Activities - who is responsible?

[HarrietM87]

We have a lovely nanny for our 16 month old son. She takes him out most days to various activities (soft play, playgroups, music classes etc) in the mornings, and then they play at home in the afternoon. They usually just read books and play with his toys or go to the local park. He’s starting to get more interested in eg drawing, sticking stuff, could maybe manage simple baking, would love some sensory activities. I keep seeing complicated looking tuff tray set ups on Pinterest and worrying he isn’t getting that kind of stuff (pfb!). Should we be asking the nanny to come up with stuff like this or should we be telling her what to do? Ideally I’d like her to come up with ideas for him to save me the mental leg work, though obviously happy to provide whatever materials are necessary. Not sure if that’s asking too much though!

Tuff tray - we didn't have that as a child and we turned out fine.
We may well have had homemade play dough, we may have helped bake cakes, helped to wash up, may have even had a small sandpit.

There are all sorts of things your nanny can do but they need the equipment to do it, so look at what supplies you have around the house and make sure they know what things they can use.

Reading to them and with them, listening to music, making music... that sort of thing is just as important to be doing. Drawing/painting tends to be a bit late on - at this stage mark making is to be encouraged, making marks on paper not the table, wall, clothes etc. Once out of eating anything in their hand stage, they can like stickers. I use those quite a bit at church under 3's group as it's not as messy as glue, or paint.

So I would have a chat with your nanny about what sort of things they want for winter for indoor activities. That way you can make suggestions and they can too.

I'm one of those Pinterest blogger mums and set up regular small worlds in tuff trays, messy play set ups, arts and crafts etc. It does take me along time to plan and gather resources. I'm a teacher so find it about easier to come up with ideas as I have books etc. If you want more stimulating activities, I would think you would need to provide the resources and possibly some reference books to help her? I think you're right to want more but probably need to guide her a bit. 😊

A long time*

Sounds like your nanny is doing everything right

Don’t micromanage her and say she needs to to abc

But you can suggest sensory play

Shaving foam - cornflour - cooked spaghetti - jelly etc

Or take to messy play as I do to our daughter

I did a lot of that stuff with my own PFB and honestly, it looks great for photos, but often lasts for a few minutes of play. The biggest thing that counts is her taking the time to talk to him, read to him, spend lots of time discovering the outdoors together.

That said, as he gets older she can always do more looking, especially if he is a good napper and you don't expect lots of other jobs in that time. Rather than start with the Pinterest stuff, which is often designed for clicks more than actual play, there are some good Facebook pages and groups that have simple ideas often with easily findable home items - Imagination Tree is a great one. They have a brilliant recipe for home made playdough that's a good confidence-inspiring starter too - or she may have her own ideas as well.

Agree with @Stuckforthefourthtime

You spend ages making them and hey okay with them for 2 seconds. Still think 15m is a bit young for drawing etc, I've found kids aren't really interested in that until 2, and even then only for a very short period of time. Sounds like your nanny is doing fine

What she is doing is fine for a 16month old. Do you give her a budget to buy craft supplies atm?

Thanks for the replies! I guess what I was really asking is whether the nanny should take the initiative in thinking of these kind of things or whether I should suggest them. Sounds like I should have a think myself and ensure she has the materials available. I’d never expect her to buy things - I’m very happy to do that - it’s more the mental load of thinking up activities that are developmentally appropriate and simulating that I was hoping to avoid (but maybe can’t). Im obviously very biased but he’s a smart little cookie - can speak fluently in sentences and has started counting and singing, and in the last few weeks enjoying scribbling with chalks and crayons which is why I suddenly thought maybe we should be doing more for him. Totally get it that the Pinterest stuff is just click bait and will check out the other site mentioned!

I think you will find that when you start asking your nanny about what sort of supplies they feel would be useful now that he is getting more interested in scribbling and playdough, your nanny will start to come up with more things to try doing. So you just need to sow the seed that you feel he is ready and that you are willing to buy supplies, nanny will then come up with activities.

I think Pinterest isn’t the way to go here. My DD is a bit older (23 months). Playdoh, stickers, walks in the local park or your garden to crunch leaves and pick up sticks and spot ants, musical instruments made of empty bottles with pasta/rice in, dancing or clapping to music, playing (in the bath or out) with different size and shape containers to learn about size and pouring.... all easy, cheap and more open ended so likely to last longer imo.

Your nanny is clearly doing something right then based on what you said he can do already so credit to her. Just leave her too it to be honest...

Oh, and giving a balloon on a string to play with is a favourite here, to play Up and Down.

To be honest, at 16m I’d say reading is the most important thing she can be doing. I’d rather a nannny did that than faffing around with pretty looking ideas on Pinterest. At that age he is still a baby, albeit one that seems very advanced re language.

Thanks. We read to him a lot (first and last half hours of the day) and she does read to him too. I’m probably not being clear enough but I’m not actually asking exactly what a 16 month old should be doing/playing with, but more whether, when you employ a nanny, it is for the parents or the nanny to suggest activities for the child to do. It sounds like it should be a dialogue which obviously makes sense (thanks nannynick for your input). I’d be interested to hear from other parents with nannies how this kind of thing worked for them. Obviously when you send your child to nursery you know they will get a variety of activities, sensory play etc and you don’t have to dictate any of it but it’s a bit different when you have a nanny.

