Setting up experiences/learning areas without them being wrecked

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beckynj
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Setting up experiences/learning areas without them being wrecked

Post by beckynj » Sun Jun 03, 2018 7:14 pm

Hi,
I’m currently a Diploma trainee in preschool room at my centre. My room leader is fsnatastic and listens to my ideas and inputs on how to set up our room. I contribute with setting up experiences and preparing activities for the kids every day.
Our centre wants us to do more experiences based on children’s voices, so we have an invitation to play table in the room. We’ve done construction site table and aboriginal table so far. This week we’re planning to do insects.
Problem is some of the kids just don’t listen when we tell them to leave the table alone until it’s time to play. I know we should let them be have free will to play with it (after all it’s an invitation to play table lol), but we have to keep up with the routines as we have 20 kids!
Some of them wreck stuff all the time and I know I shouldn’t ge too precious about them but we bought those stuff with our own money! We’d love to be able to use them again. We taught the kids to look after toys, books and everything in the room. We told them that only 4 people can play at the table at a time to avoid fighting and crowds, but it still doesn’t work :(

My question is - am I being too unreasonable? Is this an unrealistic expectation? How do I set up an experience without having it turned into a wreck after the kids play with it?


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Lorina
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Re: Setting up experiences/learning areas without them being wrecked

Post by Lorina » Mon Jun 04, 2018 2:31 pm

No, it's definitely not an unrealistic expectation! Children should learn to respect and be responsible for items... Maybe you should consider setting up less until the children learn to be responsible and then you can gradually add more items... Add more images, posters, books that children can look through... You are going to sound like a broken record but you just need to keep reminding the children...

:geek:,
Lorina

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