Ideas for tiny weeny mindees please

[newbie]

My four year old's have now left to begin their full time education in January so I am just left with my 10 month old mindee and as of February, I have got a 6 month old starting and a 23 month old. When I had the four year olds I did loads of monthly themed activities but now that they have gone and I will only have very little ones, I am a bit stuck on what to do that is more targettted towards babies and toddlers. One idea I had was to do colour themes each month...i.e. January would be red, Feb blue etc....but was wondering if anyone had any other/better ideas. Do you bother doing monthly planning themes for such tiny ones????

[miss mopple]

I dont do formal or themed planning at all at that age. Its free play, with some messy play thrown in, and most obs and planning is through continous provision

[sarah707]

Most of mine is like Miss Mopple's planning - following children's interests and schemas.

show what you have seen them doing / saying / communicating etc... and how you will enhance their learning and development with more activities ... and how those activities meet the 6 areas of L & D...

It will be very different for you, but try and treat it as a learning curve that will enhance your personal development and document how you've done it for your SEF / Ofsted.

Hth :D

[venus89]

I tend to do very very loose planning at that age - we may have a theme for the term but it is built up day by day depending on what it is they're interested in. Animals are a great one to do because they learn animal noises well, you find them naturally in nursery rhymes and books an their everyday toys...... Have fun - I like the teeny weenies

[Blaze]

http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/eyfs/taxonomy/33699/33689/0/46384

&

http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/eyfs/taxonomy/33698/33689/0/46384

You can adjust as needed - I then print off & done!

[madasahatter]

Those links are excellent Blaze. My mindees seem to go in age bands. I will have 3 under 5's that are all within a year of each other in age and then as they go to nursery/full time school they are replaced by new mindees who are very young. Despite my having been minding for a long time always comes as a bit of a shock to the system. I think that this is because when you do your planning for the 3 to 5 yr olds you can be more inventive and also look for new ideas that stop yourself getting bored/stuck in a rut, whilst for tinies you sometimes seem to be stuck on repeat doing the same things each day.

[grindal]

Those links are excellent Blaze. My mindees seem to go in age bands. I will have 3 under 5's that are all within a year of each other in age and then as they go to nursery/full time school they are replaced by new mindees who are very young. Despite my having been minding for a long time always comes as a bit of a shock to the system. I think that this is because when you do your planning for the 3 to 5 yr olds you can be more inventive and also look for new ideas that stop yourself getting bored/stuck in a rut, whilst for tinies you sometimes seem to be stuck on repeat doing the same things each day.

But remember, although we may feel bored and a bit stuck in a rut - little ones learn through repetition! Sometimes I wonder what exactly my 11 month old mindee is learning as pushes the fire engine around the house for the 28th time - but it must be important cos if I take it away from him he screams the place down :eek:
I do not do much planning for my mindee, but I have kind of themes for DS1 and 2 (4 and 2 yrs). Mindee can then dip in and out or just push his cars around!

[guest3]

But remember, although we may feel bored and a bit stuck in a rut - little ones learn through repetition! Sometimes I wonder what exactly my 11 month old mindee is learning as pushes the fire engine around the house for the 28th time - but it must be important cos if I take it away from him he screams the place down :eek:
I do not do much planning for my mindee, but I have kind of themes for DS1 and 2 (4 and 2 yrs). Mindee can then dip in and out or just push his cars around!

That's fine Grindal but I only have an 11 month and 12 month old so they cannot just "dip in and out of other mindees planning" I have to show Ofsted that I'm doing planning or I'll get pulled up on it when I'm inspected!

Wendy x

[Cazz]

That's fine Grindal but I only have an 11 month and 12 month old so they cannot just "dip in and out of other mindees planning" I have to show Ofsted that I'm doing planning or I'll get pulled up on it when I'm inspected!

Wendy x

I've got the same issue!

I have two 8 month olds (on different days) and hopefully (!) an 11 month old starting soon and then an almost 4 year old for 3 hours ONE day a week! By the time we've walked back from nursery she then wants her lunch which we eat together at the table. I then have to fed her 8 month old sister (who has solids and then takes ages over a bottle!) so F free plays. If I'm lucky the baby has a nap or if she's happy to play on the mat I have about 1 hour (a week!!) to do an activity with the older child!

