If your child is in nursery...

[GrrrlInterrupted]

How old were they when they 1st went?

And what activities do they do there?

[Dynamicnanny]

Hi,I'm a nursery nurse - it depends on the age of the hild as to what they do - How old is your little one?

[Dynamicnanny]

Hi,I'm a nursery nurse - it depends on the age of the hild as to what they do - How old is your little one?

[Brangelina]

15mo (now 2.8yo)
Painting, crafty things, general mess, water play, heuristic play, storytime, dressing up, music and movement type stuff, gardening etc.
She loves it, she even complains if she's at home with me on a nursery day

[FYIAD]

8mo (now 2)

yesterday they went for a walk around the college that it is attached to, played on the little trikes, had a story, had lunch, made a picture and played a game where they had to feed animals.

[GrrrlInterrupted]

He's over 22mths. I'm not sending him to nursery, so i want ideas of what to do with him in terms of activities / skills, so he gets a similar experience to others before he starts 'proper' school later on.

[Botbot]

My dd has been in nursery since 6 months (she's 21 months now). Does much the same as in Brangelina's post, plus lots of outdoor stuff (zipping round in little cars, going on slides etc). Yesterday's report said 'DD played with sea life animals in the water, and zoo animals in the sand', which made me laugh.

Her favourite thing to do is when they get a load of cornflour, mix it with water, strip the dcs off and let them mess around in it. Something that would never happen at home .

They also have a session called 'babies' where they get a load of baby dolls out and cart them around in pushchairs, put them to bed etc.

May post later if I think of anything else!

[ruddynorah]

dd's been going since she was 7 months, she's now nearly 2, she goes 2 afternoons a week. she does all sorts of things. i guess the main thing is mixing with other children, learning to share, eat with other children, sit for stories etc (she has no siblings..yet). they also do a lot of the messy type things which i like so we don't need to do them at home, like sand play, water, corn flour etc. they also have a lot of nice toys and things i don't have space for. another thing of course is that she learns to take instruction from other adults, learns that routines are different in different places, gets used to having her own peg, bag, drinking cup etc.

is that the kind of thing you mean?

[Brangelina]

Oh yes, lots of learning to be self sufficient, finding one's own peg to hang towel on, learning to feed oneself etc. The routines thing is good too as I'm too disorganised at home, as is the learning to socialise with other children (DD also an only child).

[GrrrlInterrupted]

keep it coming

do they get any numbers / letters taught at the 2-3yr stage, or is it all learning through play? he adores books, so we already read loads, and he has picture books where he can point to different things when asked to.

[FYIAD]

all play learning

i will take her out and send her somewhere more formal at 3 for the year or so before school because i am horrid pushy mumand like them to learn their letter sounds

[blueshoes]

Ds is 19 months, been ft in nursery since 11 months.

What does he do? Too much!! Sticky messy play. Plays with the 'broom-brooms' and other toys. Sand, water. Dancing. Getting cuddles, snacks. Stories, songs. Peeping at the fish tank. Busy learning to feed himself - he comes home covered with food. But as a result, it very adept with using cutlery.

He learned how to point to his bum if he wanted a nappy change. He gets his own shoes out of the communal box and then gets everyone elses' shoes for them.

If weather is good, they go to the outdoor area (astroturf), go down the slides, mini-see-saws. He has got a little friend he points at aeroplanes with. The nursery also take them out in buggies to visit local shops and sights. It is quite a sight to see them on the pavement on masse.

[ruddynorah]

all play. but they learn as they go, so things like..can you get the blue car..how many babies are sleeping etc..like you would at home really. it's definately not sitting down learning. the next group (3-5) is pre school so there they do more like 'projects' so they will do bodies or insects for a week or whatever and do all their activities about that.

[blueshoes]

I think the nursery started letter sounds, counting and colours properly in the 3-4+ age group. Might have a little intro in the 2-3 age group but nothing structured or formal.

