your thoughts please!!

**miss muffit** · 06-06-2008, 10:19 PM

Hi all
I went on EYFS course the other Saturday,

And the lecturer very kindly bought her EYFS portfolio for us to see,

Here are some of the things she let the mindees play with,

Old real irons and kettles

Screwdrivers, screws and wood

Bricks cementing them together with cement

Would love to know what you think?

**Chimps Childminding** · 06-06-2008, 10:21 PM

I think I will definately need a bigger house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

**Cazz** · 06-06-2008, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by miss muffit

Hi all
I went on EYFS course the other Saturday,

And the lecturer very kindly bought her EYFS portfolio for us to see,

Here are some of the things she let the mindees play with,

Old real irons and kettles

Screwdrivers, screws and wood

Bricks cementing them together with cement

Would love to know what you think?

Really?! Screwdrivers and screws? Bricks? Can't give too much opinion as I haven't got any knowledge of EYFS yet but as a parent and childminder-to-be (hopefully!) they sound really scary things to give a child!

Did your lecturer have grey hair by any chance?!

Carole x

**charleyfarley** · 06-06-2008, 10:40 PM

Yep we were told to give them proper hammers and tools on our course too, not sure about saws though

Sorry but if my hubby isn't allowed a proper hammer then nor are mindees

whatever the EYFS says..

Carol xx

**Cazz** · 06-06-2008, 10:47 PM

By giving them these sort of things to play with, is it a way of practising your first aid?

I have to say I'm quite confused now though - we did health & safety on the ICP course this week and I came home with a list of things to check/do as requirements to ensure mindees safety and then they are saying let them play with things like that?!

I look forward to getting the lowdown on EYFS!

Carole x

**angeldelight** · 06-06-2008, 11:21 PM

They were told to do this at my daughters nursery

Knowledge and understanding of the world - relating to childrens every day lives and their families and people around them
Through different types of play and learning opportunities and practical activities children will be provided with meaningful experiences.
These will stimulate their senses , encourage them to ask questions , to explore and wonder at their environment
So let a child explore old electrical items around the house because you are stimulating them !

What a load of rubbish really - we spend all our time trying to keep our children safe - we encourage them to stay away from dangerous items around the house
Yet now we are being encouraged to let them play with them and let them explore old items

It does not make sense

Where do you draw the line ?

Maybe your car next hey ??

Angel xx

**JazzyL** · 06-06-2008, 11:40 PM

I don't see the harm as long as they do it right - i could do with a new shed and some ornamental walling in the garden would look nice

**angeldelight** · 06-06-2008, 11:42 PM

Hahaha

**littletreasures** · 07-06-2008, 04:16 AM

Why do they have to confuse us even more?

Not sure my mindee's parents would be happy with me letting them play with these.

littletreasures

**crazybones** · 07-06-2008, 06:22 AM

I am not sure about supervising 3 under 5's doing that.

Although I must say when hubby is doing something William is really interested in the tools and screws. Hubby hasnt got the patience though to show him what he is doing so I have to step in and supervise.

**ajs** · 07-06-2008, 06:50 AM

at my daughter's nursery 10 years ago and in county durham
they had a work bench with miniture real tools, saw, hammer, the whole works and they never never never had an incident with them

the kids used to love banging nails into wood and taking it home to show mum

we wrap the kids in cotton woll now they will never learn to use equipement like this as they never have access to it anymore

god forbid they should hurt themselves

**crazybones** · 07-06-2008, 07:03 AM

I have just thought, I have one of those pink ladies tool sets - you know the type with nothing too difficult in it so us ladies cant cause any damage

, but it is quite lightweight and I think it might be suitable for little ones if I took a few bits out. Obviously with maximum supervision in case they try hitting each other with the hammer or something.

**ajs** · 07-06-2008, 07:05 AM

oooh i have seen those in home bargains ( yay i love that shop) maybe i'll get one too and just keep it in a box with some bits of wood
although this isn't a requirement is it just an actvity idea

**crazybones** · 07-06-2008, 07:09 AM

Thats where mine was from. It is quite useful though for when you need to replace batteries in toys or fix the stair gate so I dont have to trek to the shed to get the real tools out.

**wendywu** · 07-06-2008, 07:13 AM

Im sorry but what a lot of old tosh

I have never known any nursery i have picked up from let them do this.

**crazybones** · 07-06-2008, 07:19 AM

I think I might throw a BBQ for all the childminders I might get my decking outside then if I give them the equipment to play with and a few outside lights wired up.

**ajs** · 07-06-2008, 07:29 AM

Originally Posted by wendywu

Im sorry but what a lot of old tosh

I have never known any nursery i have picked up from let them do this.

you've edited that since i last read that wendywu

sorry but charlotte's nursery did and the inspection team thought it was fantastic
i even helped in nursery during their inspection so heard the comments made

**Jinx** · 07-06-2008, 07:38 AM

I remember taking my daughter to a 'play to learn' session at the primary school that she was due to start at in a few months. She had just had her 4th birthday.

They had laid out lots of activities, but by far the kids favorite was some big bits of wood, nails, hammers and saws!!

We all, (the mums), tutted and muttered about how dangerous it was, but noone got hurt and the kids loved it!!!!

Saying that, each child was supervised, one on one, by their mothers!!
I, for one, will not be getting the tool bag out for the mindees!!!!

Jinx x

**miffy** · 07-06-2008, 07:38 AM

I've been on a workshop where the company have done wood-carving with young children all using real tools

They said that properly supervised there was no reason why young children shouldn't use tools.

miffy xx

**Tatia** · 07-06-2008, 08:10 AM

This sounds very much like the Reggio Emillio approach to learning. I'm not an expert but it's very much about allowing children to work on projects with real equipment. I believe it is almost exclusively child-led with the assumption that all children are competent learners and are capable of far more than we give them credit for. I'll have to dig out my book or (better yet!) Google it to refresh my memory.