What does your 1 year old get up to at nursery/childminders?

[SuperDuperTrooper]

Hi all.

My 14 month old goes to a childminders 5 hours a day during the week. He is there in the afternoons so part of his session is interrupted by a school run and then dinner a little later on. However, I'm getting concerned that his daily play is too repetitive as I often see the same toys out most of the time.

She is very relaxed which works in our favour at times as she is flexible with timings and session lengths etc but it goes against us in other ways as she doesn't fill out reports at the end of the day to keep us informed on the daily goings on.

So I'm just wondering what activities do your little ones get up to with their carers or do they literally just play with toys to learn through play at this age? Am I expecting too much or is my DS being under stimulated? Thanks.

[TwelveLeggedWalk]

16mo in nursery, according to their daily sheets and the stuff that comes home, crafty stuff, comedy baking, playing outside, toy farm, toy kitchen, books, playing with big tubs of cereal/dry pasta etc.
Not sure there's much in the way of language developing play - songs etc - which is one reason we' re not increasing their nursery time, but active and fun, and they're usually engaged with something when I go to pick them up.

[RichManPoorManBeggarmanThief]

Well if there are other kids there, he's probably being entertained by/ watching them a lot of the time. He's only 14mo so so long as she is kind and isn't just sticking him in front of the TV all day, I wouldn't worry about it.

FWIW I think nursery and child minder are 2 very different offerings. If you want more structured activities, then maybe you'd prefer nursery.

[BlingBubbles]

my dd is 19months and is at a CM all day, each morning she goes out, either to a playgroup, the park, Rhyme time, childrens farms etc, in the afternoon there is also the school run and she basically does a variety of things, reading, imagintive play, if there are festivals or holidays happening she makes things related to the holidays - Diwali she make candles, chinese new year they made drawings and played with chopstix.

My dd is kept very busy and very entertained at her CM, we get a full written report at the end of each day.

[desertbaby]

Nursery here twice a week.

The do a variety of activities- song time every morning, heuristic play sessions, painting, sand, bubbles, ball pool, quiet corner, free playing with toys. They go outside for part of the day almost every day he is there- either the garden or to park or library.

[SuperDuperTrooper]

Most days there is a 2 year old boy there and then 2 girls after the school run (approx 5 and 7 years old). We looked at nurseries originally but weren't exactly spoilt for choice as not many offered part time places. We also started him at just 8 months old so in the end felt more comfortable with him being in a homely environment. We plan to move him to a nursery when he is about 3 years old but don't want to chop and change unnecessarily.

He does enjoy it there. He loves being with his childminder and his playmates. Always smiles when we arrive and eats and sleeps well there so I know he is happy. I thought I would have a word with her about varying the play and activities if need be but don't want to rock the boat if what they are doing atbhis age is pretty normal.

[ChunkyPickle]

Potters. He's 2 now, but back then he would wander in, pick up his favourite toys and potter around. CM would attempt to engage him with other toys with varying success.

I think that when they're little they don't mind having the same toys, they like the familiarity.

He also goes to a playgroup where it's more structured - but I really don't think he'd have coped with that at 1 very well - the CM, living room and toys suited him much better when he was little.

[unclefluffy]

Mine is in nursery fulltime and her average day doesn't sound dissimilar. She likes buttons so when left to her own devices will happily play with phones, remotes, cameras etc. for hours. When I pick her up, her handover note always says that she played with those things. Still, I know they have also done some painting (twice in a month) and some baking (once, ever!) and loads and loads of singing. This week they have been playing with balloons. It doesn't sound like much, but it's plenty for a little one year old.

I suppose only you know whether they NEVER do anything else but mooch around with toys. I would astonish me, though.

[OneLittleToddleTerror]

As long as he's happy, it's fine. DD is at a nursery and they have very structured activities. But then she's familiar with the garden and the rooms in the nursery. She loves it there and will bounce off to the play room when I drop her off.

