Wet playtime help!

[Taddimum]

Hi guys! Wonder if anyone can give me some advice! I’m a LSA & MSA in a small rural primary school, which I love- apart from at wet play (I’d rather go out in the rain with them, but my colleagues don’t seem to be as keen!).

The head always puts me in the same classroom (yr 3/4) at wet play, where the teacher is super strict about what can and can’t be touched in her classroom- seriously, there are signs up everywhere saying “Miss X’s, DO NOT TOUCH”, and, following my first ever wet play in there, these signs expanded to add “this includes teachers!”.

I got in trouble with her for letting the kids play hangman on the whiteboard, (supervised, and we had erased it all at the end of lunch!) and the kids are quick to tell me if I’m letting them do stuff which Miss X says they’re not allowed to do (such as standing domino’s on their end to make a run instead of “playing properly” with them).

I seriously don’t know what I’m supposed to do- break time is supposed to be for them to let off some steam, but I’m so heavily restricted by this teacher that by the time lunch is over, everyone is bored, upset or angry! (Including me!)

I've even considered bringing my own resources in, but the kids probably still wouldn’t engage with me for fear of breaking Miss X’s rules!

I'm with her. It's her workspace and these are her belongings. If that restricts you or the kids who are using her space to keep dry, then tough. It's a break from learning for them, not a free for all or a chance to cause chaos. They don't get to switch off from behaving decently or have it reinforced that they only have to be respectful in lessons - that's how you create children who can't handle unstructured time.

@Somaliwildass ok, wow… I totally understand your points, but firstly the resources I have used/want to use are not her personal belongings- they’ve been there a lot longer than she has, especially the games!

secondly- how would you entertain a group of 7-9 year olds for an hour, who are already frustrated that they aren’t allowed out, but then are further restricted by not being allowed to do anything diverting to pass the time? This isn’t about being disrespectful or chaotic, or a free for all type situation, but they shouldn’t have to be in class mode all day- they need a break, just like (actually even more than) adults.

We put a film on in my school. They are told to sit and watch the film, or they sit and do a quiet activity at their place (reading, colouring, drawing). They have to be quiet as a film is on😁.

I do understand her stance in that she doesn't want to come back to mess everywhere, kids knocking things over etc etc. However, I understand your problem, that you need guidance of what to do with them for an hour. I would speak to her and just say you understand it needs to be quiet, orderly etc but could you put a film on perhaps. Maybe find out what the other classes do too.

Come and work with me in my classroom. Wet play, especially for an hour, is hard work and I'm grateful for our MDS who bear the brunt of it so I can have my lunch break. I'd rather the children had a play, even if the classroom is a bit messy so that they are more ready for learning in the afternoon.

Personally, I'm not keen on films- it means they are sitting still and glued to a screen.

Ideally, each classroom needs a wet play cupboard with a few toys in it. Ideal toys are those that can be set up and played with quickly, and can still be played with if a few bits go missing. So think connect 4 rather than monopoly, jigsaws etc. Also keep a tray of scrap paper and pens. It's really good for the children to learn to play these games- turn taking, rules, learning to lose, tactics. It's also good for children to be creative like you said with the domino run, as long as health and safety is prioritised.

Most of my wet play cupboard has come from charity shops, or you could ask parents for donations if they are having a sort out. Sometimes the school fair can come up trumps.

At the start of the year, I sometimes have a games afternoon, where I show children what's in the cupboard, and how to play them. During the year, children can then teach each other. I go through the expectations for playing with the games and the tidying up. It's worth stopping the playtime 5 minutes earlier to deal with the tidying. Children are expected to tidy their own bits and then to work as a class team to help their friends.

In an ideal world, you need to chat with her and work something out. I think she's incredibly rude for adding the sign 'This includes teachers', she needed to have had a conversation with you rather than a passive aggressive note. I do accept that there are things that she doesn't want touched, which is fair enough but it is also the children's space too.

Miss X probably spends a great deal of energy in keeping the classroom orderly.
Surely the kids can play hangman on paper?

Is there not an interactive whiteboard? If so, you can play hangman on a slide and just delete it. Or use the free times tables games in MathsFrame.

I have a retro games console that has old-school Mario Kart on it that the kids like for wet play (hooks up to the IWB easily).

There are also loads of videos on youtube with dance moves for the kids to follow- gets everybody active for a few minutes at least. Put 'brain break dance' into youtube.

We aren't allowed to put the IWB on for wet playtimes and I don't mind that at all. They are meant to have a break and move around, not sit and stare at a screen.
My classroom has a wet play box and we have general rules for wet play across the school. I have loads of games they can play. We also have two large Lego boxes and some other construction materials. There's a drawer full of colouring papers and I've got a special STEAM corner where I collect old boxes and things they can use to build stuff.
If her classroom is as ordered and organised as it appears (mine is, generally...I don't like mess), then her class should be trained in tidying up as well. I don't mind my classroom looking like a bomb has hit it as long as it's tidy again by the time we start the next lesson. It might be her workspace but it's also the children's learning space.

Perhaps you could get a box with games and equipment to take to the room. Mine has a lid and wheels so could be moved around.
My class aren't allowed to run around or throw things in my classroom and they are not to touch the whiteboards. We have a flipchart they can write on.

Not allowed on her IWB either 😂 think I’m going to have to raid the old pe shed and put some sort of box together, was thinking maybe some beanbag games or something (throw them into a hoop/bucket etc) maybe raid a charity shop or Poundland for a few games/crafty bits? So hard as we don’t have any dedicated wet play equipment, the infants are happy with drawing/cutting/sticking/reading whilst songs or stories are on the IWB, and yr 5-6 somehow always get to go on the chromebooks and play games on their IWB… I just feel stuck!

It's bonkers. At my school each classroom had a wet play box full of Lego, snakes and ladders etc so we set up a Lego table, a board games table, a drawing table with scrap paper and so on. The children know how to behave indoors. Then we teach the children to tidy up at the end. My class does it really quickly and it doesn't look any worse. It's when they don't have anything to do that they cause problems.

I wouldn't spend your own money on this stuff. I would go and chat to your head (given they always assign you this room) and ask what they suggest you do with the students and ask if they will reimburse you for resources.

Definitely ask SLT their advice. We don't get paid enough to provide resources!

We are told to put a (PG) film on and the kids have to sit and watch it...not ideal and doesn't suit a lot of them.