How many activities do you plan on medium term plan?

[Madame Gazelle]

I am having a wobble. My fiance thinks I do far too much paperwork and tbh I am sick to death of doing it all, but I am SURE my planning is woeful. How much medium-term planning do you do, do you put a set number of activities on it?

Currently I'm chosing a statement for each of the 6 development areas, so for example I'd choose 'Making Relationships' for PSED then I'd come up with four or five acitivties that'd cover it, then for PD I might choose 'Heath and bodily awareness' with four or five activities for that and so on. If I can be bothered to try and keep up a running theme then I would drop this system but I am useless at themes - this month is the first time I'm going to try it and I've already gone completely off plan and not done any of it

What do you think - can I just shoot myself and put everyone (in this household anyway!) out of their misery?!

[sarah707]

To be honest I have never planned that way. I would find it too prescribed.

Instead I do it 2 ways...

With the little ones I follow their interests, note when they have done things, take info from parents etc.

This builds up and over time I find I can spot the majority of the statements in the Eyfs without really trying too hard.

If any need developing I use them as next steps, building on something I have seen or heard.

With the older ones I do a percentage of the above... plus every month I follow their interests or global events with a series of themed planning.

Mine has built up now over 4 years so it just needs tweaking to meet the children's needs each year.

It started off really simply (don't run before you can walk) with a few bits every week and lots of scribbling over them when they didn't happen or changed.

As time goes on and I get better at it, I can predict more what the children will want to do and plan quicker...

To start with it was a bit hit and miss but there's no harm in that either. You are showing how you are progressing as well.

The planning I don't use this week will be useful for next time.

Does that make sense?

[jumpinjen]

I, like Sarah plan for the little ones following their interests but the older ones I have a spider diagram with the theme or season in the middle and each of the areas of La nd D round the outside and i jot a few ideas down for each section that we MAY do over the next month or so..... my latest one for Autumn is running til the end of November as that is how long Autumny things last for us...... I have already added in a couple of new activity idas that I found but I often end up with many not done, or have added a planning sheet because we side tracked into another area of interest. having it linked to all areas of L and D helps me as i know that waht I plan is balanced but one activity can cover two for example a theme on carribean i might have a counting book with a carribean lilting poem,,, it covers CLL and PSRN and KUW with other languages/cultures and how they speak, what they wear, what they eat etc.

I couldn't work in the prescribed way you do either... your OH is right... chill out!! Jen x

[catswhiskers]

I think your fiance is right - sound like you are doing too much paperwork! I don't do half as much as what is described on the forum but I don't beat myself up about it.

[wellybelly]

I plan for the childrens interests (specific to them) then have activities for all the children which are age and stage appropriate to the youngest / most vulnerable child on that day.

I also have a rolling continuous provision of what to get out for the children each day so they don't get bored e.g lego, mark making and outdoor play with cardboard boxes for example. There is always an element of free play too structurred into each day so the children can choose for themselves what to play with.

Like you I used to do loads of planning and paper work, now each Sunday night I make a note of a couple (absolute max) things I need to focus on wth the children each week following their interests and use my rolling continuous provision.

Each year I do my long term plan to tell me what topic we are looking at and what multicultural celebration / festival to cover each month and thats it! Don't get bombarded with paperwork - you have a right to enjoy what you do!

[Madame Gazelle]

*Jumpingjen* - That's what I have done this month, I've kept my spider diagram with each area and I've put a few ideas that cover that area. It's been easier as i've got a theme of 'harvest and birdthdays'. I think that Ofsted with come for my 6m inspection this month so I shall be put out of my planning misery soon and they can tell me that it is crap and be done with it then I won't have to worry so much!

[singlewiththree]

I have a diary that I just write an activity for each day and how it links to the eyfs.

When I have observed an activity I then look in their learning journey and link it to the eyfs. I then plan the next steps to try and fill another area. Then I plan an activity for that. However, most of my obs come from just general obs when they are planning. I spend about 15 minutes planning for the little ones and the same for the older ones each week and that is it! Then the time to collect bits or do research.