But I've tried taking DD to soft play, zoos, etc. It's worse than going out for a walk in the pushchair, or play in our own living or garden (She's nearly 2 btw). All she wants is to stick with us. I think many children at this young age doesn't like unfamiliar environments.

I think it's a good plan to get into a nursery when he's 3 or above. Getting them prepared of being in a room with lots of other children mainly.

[OneLittleToddleTerror]

Actually yes the structured activities is more like decorating cake for halloween, eating sweet and sour chicken for chinese new year, kind of thing. It's really mainly still free play. DD favourite is pushing a trolley around, and putting things in and out of bags. The same as she does at home!

[HappyJoyful]

My DD is now 2.2yrs but been with CM since 7months. Sounds very similar to what she gets up to, and for me the fact that you can genuinely feel and know that he is happy would outweigh absolutely everything.

Other's often comment on DD's speech and development skills as being ahead of her age and I think that's from being around her little friends. She's an only (and most likely always will be) and she adores the other kids, personally this to me is just lovely and again, outweighs the fact that yes she might have to be bundled in a buggy every day and does school runs.. however, in the summer, CM certainly turns these into 'mini' adventures and it's all part of the 'fun' going to collect so and so and she loves it.

[morescribbles]

Hi there

I am a childminder and it sounds to me that you would very much like that report and you would both benefit from it. Your childminder could be doing lots of things without you knowing which is a shame.

Your childminder will be doing observations and planning. With the new Early Years Foundation Stages (EYFS) childminders and nurseries have to focus on three areas: Personal, Social and Emotional Development, Communication and Language and Physical Development but still try to incorporate four other areas of learning to support these - Maths, Understanding of the World, Literacy and Art and Design. There are no set ways for childminders to do their planning as long as it supports learning and there are many ways of doing observations. I share my observations with parents daily on their diary sheet. Perhaps you could suggest an update book which you could take home with you and return each day so that you can see what activities your child is doing so that you can support their learning at home and that you can share a little of what you're doing at home for the childminder. Obviously you wouldn't have to do as much the childminder but my parents sometimes tell me about new toys their children are interested in, where they have been for the weekend, first words or reactions to the activities we have done that day. Updates don't have to be huge at all but a little idea of what is going on really helps me to work with my parents. I also add the food we eat, sleep times and toileting.

'part of his session is interrupted by a school run and then dinner a little later on'

We have five children and we have a school run and very large mealtimes but these are a hugely important social part of the day for young children. Being in the playground around school children and the school routine prepares them enormously for their own school days. I occasionally take our mindees to school performances too which they really enjoy. Meal times are a very valuable learning experience for children and certainly fit the three main areas we have for planning. Sitting socially around a table, eating healthy food, learning good table manners and enjoying the experience is very valuable indeed.

My guess is that if your child is happy and thriving you have no worries and the childminder must be doing a good job but communication could be improved to make you feel more a part of it.

[waterrat]

I have never asked what my 1 yr old does! I think as long as they are kept safe by someone relaxed and kind they are fine - and the school run is just normal life which at that age will be stimulation in itself

To me the benefit of a child minder is that it is a normal family style environment and I would rather the cm was as you describe than filling in forms about what they do all day ....

[OneLittleToddleTerror]

Yes yes to the form filling. My DD previous nursery gives me a form every day about what DD does. My DD new nursery doesn't. I much prefer her new one.

[OneLittleToddleTerror]

I found the key worker much more observant on what my DD is doing, or when something goes wrong. The new nursery picks up on her temperature, cold, change of behaviour much quicker. I have once picked DD up from her previous where she's very hot to the touch and no one rang me to pick her up. They also didn't notice her stinky nappies as multiple times when I pick her up, her nappies were dirty. Never once in the new one.

[FeralGirlCambs]

Couldn't agree more with waterrat We do get reports in a little notebook but I certainly wouldn't care if not and tbh reading 'playing with farm, walk, saw ducks, ate lunch' is not fantastically interesting; the fact that she adores her CM is!