracking starting point within the eyo framework then do obs every couple of weeks.
Yesterday I did water painting outside as an activity, doing shapes and letters of my older eyfs mindees names, little one just splashed about, so it covered pd, psed, C&L for older one, should I write all that in her learning journey? Should I do this for all planned activities? Or should I have done that as a set observation and written it up?
And should all obs be planned, or could I do one if they for example picked the music box on their own and played on their own with it?

Bit confused as to how much I record for them and what it all counts as! Grateful for any advice, don't want to be bogged down with paperwork but also want to keep on top of it and get started with. It now rather than leave it a few weeks and feel like I'm catching up all the time

[moggy]

I do not plan obs unless I know there is a gap in the LJ (if I have not obs a particular area for a while).

I look for wow-moments and anything new, and things that demonstrate development, and interests like a child always wanting to play with a particular thing as that is useful for follow-up activities.
I just write 1-2 sentences and a photo or video, usually. I do it immediately, or at least on the same day, so no catching-up to do.

Obs need to be useful to you. They are done to help you understand that child, to remember what they can do and what they are trying to do, what they are interested in. If the obs you make are not useful to you or are taking too much time then change what you are doing- try simplifying and you can always add more in over time if you think you have simplified too far.

It also makes it easier to only label Obs with the Area(s) of learning, once you are familiar with the EYFS you don't need to write the Aspect too as you will know it in your head.