Planning for very young children/babies

[Houlgated]

I'm getting myself in a bit of a muddle and keep chopping and changing the way i do things which is adding to my own confusion. I currently only mind a 14 month old 3 days per week (and have my own 3 yr old at home) and have been using Sarah's play plan from the downloads section on here. I just wondered what other people do in terms of planning and observations for babies/young toddlers and how much is really needed. The mindee i have will not do anything craft related, despite my numerous attempts to encourage it, he just screams at the slightest hint of paint, glue, playdough, cooked pasta, cornflour, so other than the couple of toddler groups we go to each week and him sleeping twice a day, eating (snacks & lunch), and going out for fresh air i feel our 'play time is quite limited in time and is just floor type toys - activity toys with buttons, lights, sounds etc, cars, balls shape sorters/stacking toys, musical instruments, books and all the usual baby/toddler toys. I feel like i'm writing the same thing day in day out in his daily diary and play plan. Please can someone tell me what else i can do or how you do yours. My inspection was due in August last year so i'm worried that i could get the call from Mrs O any day and my planning is not really up to scratch. I really wish i had an older mindee as i have lots of ideas of things i want to do but it's just wasted on my current mindee, which also means that my own boy misses out as my mindee is very demanding of my attention, so even if i try and do craft with my boy it's impossible as my mindee will cry unless he has my undivided attention. help please

[starlight1]

I was quite worried as I had one baby 7months at time of ofsted and afterschool kids..


Mrs O was fine with the activities ...My main activites I focused on were treasure basket, story sack... baby toys..I only go to one toddler group . I got graded good

[lisbet]

I care for very young babies and I am finding my LA's observation sheet really useful, because it has space for the observation and then spaces titled 'next steps/ learning intentions' and 'resources'. So if I write a description of a baby trying to crawl and reaching out to grasp a toy, then I can write that I plan to continue to place interesting toys/ safe objects around the play area to encourage their developing moving and handling skills. That way I have clearly linked what I am doing to supporting their learning and development, even though at this stage it is not an 'activity' as such.

Would your mindee maybe be content to have a cuddle on your knee and watch whilst you do craft activities with your son? That way he might even want to join in with it one day. Or perhaps you could do some of them whilst he is asleep for the time being so you and your son can enjoy them together? Hope you find a way to juggle it all x

[Houlgated]

Thanks for the replies. What i am doing is probably fine and i'm probably just trying to complicate it as it seems too simple. i do most craft stuff with my son whilst mindee is sleeping but he often wakes up before we've finished, so i do then sit him with us and try to encourage him. Today i did manage to get him to touch some paint and make a couple of marks on paper with his painted hand but he wasn't keen.

[Waveawand]

Hiya, I currently mind a child whom is the same age as your mindee. Although I only have him three days a week, he has gotten used to playing on his own with me near the toddler is a natural magnet for the younger child so monitoring both playing alongside each other is key here. Actually, generally craft based stuff I do when its nap time for lo and when more complex stuff can come out. Outside play with sand and water is always good too ! Cutting and sticking/ gloop etc I tend to do that when the lo is asleep as someone previously has suggested. The other play time he joins in with the older child, good opportunity for them both to learn turn taking and sharing.
As the lo is so young you dont need to plan as such but be noting what and more importantly HOW he is playing, use of hands, what he does with the toys he picks up, any repeated patterns of play ( mine was obsessed with wheels for quite a while !)
So daily diary/ what he has enjoyed playing with and particularly how he was playing/ what wow moments/ whether he responds to his name, a doorbell, recognises significant times of the day ie nap time/home time etc
and based on the interests shown schedule in some next steps. But to be honest one so young you should just be noting developmental stages and his natural curiousity in things. Activities are too complex ecvrpy maybe possibly hiding a toy for him to find or treasure baskets. different things for him look at and feel the texture of. push button toys. posting things etc
Sarah has done some fab ebooks and there was a guidance on planning for babies when eyfs first came out - if a find it will pM you with it obviously the links to eyfs will have to be changed but the essence is still the same.
if you are still struggling PM me and I see if I can give you further examples
hope this helps

[Houlgated]

Hiya, I currently mind a child whom is the same age as your mindee. Although I only have him three days a week, he has gotten used to playing on his own with me near the toddler is a natural magnet for the younger child so monitoring both playing alongside each other is key here. Actually, generally craft based stuff I do when its nap time for lo and when more complex stuff can come out. Outside play with sand and water is always good too ! Cutting and sticking/ gloop etc I tend to do that when the lo is asleep as someone previously has suggested. The other play time he joins in with the older child, good opportunity for them both to learn turn taking and sharing.
As the lo is so young you dont need to plan as such but be noting what and more importantly HOW he is playing, use of hands, what he does with the toys he picks up, any repeated patterns of play ( mine was obsessed with wheels for quite a while !)
So daily diary/ what he has enjoyed playing with and particularly how he was playing/ what wow moments/ whether he responds to his name, a doorbell, recognises significant times of the day ie nap time/home time etc
and based on the interests shown schedule in some next steps. But to be honest one so young you should just be noting developmental stages and his natural curiousity in things. Activities are too complex ecvrpy maybe possibly hiding a toy for him to find or treasure baskets. different things for him look at and feel the texture of. push button toys. posting things etc
Sarah has done some fab ebooks and there was a guidance on planning for babies when eyfs first came out - if a find it will pM you with it obviously the links to eyfs will have to be changed but the essence is still the same.
if you are still struggling PM me and I see if I can give you further examples
hope this helps

That's really helpful thank you, i've just seen the time and am struggling to stay awake so will have a proper look at the attachment tomorrow when i have an hour childfree in the day

[hectors house]

I have a lo (currently 15 months) that when he started with me at 10 months he too would be terrified at messy crafts but then I noticed that he prefers the tools that go with the craft - so he didn't like finger painting, but did like the brushes (so will now do painting), wouldn't touch play dough - but liked the rolling pin (so likes bashing playdough) and when I tried shaving foam he wouldn't touch it, but liked stirring it with a big plastic spoon. In the garden he wouldn't crawl as didn't like cold, damp surfaces (patio, grass, bark, gravel) but now he is walking round the furniture at home, he will crawl on the safety surface at the park and walk round the equipment and last week spend nearly 2 hours playing in garden with older children.

Maybe try dry pasta in a tray for touching, filling containers and tipping out and then start to add a little cooked pasta.

[Nina Kirby]

Hello


I am struggling with planning/next steps and how to lay out and word it does anyone have an links at all please? thanks in advance