Topics

**handeme** · 17-08-2012, 01:42 PM

I have never had monthly topics before, we concentrated on a colour and number per month.

All my mindees are between 18 months and 3 years, I then have schoolies starting September.

Can anyone give me ideas on topics and activities that would be suitable for the big age difference.

Thanks x

**moggy** · 17-08-2012, 02:13 PM

Do you want to do topics? I never have. If you did, they should be based on the children's interests though so wait and see what they are in to at the time. Under 3 years, I just go with day to day ideas about what they enjoy. Unless you have a child with a passion for trains or horses or whatever it is, for example, in which case you might want to use that as a topic to work activities around. For the older ones I would ask them and then adapt whatever you all come up with to suit the younger ones.

**blue bear** · 17-08-2012, 04:33 PM

I find topics hard going as all my children are part time and by the time I see them again their interests have often moved on. Instead I have well stocked cupboards and a flexible approach.
So this week a child was really looking at their features I a mirror, I offers him a canvas to draw himself and encouraged others too. Went on to print hands with I like... Written on them, a display and theme has started, we will continue on this until a new interest pops up.
Like a lo said I like counting, so we did lots of counting today.

**BlondeMoment** · 17-08-2012, 05:48 PM

I find topics hard going too so I have stopped but when I was doing them I did:

Shapes
Animals
Houses
Faces
Food
Under the Sea

Now I just stick loosely to the season and do what interests the children.
They've got 12 years of school ahead of them to do topics. I think it's nicer to just let them discover themselves while they're so young.

**sarah707** · 17-08-2012, 06:01 PM

My lot love topics / themes!

They are very much in charge of deciding what we do.

I introduce them through a book, poster, artefact etc and then we talk about what food, music, dance, role play, artwork etc they want to explore.

It's taken a good few months of very hard work with them but they are now pretty much planning for themselves - I just make sure I have resources ready for them.

We don't do themes every week... we follow their interests... and they run as long as the children are still interested.

Most of the planning is written from a combination of the children's ideas and things I have found out on the internet / in books etc.

Hope this inspires

**karensmart4** · 17-08-2012, 07:33 PM

We do 'loose' themes/topics

In September we are doing 'All About Me' we are asking parents to provide photo's of immediate family and the preferred names for each ( nanny/granny ...granddad/ grumpy etc.), .... parental involvement

We are going to make 'Family Tree's' and hang them around the playroom.

I am also thinking of copying the photo's, laminating them and making a book out of them all to put in the book corner so the children can look through whenever they want to, CL - PSED - UW

We will extend this with the children's interests... hand/foot prints - drawing around each other and filling in features collage style - etc. etc.

After this there is Autumn / Harvest / Halloween / Bonfire / Carnival / Christmas

I keep all my planning in a file with the evaluations and just adjust them and tweek them to suit the children on role each year.

I hope this helps, we don't just do the themes/topics we do other things as well... mainly free play/story time/rhymes/news etc.

**handeme** · 17-08-2012, 07:46 PM

I am just going through the process of becoming accredited and from it, it said to have displays up. So if you didn't have a topic what would you have a display about, anything?

I'd prefer not to go with topics if I am honest x

**Helen Dempster** · 17-08-2012, 11:00 PM

I've never done topics/themes. The only displays we do are the 'big' events -ie recently the Olympics/paralympics.

The thing I do do however is have a book of the week that the children choose, and we will do some activities around that. It's not regimental though, as some weeks they're not interested in choosing a particular book.

**Playmate** · 18-08-2012, 08:03 AM

Originally Posted by karensmart4

We do 'loose' themes/topics

In September we are doing 'All About Me' we are asking parents to provide photo's of immediate family and the preferred names for each ( nanny/granny ...granddad/ grumpy etc.), .... parental involvement

We are going to make 'Family Tree's' and hang them around the playroom.

I am also thinking of copying the photo's, laminating them and making a book out of them all to put in the book corner so the children can look through whenever they want to, CL - PSED - UW

We will extend this with the children's interests... hand/foot prints - drawing around each other and filling in features collage style - etc. etc.

After this there is Autumn / Harvest / Halloween / Bonfire / Carnival / Christmas

I keep all my planning in a file with the evaluations and just adjust them and tweek them to suit the children on role each year.

