Themes v Planning

[Helen Dempster]

Hi everyone! This is probably going to sound really daft but....

For those of you who do themes...do you tie these in with your planning or are they a completely separate part? I've only recently begun doing themes and I feel as though I've taken on too much, as there are alot of other things going on this month, what with Chinese NY, Valentines Day etc. For example, this month's theme is 'Family', where I was going to have the children draw/read/make etc various things regarding this subject. But then on top of that I'll have the various activities for the other events of the month.

Please help me as I feel I'm becoming snowed under!

Thanks guys x

[FussyElmo]

Hi everyone! This is probably going to sound really daft but....

For those of you who do themes...do you tie these in with your planning or are they a completely separate part? I've only recently begun doing themes and I feel as though I've taken on too much, as there are alot of other things going on this month, what with Chinese NY, Valentines Day etc. For example, this month's theme is 'Family', where I was going to have the children draw/read/make etc various things regarding this subject. But then on top of that I'll have the various activities for the other events of the month.

Please help me as I feel I'm becoming snowed under!

Thanks guys x

The themes I do are there to have something to do if we need a focus. However saying that I only have one eyfs child all the rest are older so enjoy the themes

[Dragonfly]

You don't have to themes just follow the childs interest.I find really small children do not understand i.e. chinese new year so do it mainly for older ones. maybe get little ones to do something simple like mark make on a lantern, or stick some stickers on a piece of card that is going to be pretend money for the chinese red envelopes. I wouldn't necessary tie these in.burt you could if you wanted to.

[mama2three]

We use our planning very loosely. We have been tying colours into whatever else we have been doing as 1 mindee is struggling to grasp her colours. We're looking at valentines , and touching on chinese new year. My planning is mainly child focused ( ie individual ) but I link in special events , festivals and themes where I can - mainly for my own benefit to be honest as a framework.
Dont let it overwhelm you - make a list each month of some things you may like to do if you and the children want to!
Sarah has some great examples on here of how planning can work really well to link group and individual needs.

[ChocolateChip]

I only do a theme each term because I find it helps me to choose some ideas, otherwise I struggle with what to do! Having said that it's only very loose.
This term the theme is weather, the main festivals were Burns Night and Waitangi,- I try to do one from uk and one from around the world and vary it so it's not the same ones every year, (but we will probably do something for Valentines/ pancake day aswell) and I usually choose a letter, number, colour and shape so this time it's W, 4, white and hearts.
Most of the time for the lo's it is just talking about some of these things as they crop up in play or conversation but I will also do some activities like colouring flags of other countries, playdough with themed cutters, 'colour' days where we have a lot of the same colour etc. Last month I did some tartan colouring sheets for the older ones, read Katie Morag stories to the little ones, did some Scottish dancing and looked for tartan clothes, and we are doing the New Zealand flag (which has 4 stars on it) and looking at Maori art this month, and heart shapes of course. The weather has tied in with the colour white because of the snow, and we make up a 'word board' with lots of words beginning with w this time, so weather, windy, wet, wheee, Waitangi, water, wellies, and so on.....
It sounds a lot but it's really only putting a couple of things in place and seeing what happens, I don't sit and plan hours of activities.

[sarah707]

I have 4 children after school some days... plus the little ones (there are 2 of us and some are over 8).

I plan themes with them - they are pretty much in charge tbh - and we work together to think about what they want to cover, how they want to get involved etc.

I then do what is called 'differentiating' or changing activities from the themes so they suit the individual child.

So for Chinese New Year the big ones are making snakes, cooking Chinese food, making money envelopes etc.

One little one likes playing kitchens so he is using Chinese bowls and we have been using chopsticks with playdough (scented with Chinese 5 spice)... all the children are eating noodles and rice dishes...

I will also link in red activities (red is a key colour for CNY) for the little ones because they are watching the older children and interested in the display they are making.

Things like that

[serin]

I have 4 children after school some days... plus the little ones (there are 2 of us and some are over 8).

I plan themes with them - they are pretty much in charge tbh - and we work together to think about what they want to cover, how they want to get involved etc.

I then do what is called 'differentiating' or changing activities from the themes so they suit the individual child.

So for Chinese New Year the big ones are making snakes, cooking Chinese food, making money envelopes etc.

One little one likes playing kitchens so he is using Chinese bowls and we have been using chopsticks with playdough (scented with Chinese 5 spice)... all the children are eating noodles and rice dishes...

I will also link in red activities (red is a key colour for CNY) for the little ones because they are watching the older children and interested in the display they are making.

Things like that

Sarah that is really interesting how you linked it to the little ones. I have a 16 month old I look after. Its all new to me and I have my second inspection coming very soon. It will be for my first grading. I have started to do long medium and short term planning. Do I do this all a year or month in advance and link my themes for the month with the 7 key areas???

[sarah707]

Sarah that is really interesting how you linked it to the little ones. I have a 16 month old I look after. Its all new to me and I have my second inspection coming very soon. It will be for my first grading. I have started to do long medium and short term planning. Do I do this all a year or month in advance and link my themes for the month with the 7 key areas???

My long term planning is written over the Christmas holidays - it includes things we will cover through the months, birthdays, special events etc.

My medium term planning is my big alphabetical and monthly order files that I have been putting together for the last 18 years or so...

At the start of each month I sit down with the older children and we think about what they want to cover.

Then I include the little ones... using it alongside their individual / next steps plans

[Dragonfly]

You are clever Sarah

[sarah707]

Oh I forgot to say... it's all incredibly flexible.

if the children don't want to do something or we change things to respond to what they are doing in school / the weather outside / someone's weekend outing / a new idea etc...

Then it goes into the file for next time