Planning for little ones

[sarah707]

A childminder asked me about planning for babies... she wasn't sure how much paperwork she ought to be doing.

My understanding, from reading Ofsted reports and talking to inspectors is...

Planning for one year olds should be really quite basic...

You are showing that you understand the Eyfs and the 6 areas of L&D and that you also know little people need their routines and play.

So you start by writing up their routine. That meets all 6 areas before you do anything else.

Then thinking WEEKLY not daily you look at the overview of what they are doing, what their parents are saying and what you are planning for them.

So this week you have provided crayons for them to eat, paint for them to mix and suck off their fingers, balls to throw...

Why? Because last week you saw they enjoyed eating crayons, you saw they liked mixing gloop with their fingers and you saw they enjoyed throwing cars and thought balls might be safer.

What have you seen this week that they might enjoy next?...

Ok so I am joking (with some of it) but I hope you can see where I am coming from.

The key is to keep it simple! :D

[sandy64]

thanks sarah that has helped as just started with 11mth and at mo just going through the development scale. also would you do much the same for 2yr old as i use to do weekly planning when i had 3yr old and altered for 2yr old but dont have 3yr now so would you just do individual planning? and basic routine wkly group planning. thanks sandy:)

[snufflepuff]

So would you say that as my mindees are all one year old, their individual planning just needs to be weekly- eg i dont need to have each day of the week on there? I only have them 2 days each anyway so 3 out of 5 days on their planning are left blank.
Then id just have general planning done weekly, to show things like going to toddler groups or to the park.

[sarah707]

So would you say that as my mindees are all one year old, their individual planning just needs to be weekly- eg i dont need to have each day of the week on there? I only have them 2 days each anyway so 3 out of 5 days on their planning are left blank.
Then id just have general planning done weekly, to show things like going to toddler groups or to the park.

Your routine shows that every day they are having things like outings, play in the garden, rest time, reading session, singing and dancing, eating etc.

If your routine is well written you don't need to duplicate it in the planning.

The requirement is that parents must know what their children are doing with you... that again is your routine.

Once that's in place, your planning is based around what you saw and heard last week and what parents are saying.

I don't think you should be sitting and planning every day for babies / little ones... that's certainly not the message I am getting from Ofsted.

You have already done that in the routine... what good does it do to duplicate?

Hth :D

[sarah707]

thanks sarah that has helped as just started with 11mth and at mo just going through the development scale. also would you do much the same for 2yr old as i use to do weekly planning when i had 3yr old and altered for 2yr old but dont have 3yr now so would you just do individual planning? and basic routine wkly group planning. thanks sandy:)

I'd follow it pretty much up to the child reaching 2 1/2... going towards 3.

Then I slowly start to include more structured activities into the free play.

So free play follows interests... the interest at the moment is dressing up like a policeman... a 2 year old will just be a policeman...

He might go round the house in the uniform trying to arrest people.

A 2 1/2 to 3 year old might enjoy more policeman activities like doing some fingerprints or reading a PC Plod story.

For the older one I note the child's interest in his obs and write up how I've planned to meet that interest.

For the little one I note the interest and make sure there is free access to other dressing up clothes.

Hope that makes sense :D

[snufflepuff]

Your routine shows that every day they are having things like outings, play in the garden, rest time, reading session, singing and dancing, eating etc.

If your routine is well written you don't need to duplicate it in the planning.

The requirement is that parents must know what their children are doing with you... that again is your routine.

Once that's in place, your planning is based around what you saw and heard last week and what parents are saying.

I don't think you should be sitting and planning every day for babies / little ones... that's certainly not the message I am getting from Ofsted.

You have already done that in the routine... what good does it do to duplicate?

Thank you Sarah. I do feel like im repeating myself all the time!
Im working on my continuous provision at the moment so that will show the benefit the LOs get from all the usual things they do/ have access to.
My written routine is quite basic eg 8am- breakfast, 9am free play, 10am snack, 10.30am outdoor play etc.....is that enough or does it need more detail?
Also, i do one 'planned' activity a week for my mindee who comes 2 days. Is this right? By 'planned' it could just be building towers and knocking them down because they enjoyed it last week/ playing with the farm animals because mum said they went to a farm at the weekend.....so not very structured.

[sandy64]

thanks sarah i already do do more structured activities with 2 yr old as she loves to do painting playdoh bricks etc but i do follow her interest then add.
so if i do individual planning for 2yr old but do it around childs interest and next steps is that ok? and for baby free play with lots of sensory toys, etc then follow development of lo and interests? sorry had my head round it but now have baby im thrown again.:)

[sarah707]

Thank you Sarah. I do feel like im repeating myself all the time!
Im working on my continuous provision at the moment so that will show the benefit the LOs get from all the usual things they do/ have access to.

That's a good idea.

It's not a requirement but it can be useful to show how well you understand how the Eyfs works

My written routine is quite basic eg 8am- breakfast, 9am free play, 10am snack, 10.30am outdoor play etc.....is that enough or does it need more detail?

I would say that the more detail you can put into the routine, the less you need in everything else.

Am - breakfast... school run

Outing to the park... free play and organised activity... snack while out

Free play while lunch is being prepared

Pm - lunch together at the table

Rest time with eg puzzles, books, songs and rhymes, story and number sacks etc

Combination of adult planned activity (based on previous obs) and child - led play both inside and out etc...

Also, i do one 'planned' activity a week for my mindee who comes 2 days. Is this right? By 'planned' it could just be building towers and knocking them down because they enjoyed it last week/ playing with the farm animals because mum said they went to a farm at the weekend.....so not very structured.

Sounds fine to me!

Your CP planning will show what he's getting out of it and you can watch for obs ready for later or next session.


A lot of what the children do can be written up after the event and linked with the Eyfs...

You can do it while everyone is sitting round the table eating snack or while the children are having a free play session.

I think if you are writing for more than 10 / 15 minutes per little one per week then you are probably doing too much.

That's not including group planning for older ones... I'm talking about little ones and their individual obs... assessment ... planning cycle.

John built a tower and knocked it over... links to PD 1 and KUW ?can't remember the number... show John how to build towers with the stacking cups.

John showed me a wood louse on the grass... link to KUW... we used the magnifying glasses to look at the louse in more detail.

John's mum says he loves dancing to xxx at home... link to CD music and movement... plan some dancing during songs and rhymes session.

I would say that's it for John for this week... unless he does something stunning you want to share with his parents in a longer ob.

Hth :D

Hth :D

[snufflepuff]

Thank you Sarah! :)