I hope this helps, we don't just do the themes/topics we do other things as well... mainly free play/story time/rhymes/news etc.

I'm virtually doing the same next term

Haven't done themes for a while, but now have 1 going to nursery and their theme for the first half term is all about me, so thought I would extend it. I also have 3 others all approaching 3 that are not going to nursery and will be having funded hours with us, so it seemed sensible. The younger ones will probably dip in and out of the activities, but the planning will be more aimed at the older ones.

**BlondeMoment** · 18-08-2012, 08:59 AM

Originally Posted by sarah707

My lot love topics / themes!

They are very much in charge of deciding what we do.

I introduce them through a book, poster, artefact etc and then we talk about what food, music, dance, role play, artwork etc they want to explore.

It's taken a good few months of very hard work with them but they are now pretty much planning for themselves - I just make sure I have resources ready for them.

We don't do themes every week... we follow their interests... and they run as long as the children are still interested.

Most of the planning is written from a combination of the children's ideas and things I have found out on the internet / in books etc.

Hope this inspires

Don't you find that they all have such different interests though? Hard to find a theme that everyone likes I find x

**sarah707** · 18-08-2012, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by BlondeMoment

Don't you find that they all have such different interests though? Hard to find a theme that everyone likes I find x

Yes but that's the beauty of a theme - it can appeal to every one of them.

Take red nose day for example -

We all have a red party, get dressed in red, red balloons, red food etc...

Child A makes red playdough... child B joins in... child c makes a collage using red bits and bobs... child A joins in... child B uses the buttons from the collage to make patterns in his playdough...

The theme carries on as we explore different colours through songs, dance, books, pictures, making posters etc etc.

It's really important that I know every child's interests well so I have the resources available to respond to what they enjoy.

jumpinjen · 18-08-2012, 05:00 PM

I plan for the seasons and celebrations and then follow interests as they pop up - I have to say my strongest plans are for Autumn, Winter and Spring - we are out all the time enjoying the outdoors in the summer!

I did try to plan with the children but it was really boring and they just said tokenistic things...... how did you get it off the ground Sarah?

Jen x

**sarah707** · 18-08-2012, 05:22 PM

I tend to introduce them to a child friendly book, poster, artefact etc linked to whatever I think they might enjoy doing...

I make a few suggestions which are very much based on recent observations...

Then I let the children decide what they want to do.

It's taken months and months and lots of patience and prompting and reminding and supporting to get to this point Jen! They are all pretty much on board with it now though and I find it so much more rewarding!

I am of course talking about the over 3s... the little ones join in if they are interested.

jumpinjen · 18-08-2012, 05:24 PM

Ah, so you prod them then - do you research your ideas first before starting with them? At what point in the week do you do it? Not that I've got any over threes at the mo but curious! How do you write it - with their name by their idea? Put it up for them to see?

Jen x

**PixiePetal** · 18-08-2012, 06:42 PM

I have a folder of ideas which I may or may not dip into when a topic arises.

The past few weeks LO has been 'into' the Jane Hissey Old Bear stories especially 'Jolly Snow'.

We have read the book, made paper snowflakes, biscuit snowflakes, a sledge from a shoe box, bubbles 'snow'........

Made a change from the Gruffalo!

We also made Little Bears Dragon mask one day

not sure what next - we go with the flow

I find it hard only having 1 child of an age to do most things at a time - he is 3 and sister 19 months, she did like the paper snow she threw all over the playroom though!

jumpinjen · 18-08-2012, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by PixiePetal

I have a folder of ideas which I may or may not dip into when a topic arises.

The past few weeks LO has been 'into' the Jane Hissey Old Bear stories especially 'Jolly Snow'.

We have read the book, made paper snowflakes, biscuit snowflakes, a sledge from a shoe box, bubbles 'snow'........

Made a change from the Gruffalo!

We also made Little Bears Dragon mask one day

not sure what next - we go with the flow

I find it hard only having 1 child of an age to do most things at a time - he is 3 and sister 19 months, she did like the paper snow she threw all over the playroom though!

Love it Pixie, always makes me smile when they go for the snowy books in summer!!!