Originally Posted by Hunni Bee:
I have a dcg who ONLY wants to play like this. She's 5.5. No matter what the game is she wants to turn it into running, screaming, hiding, tickling type play. I redirect her every time, and she starts in again after a few minutes every time.
We're outside at least 2.5/3 hours a day. I've got 6-8 kids daily, and plenty of toys and things to do. We have lots of field trips and special activities. So it isn't boredom.
She's currently playing legos by herself at the table because she wouldn't stop clambering across everyone else's work and squealing.
Does anyone have any experience/advice for this?
I'm not sure if you could do this but I did it with my own kids and also sometimes daycare children. I told them that since they had so much energy that they had to run across the backyard and back. I told them to touch the fence and then come back. I had them do it a couple of times every time. I just looked out the window. I got the idea from a neighbor who said when she was a kid her mom would tell them to run around the house.
It does work if you can supervise all the children.
If you can't do that then I would put her at her own table like you did. Not just for a few minutes but until she is clearly uncomfortable with being there that long. 20 times a day for just a few minutes isn't working. Maybe start with a half hour or an hour and you pick the activity.
Laurel