do you...

**charliegee** · 12-10-2009, 08:11 AM

hey all

just wondering - I've been doing one planned adult led activity each day after school for my afterschoolers who are both rising 5's (ie in reception aged 4-5)

do you guys do this too - one planned activity a day for each child? - even for after schools / rising 5's...

one of my little ones simply struggles with free play and says "what are we doing today?" type of thing!

what do you do?

xxx

**sarah707** · 12-10-2009, 08:31 AM

I always have something ready for my after schoolers - but very often they choose to do something else.

Sometimes it's simple stuff like some craft materials left out... other times it's more planned to follow a celebration or interest.

I look at it more as having a range of options through the week rather than one set activity every day.

If I had a child who asked to do things though I would change my planning to meet his needs - like you are doing

hth

**Daftbat** · 12-10-2009, 08:31 AM

I normally do one activity thats planned - even if its just going to a soft play centre. The rest is child led and free play.

With after schoolers i supply a range of things all the time for them to use - art and craft, board games, drawing, garden play etc. They are generally too shattered after school to do anything too structured.

At special times like festivals and leading up to christmas i do some planned activities with the older ones too.

**Chatterbox Childcare** · 12-10-2009, 08:33 AM

I ask them what they want to do when they come in now as it is always different to what I plan.

if I have done some activities of craft/painting during the day I leave it out and they usually will do that but if not are happy to choose themselves.

**charliegee** · 12-10-2009, 08:35 AM

thanks everyone - really helpful replies I must say

one quickie though if I can?

do you still do BOTH planning and obs on ones who are rising 5's (sorry to bring up rising 5's into it!!)

.....just now sure how I can fit free play into all the areas of learning - or woudl I just let free play see where it takes us and not get stressed about satisftying all the 6 areas in a structured way?

xxx

**Tired** · 12-10-2009, 08:55 AM

Don't get too stressed about rising 5s, you don't need to do everything with them.
Ofsted will expect to see the 6 areas covered only in proportion to how long you have the child. So if you only have them for 30 mins after school, even ofsted wont expect you to cover 6 areas in that time!

(you can cover PD with walking home, CLL with talking about the day, PSED talking about things that made them feel happy or sad during the day, PD with health eating at snack time, KUW talking about where the food comes from and things you see on the way home, PSED with enjoying a meal with friends, so thats 4 covered without any actual effort)

Just set out your continuous provision to cover all areas, and let them play freely from that.
That way you are giving them the opportunity to do something from each area of learning, and they can choose.
If you find out what topic the school are teaching you can set up a display, or get toys that link in with that, and that will show you are working with the school.

Lady Haha · 12-10-2009, 09:30 AM

I need to jump in on this thread too as I have a rising five for ten mins in teh morning and school hols! I can see how it can be quite easy to cover the six areas with walking home, discussing things and what we are eating etc, but how does that tie in with planning?

How can you plan on from having a discussion about why the leaves are falling from the trees for example, without having to then do the 'big' structured activity about Autumn!!!!

Also, as they are near the end of the EYFS, there isn't alot left from them to do to be at the stage they need to be at. It just looks so rubbish when put on paper!