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Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

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Original poster

„Activities” at your nursery - how often?

15 replies

BananaPalm · 23/01/2023 13:44

My son’s just started nursery (baby room, age range approx. 11-16 months) and I’m wondering how many proper/distinct activities vs. free play other people’s nurseries do? I mean things like finger-painting, messy play, sensory sessions, etc.

In ours it seems to be mainly free play and I wonder if it’s normal for this age group…

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Westnorwood · 23/01/2023 16:35

Every day I think. They tend to have rough times for set activities (painting, water play, some kind of task based activity), outdoor play and circle time (songs and stories). I think if they go on a trip out they might miss one day.

Raindropsdrop · 23/01/2023 16:36

Westnorwood · 23/01/2023 16:35

Same as ours

tealandteal · 23/01/2023 16:36

Every day from memory they did some kind of painting/craft/sensory thing.

Rudolphscarrot · 23/01/2023 16:48

My DS is 3 and started at his nursery at 15 months. He started in baby room, then they had a toddler room from 2-3. He joined the preschool at 3. DD has just gone into baby room.

From what I can tell, in baby room it's mostly free play. They set up activity "zones" every day but the children only get involved if they take an interest. This week my DD has done water play and it looks as though today she's been exploring things to do with Chinese new year.

I don't think they start circle time until they're in toddler room, and it's only now DS in preschool that there are set activities. They have external teachers come in for things like yoga. (It's not as pretentious as it sounds!)

Tumbleweed101 · 23/01/2023 17:24

At that age, age appropriate free play with resources that will help them develop and plenty of adult interaction, this will include sensory resources. Books and singing and things like that are daily. We do water play, painting, gloop etc too as a more structured activity but this may not be daily at that age group.

As they get older they have more structured activities.

Isthisexpected · 23/01/2023 17:29

Every day there was some kind of structured activity once or twice a day, but toddlers could wander off to do free play if they preferred.

mynameiscalypso · 23/01/2023 17:31

At that age, DS' nursery did 'circle time' twice a day and then a trip out once a day. The rest of the time was free play. There would be different activities set up but the babies did whatever they wanted, there were no group activities really.

Stopthatknocking · 23/01/2023 18:29

Circle time is totally age inappropriate for 1 year olds.

They should not, and can not, be expected to sit down in a large group for a period of time, and listen to a story.

Stories at that age should be individual or 2 or 3 children, snuggled up with a trusted person, enjoying quality interactions

Activities can be planned, such as messy play, a tough tray, cars on a track, balls down a drainpipe, but there should just be an offer, not a set time that the children must join in with.

Original poster

BananaPalm · 23/01/2023 20:50

This is so helpful, thank you all!

@Rudolphscarrot This is precisely what my son's nursery does: several "zones" with different toys and the children just crawl/walk and play with whatever they're interested in. Free play, basically. And the ladies sing to them and I think also read them some stories. But a more structured activity as such, I think they only had one in the last couple of weeks.

However, since some of you mentioned that your children did have more structured activities already at that age, do you think it's unreasonable of me to ask the nursery why they (seemingly) do them only once in a while?

I have zero experience with nurseries (even my friends' kids are much older) so not sure whether my expectations are reasonable...

OP posts:

walkinthewoodstoday · 23/01/2023 21:18

My son's nursery play with him or encourage him Eg to roll balls, or squeeze the playdough. He has tried the big markers but he's a bit young for craft type things (which I don't really like anyway!)

mynameiscalypso · 23/01/2023 21:21

Does your child seem happy there? That would be my main concern. DS rarely, if ever, takes part in the structured activities but he loves nursery.

Thefaceofboe · 03/02/2023 14:23

The nursery I work in has activities going at all times so children can free flow and come and go as they please. Usually painting, trays with oats and other dried materials etc. Some children do prefer to just do their own thing, and I sometimes worry parents don’t realise we do offer and set things up but it just isn’t what interests them

PandaG · 03/02/2023 14:34

The nursery should be observing your child and planning activities to suit their needs, interests and development - so what might look like free play may well include choices that are designed to tempt him - eg loves anything with wheels but doesn't mark make - put cars in the paint and makes tracks with them. Child may still not choose to do activity, but it was there to encourage them.

I totally agree that circle time for a whole group of children is inappropriate for that age - much better for a couple of children to be read to and conversed with by a known and hopefully loved key person or other staff member. Any nursery worker worth their salt will be challenging children's development and understanding as they read and play with them.

Fandabydosey · 14/02/2023 20:24

Adult led activities only get the focus that is desired. An example of this is say you have a structured activity say investigating paint so practitioners set out paint and paper with paint brushes. Child approaches paint puts a few marks on the paper job done mummy and daddy have a painting. Or paint is put in pots for the children to freely explore not much adult intervention the child approaches activity they have the choice of colours and the choice of tools, some may choose a paintbrush others their hands they press the paint on the paper until the paper rips or is soggy. They dont have the adult telling them how to do something they learn it for themselves. This "free play" is actually far more valuable than an adult sitting at a table telling them what to paint. Children's play is learning and structured activities are very often narrow in the areas of learning. Play is by far a better way to learn

jennyofthenorth · 23/02/2023 17:25

Id ask your nursery what they do! My experience is that baby rooms are mostly free play with a teacher sitting down to read often and setting up "areas" they can explore if interested. 1s room (aka beginning walkers) had story time (again, if they chose to join), art center, and more activities. Children wernt really "sat down" to do structured activities till almost 2-3

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