I think children should play, learn and have fun, I believe it is our jobs as parents and childcare providers to encourage this and to help children on their way to becoming responsible, intelligent and happy adults. Childcare setting:
As a childminder I look after children in my home; we live in a semi-detached house on a quiet road, we have a dedicated playroom and a good sized garden/outdoor pl
ay area. My aim is to provide an environment for children that enables them to learn, play and grow whilst maintaining a high standard of safety. Inside we have a safe play area, in our dedicated playroom, with a variety of toys to cater for every stage of development. My home is extremely child friendly ensuring the children feel comfortable, safe and happy. :)
Outside we have a good sized garden with a range of outdoor toys and activities. We have a pet enclosure with rabbits and guinea pigs where children are given the opportunity to have supervised interaction with the animals and a custom made sensory area to encourage children's imaginations through play. The types of play equipment children have access to are:
- Building/construction toys.
- Role-play/make-believe toys.
- Musical instruments.
- Books and story sessions.
- Art and craft activities (including play dough, sand and water.)
- Face painting (with parental consent).
- Puzzles and games.
- Physical activities. (such as a trampoline, outdoor play area and ride-on toys)
- Rhyme and singing sessions.
- Supervised computer use.
- Supervised interaction with animals.
- Outdoor sensory area.
- Heuristic play
- Participation in simple household tasks where there is a learning opportunity. Play activities are planned around the EYFS (early years foundation stage) learning structure and each individual child's progress is monitored - a learning journey is created for all children under the age of 5 (until they start school) showing how their daily activities have interlinked with the EYFS.