It depends how much micromanagement you want to get into but also what’s important to you. I’m preparing a spec at the moment for a nanny to complement some nursery days. For me, the priority is that nanny days are a home from home experience. I want the children to have good rest, 1:1 attention for things like reading and writing and for my 3 year old to be able to continue her activities. If I didn’t have some nursery time, I’d be more prescriptive about including some craft activities or sensory play during the week. I wouldn’t specify what though.

At that age in a nursery setting, my daughter’s favourite thing was painting. The set-up of finger painting etc isn’t going to be Pinterest worthy but basic painting was more than enough. I found the creativity of activities at nursery really ramped up from 2 but again some of the things my daughter enjoys the most at 3 are the more basic things like playdoh, baking even helping to clean up.

There are not required standards for nannies unfortunately. So anyone can call themselves a nanny.
To be Ofsted registered a nanny has to have some childcare qualification.
Personally I think all nannies should have to have a level 3 qualification and be on a professional register.
As a nanny with a Diploma in Childcare and early education I am well aware of the educational needs of my charges. Children learn through play and I set up activities to enhance and develop their skills and interests.
We use a tomato plant tray (cheap from garden centre). We use it for water play. Adding water wheel, jugs , cups for pouring etc. For painting, lining paper, thick paint and tractors , trucks fir wheel printing. With lentils, plants etc - dinosaur world.
Does you nanny have a childcare qualification? If yes then she is more than capable of leading activities. Maybe give her a kitty to buy paints etc.
As a nanny I buy what i want re craft and activities. Doesnt have to be expensive.

I find the best way is to initiate a conversation about such things. If you say you'd love him to try some activities and to let you know what resources she needs then that is probably the best start.

Be very wary of the "instagram/pinterest nanny" though - just as bad as the insta mummies. My nanny stopped hanging around with a nanny friend as she was only setting up crafts etc so she could take photos and would barely let the children play. Having to give a bit of direction ad it all being somewhat amateur and relaxed is much much better!

A group in the morning and then some playing, reading, trip to the park sounds more than enough for such a small one. They don't need intricate set ups and a 16 month old won't get anything out of baking. The only things you'd get are pictures for Facebook!!

16 month olds are learning from everything, a walk round the block, putting things in boxes and taking them out etc.

I think the nanny will just be working with what’s available - if I was her I wouldn’t really feel it was my place to suggest things for you to buy other than the usual that you might be running low on like crayons and paint etc. I think if you want him to use a tuff tray etc it’s up to you to get one - it’s not like in a nursery or childminder’s where the childcare providers themselves are in charge of supplying equipment - I’m sure if you provide the stuff she’ll happily make use of it.

The other thing to consider is that activities that take a lot of clearing up take time away from her being with your child. In your home you may do some of the washing up when he's in bed or your partner is around. In a nursery there are multiple staff. She has to do it all before you get back from work. Add in the set up time as well and complicated activities don't add much value.

I think it depends on the dynamic you have with your nanny. The families I tend to work for place heavy emphasis on me being the one to take the lead in planning activities and observing appropriate development. I tend to plan an activity and write in the diary what we have done, and which area of development that encourages.

I once worked for a family whose only specification was that their child have “a happy day”. I did all the same activities I do with other children, I just didn’t write them down

If your nanny has always deferred to you to take the lead (perhaps you arrange all classes etc) I would tell her that you love everything she’s doing so far, and would like to introduce a craft budget for things like homemade play doh, art supplies etc. If she needs any help coming up with activities then you’re happy to help, but you trust that she’ll think of some great things. Monitor to make sure you’re happy.

We’ve got a Norland nanny, so all of the experience and education I could ask for. We’ve also got 2 tuff trays. She doesn’t make the Pinterest scenes you’re talking about. She uses the trays with our DC for cars and some messy/water play, but there’s a lot more to do in the day than find bits and pieces to match a particular colour or story book. It’s a bit crazy when you think about the effort involved in the set up. I’m saying this partly tongue in cheek, as I did start doing that kind of nonsense myself with DC1, but quickly got bored after some very impressive photos 😂

Cora NNEBs have a professional register. Anyone who does anything untoward like assault a child is struck off. Parents can therefore check before employing.
I agree with you. I think every nanny should have to have a qualification of Level 3 or above and be registered.
I work in a Primary school but I am considering working as a Nanny hence checking these threads.

By all means chat to her and buy her some bits but you can't (and shouldn't) expect her to do all kinds of sensory stuff if she's not particularly experienced with if, your child won't be particularly missing out and as other pps have said you don't want her be spending ages of time setting up and clearing away stuff for it to be played with for 2 minutes
She sounds like a great nanny tbh

Nannies have an enhanced DBS check. Any parents employing a nanny are advised to get a new DBS check. Or many nannies like myself are registered on the update service so we can give a code and parents can check.
If a nanny had a conviction for assult the DBS service would be notified and DBS would be cancelled.
No need to be Ofsted registered.