Close of the Day/Pack up

[tinkataylor]

Hi lovely people

I would love to hear how you at your centre pack up the playground at the end of the day while still involving the children and ensuring they have an exciting place to play?

We were discussing this at our staff meeting and sometimes we focus too much on the pack up and not enough of the kids, one educator suggested that she sit down with them all to sing songs/read books while the other educators packed up?

I'd love to hear what we all do!

Thanks

[Lorina]

At my previous centre we begin packing away the playground at around 5:20pm. This usually takes around 10 minutes or so. All the children become involved in packing up and are usually selected to pack up different areas (sandpit, blocks, books, bikes, balls etc). It's best to get the children involved rather than have staff do it all the time.... After packing away we have late snack and then story time and quiet activities (puzzles, drawing) until parents arrive before closing at 6pm. During day light savings when it gets darker later we let the children stay outside only on the playground equipment and riding bikes (since it's the easiest to pack away). It's alright before closing if children are only involved in limited play...

Hope this gives you some ideas,

,
L.A

[catchmeifucan]

With children we pack away the playground by about 5pm and go to the preschool room for group games, snack and stories. We have a few activities out lego, felts, drawing, threading, puzzles that children can do while waiting. Babies are kept on the mat with basket of toys. We also discussed having one staff clean while another reads stories but it's unfiar and sometimes too much for one staff to do. Best to do it together.

[megs_95]

if we're outside we pack up about 5pm and get the children to help out. They're all under 3 in my centre so it's difficult but we get there! We have the children ride the bikes to the shed, put the sand toys in baskets etc and then one or two staff with sit down with the children while two staff put the tarps over the sandpits and tie them up, then we take them inside via the bathroom to wash their hands.

If we're just inside closing up, we have the children help us tidy the toys away and make it a competition who can go the fastest etc. If it's near 6pm and there's only a couple of children left, we get them to help us walk around the centre and close the windows, lock the doors, pull down blinds etc. The 2-3 year olds usually love this cause it's a little adventure to walk around the centre, since they normally stay in one room/outside.

[Ness-C]

Regardless of age we always ask the children to help pack up, even the nursery kids can put the sandpit toys into a box before we take the box to the shed. Many hands make light work! I like megs' idea go making it a race to pack up too.

I think if you had one or two people entertaining the children while others packed up you'd find that it was always the same people doing the heavy lifting.