I moved dd out of her day nursery into a nursery attached to a school at around 3+ ie the year before reception. The school was much better at drilling those letters etc in, but I suspect it is also she was older and hence more receptive.

As a general rule, you may find that your ds will outgrow a day nursery around that age. And hence you might want to consider moving to nursery attached to a school. This is because a day nursery tends to cater for younger children whereas a school nursery tends to cater for older children. But of course that depends on your day nursery and school nursery and when in the year your ds was born.

[GrrrlInterrupted]

so is it 5yrs that they start formal, compulsary education?

[FYIAD]

the September before they turn five

[ruddynorah]

the september after they're 4 they usually start. by law it's 5 though. pre school is term after they're 3. that's when you get free sessions 5x 2.5 hours a week.

[blueshoes]

yes, compulsory education in UK starts in the first term after the child reaches his/her fifth birthday ie 5+. Some boroughs offer optional schooling from reception (4+).

[MrsMattie]

My son's been at his nursery since he was 2.9 yrs old. Learning through play all the way until they go to reception at my son's nursery, which I think is absolutely the best way. They spend loads of time playing outside in the garden / playhouse (fab in my opinion), and there's a strong emphasis placed on learning how to treat others with respect (saying please and thank you, taking turns, sharing etc), how to have boundaries ('I don't like it when you shout at me' etc) and learning independence (going to the toilet alone, taking off and putting on coats and shoes etc). Colours, numbers, letters etc are only 'taught' through fun activities. The children never have to 'sit down' and 'be taught'. They do loads of crafty stuff, singing and dancing, stories, playdough, messy play etc and can choose which activities they want to get stuck into.

[auntyspan]

DD was 5 months when she started nursery.

She's now 2.3

She loves it - she does:

singing, crafts, drawing, painting, sticking, dressing up, play kitchen, play workbench (!), water play, cooking, story time, junglegym time (just little bits of aparatus) colour recognition, etc. She's now learning the days of the week and weather.

[lizandlulu]

dd was 2.3 and been there for 3 months and likes it when she is there but hates being dropped off. she cries everytime apart from a couple of times.
she does playing with bricks, sand, water, outside, dolls, painting, drawing, singing and occasional baking/cooking

[scottishmummy]

6mths and sings, plays i garden, colouring, drawing, messy,baby yoga!,relaxation, aromatherapy activities,reading, 1:1 session with keyworker..oh i could go on we love nursery

i am relaxed about dirty clothes and mess in fact messier the better then i know it has been fun

[scottishmummy]

i meant to say messy activities cursor went all funny

[theUrbanNixie]

ds started nursery at 13 months and does things like water play, painting, playing outside in the garden (rain or shine!!) heuristic play, singing, baby signing, ride-on toys and going to the park. it's also been invaluable for helping him to learn how to interact with other little people and settle himself to sleep.

he does cry at drop-off time but i've watched him through the window at times and he stops as soon as he thinks i've gone! little sod...

he does lots of activities we would never do at home because we live in a tiny terraced house and there just isn't the room for ride-on toys or water play!

[meep]

dd started at 7 months.
In the 3 months that she has been there she has played with sand, played with play dough, played with treasure baskets, been in the garden, finger painting, making flowers with tissue paper and was part of one of her carers thesis which involved lots of one on one singing! And these are only the things I know about!
She is very smiley at drop off and pick up and I am loving that they do all the messy stuff with her!

[blackrock]

DS began one day a week at ten months. Ds will be 2 in May and is starting to attend two days a week.

The nursery have an hour with different toys out, then swap the selection e.g. dolls, then construction, then cars, then puzzles, etc.

They have two half hour sessions in the outdoor play area.

In a day they usually do drawing or painting, or sticking and cutting. Some comes home and some is kept in their record book at nursery.

They usually do a session of cornflour or baked beans, touchy feely play with fingers, or sometimes with cars.

Each week has a theme.

He loves it, and I have to drag a goodbye out of him sometimes! His key worker is great and we have good communication.

He will move up to the two to threes in May - so this may differ from the baby unit.