HELP

[carla]

Im finding this such a trauma!
I have a 4 yr old and a 21 month old, I have done loads of planning, and the kids just srent interested, they just wanna play with the toys all day. I try and get them interested in educational bits, but they really aren't interested!
HELP ANY IDEA WILL BE GREAT?!

[Ripeberry]

That's the whole idea of the EYFS. Planning should only be done on a long-term basis, like the seasons or festivals ect.
The rest of the time, we are meant to be watching them playing with the toys as even a stick found in the park can be educational.
You could talk to the 4yr old about the buds (if any) on the stick, what will they have become? You could show that dry sticks break easily but green ones just bend.
Just follow their lead and see how you can 'enrich' the experience. :)

[Ripeberry]

You could also get a bowl of water out in your garden and use some of the (non-destructible) toys and ask them if they think a toy will sink for swim! :laughing:

[Moominmomma]

Kids learn all the time, even if you've not planned it. Observe what they are doing and plan things similar, this is the EYFS idea. When the kids are playing, sit with them and try to extend what they are doing, things like: when my son plays with cars, we go through the colours and count them.

Hope this helps. :)

[katickles]

I would go with what they are most interested in playing with then.

One of mine recently was really into posting things through my cat flap:rolleyes: Anyway - after advice on here as I wasn't sure about writing it as an observation, it was made really obvious then that it was great to plan round it.

I have spent loads of time with treasure baskets, hiding things in them for her to find, she'll also spend ages taking things out & putting them back in.

I saw a postbox toy in Tesco's the other day - we have taken letters to the post box for her to post & I am also planning on getting her one of the toys from tesco's to extend the learning.

Just go more with the flow I guess x

[huggableshelly]

Ofsted were not interested in any of my planning though she did spot that I had not done any since march, I said the children are more interested in selecting their own toys and activities hence no detailed plan and I aim to follow the next steps which at times can happen over a few days or weeks.

time for you to stop planning, relax, let the children do what they want, most of EYFS is done through play, there maybe one or two bits you will need to think about on how to get the child to cover but its just a case of providing the right toys ... such as pushing and pulling - buggies, toys on string, make a loo roll dog and attatch it to string to pull it along

i learnt to keep things simple, so will you xxx