Tips for running a playgroup

[ohsonogo]

Hoping for some advice about running a playgroup/stay and play

Quite by accident I’ve ended up agreeing to taking over our local group. Please hit me with your best ideas and what you’d like to see at a mother and toddler type group. Snacks? Activities? Song time?

If it’s already up and running and successful don’t change anything. You risk alienating the regular attenders and it flopping. That said, if it doesn’t include snacks then that’s one improvement that’s universally appreciated!

Public liability insurance!

Toast was the big draw at my favourite baby group. people did their own it was just a toaster a couple of loaves and proper butter. it was about 18 years ago though so not sure allergies etc were accounted for!

What’s the context? Is it a couple of hours once a week in a church hall? Do you have many helpers? I agree with the poster who said not to rush in and change things. What’s a typical session like at the moment? Have you been going to the group yourself?

Agree, keep it as it is as much as possible.

For behind the scenes stuff, have a bit of an audit after each session to check the condition of toys, amount of teabags/coffee/biscuits etc.

Ours used to do toast and fruit for toddlers which was brilliant. But OTOH the other sure start centre got rid of the toaster after too many triggers of the fire alarm! Watch out for that one.

Messy toddler crafts that people wouldn't want to do at home! I used to do craft at a toddler group, and lots of parents told me they wouldnt like to use glitter etc at home.

Have a look here
https://www.eyalliance.org.uk/

I don't know anything about it now but Mum was heavily involved in the original version of it, PPA, and I know they provided a lot of help.

My top tip if you’re going to do songs/ story time - either do it in another room or put the toys away. It’s really hard to get the kids to do the singing etc when they’re distracted and it’s not fair on the other parents. Or do songs first then get toys out

Get the kids to tidy the toys away before singing.

At the group I used to run, we had:
10-10.35 - Play time
10.35-10.50 - Snacks (juice/water, pancakes and toast for the kids; fruit if we had enough volunteers that week to organise it; tea/coffee and biscuits for the adults)
10.50-11.10 - more play time, or craft if we were doing one
11.10-11.20 - tidy up (kids helping, so took forever)
11.20-11.30 - singing time

That worked fairly well - we could have done singing for a bit longer but I hated leading it so kept it shorter!

At the groups I go to 1 one is singing heavy 30mins singing (it’s so good though!), 10 mins juice/snack for kids, then 45 mins free play and coffee / tea available. They have 2 rooms which helps,
but also get toys out in the singing room.

At the other one- tea/coffee/biscuits available 10-11 and then toys go away at 11 for 20 mins sing/story. They got a bit lax putting toys away , leaving some out for kids that prefer not to sing, but I found that annoying as my kids then felt it was optional.