Planning advice please!

[Fizzypop]

Hi there, this is my first post so hopefully I am doing it right!
I am currently childminding before and after school and holidays only, all of the children I care for are over 6 years. What kinds of planning should I be doing? Do I need to stick to the EYFS even though they are no longer in that threshhold? My little gang like to come home and chill out and do free play most of the times, I do do structured activites but it depends on their mood as they have been working hard at school all day and also we have a time factor with dinner and afte school clubs. They only have TV time after dinner and they have free reign to arts & crafts, construction, puzzles, role play, books,ICT etc but they like to decide rather than me. How should I be recording this?

Many thanks!

[rosebud]

Sounds fab. You don't need to do any planning and don't need to implement the EYFS as none of them are in this age group. Just go with their interests and try to make it a fun and exciting place to be. You need to think about how you will provide evidence to Ofsted of the kinds of things you do with the children so I would suggest taking lots of photos when they do activities and either displaying them or getting the children to make scrapbooks with them.

[sarah707]

Like Rosebud says go with their interests and do fun things.

They might enjoy crafts and cooking, music, dance etc linked to some world festivals - my older ones plan it themselves and we buy the stuff if needed :D

[Fizzypop]

Thank you for you messages!
I do keep photo albums of the different activites and fun that they have and I display their drawings and models, I just wasn't sure if I was still having to keep planning records or if I could have a theme per term or month and see what the children and I come up with. Usually as well as coming up with our own themes I try to support the children with their class topics to see if there is anything we can find out or make etc.. However sometimes they are just not in the mood for structured things or they are busy playing nicely that it seems wrong to push it on them. The whole reason that the parents have sent their children to me is so that they feel relaxed in a home setting and I am pleased to say that the children do regard this as a second home which is the feeling that I wanted for them!
I know when I used to come home from school some days I would be outside playing and others I would just want to flop!