I'll be due my first grading inspection in the next month or so and am really starting to panic about the lack of planning etc I'm able to do.

[cherry pink]

I've got the same issue!

I have two 8 month olds (on different days) and hopefully (!) an 11 month old starting soon and then an almost 4 year old for 3 hours ONE day a week! By the time we've walked back from nursery she then wants her lunch which we eat together at the table. I then have to fed her 8 month old sister (who has solids and then takes ages over a bottle!) so F free plays. If I'm lucky the baby has a nap or if she's happy to play on the mat I have about 1 hour (a week!!) to do an activity with the older child!

I'll be due my first grading inspection in the next month or so and am really starting to panic about the lack of planning etc I'm able to do.

in this case i think i would do an individual timetable for these lo's to show ofsted the exact time you have available and loosely incorporate a theme for the older one e.g a simple colouring craft (e,g australian flag for australia day) or simple baking, think helen put in another thread about lamingtons that she had baked and the lo's just decorated.. these can be done whilst you feed baby, with you giving verbal input....i also use a theme box /basket which i put extra theme bits in that the children dip in and out of and covers extra dates/occasions in a month. (it's on the multicultural bit in activities would do a link but not quite that clever lol). i have a list for each month of stuff i've put inand what occasion it covers and a litttle note next to it afterwards about whether things went down well or not i suppose its like a version of a treasure basket for biggies as things change monthly...you could do a music session with both of them just make sure the instruments are baby friendly..
good luck sorry for waffling :D

[francinejayne]

http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/eyfs/taxonomy/33699/33689/0/46384

&

http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/eyfs/taxonomy/33698/33689/0/46384

You can adjust as needed - I then print off & done!

Thanks Blaze - they're really useful links. I'm not yet registered but am trying to get ahead for when my CRBs are through - should I be starting to put a plan together, or should I wait until I have mindees?

[Blaze]

You can put a long term plan together ie what festivals / themes you might like to cover & general activities - that way you can reference these plans when you have mindeees IYSWIM

HTH:)

[helenlc]

Yes, it was me that said about the lamingtons!! It could easily be set up before hand and the older one can be getting on with it as you sit nearby and feed the baby.

I recently had a 2 yr old, 18 mth old and 10 mth old. I have a monthly theme - but would just do crafts ie pumpkin paper plates for halloween or incorporate it into our meals ie turkey for Thanksgiving.

Remember, you could include any themes in your walk home from nursery ie if its animals, do a bird watch; if its colours, point out the different coloured cars, front doors etc. Then when you get a minute later on, write it up as an observation or activity.

I have files for my themes and have ideas in there that I can pull out - they might be a week long project/plan or just a simple colouring in activity. Or it could just be a list of ideas ie what toys to have out to tie in with the theme, visits you might make to the library, park etc, or the other lady's idea about a kind of treasure basket with toys/items in relevant to the theme. (I like this one and will be pinching it!!) This can be done with your young ones.

[madredann]

After just watching the advert for Ev*** (well known bottled water) I am thinking of teaching my little ones roller skating lol where would that fit in with EYFS:laughing:

[Chatterbox Childcare]

Most of mine is like Miss Mopple's planning - following children's interests and schemas.

show what you have seen them doing / saying / communicating etc... and how you will enhance their learning and development with more activities ... and how those activities meet the 6 areas of L & D...

It will be very different for you, but try and treat it as a learning curve that will enhance your personal development and document how you've done it for your SEF / Ofsted.

Hth :D

me too - routines and free play and lots of sleep!!!! :laughing:

Seriously, follow their lead and you can cover all the outcomes from free play.

[francinejayne]

You can put a long term plan together ie what festivals / themes you might like to cover & general activities - that way you can reference these plans when you have mindeees IYSWIM

HTH:)

Thanks Blaze - yes that helps a lot - I'm going to get going on that!
x