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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>How Much Time Do You Spend Actively Playing...
AfterSchoolMom 05:24 AM 12-06-2010
with your DCK's? For those of you who do NOT do preschool - let's say you have them there from 7:30-5:30, Monday through Friday. How much of your day is spent actively playing with them, on the floor, involved in their games, etc.? Do you do this a lot or do you expect them to entertain themselves for the majority of the day? Is it harder to do with those of you who only have 1 or 2 during the day vs. a large group?
laundrymom 05:30 AM 12-06-2010
I would guess 3/4 the time?
TGT09 05:34 AM 12-06-2010
I do a preschool program only a few days a week. The days I don't do it, I spend about 50/50. Kids need to learn to entertain themselves but also need the discipline of sitting still for certain things. IMO.
Lilbutterflie 05:42 AM 12-06-2010
I'm gonna be honest here and say maybe 1/4 to 1/2 of the day is spent ACTIVELY playing with them. I have older kids right now (2-4), so they will pretty much play with themselves and I play referee! That is, when it's free play time. breakfast time, lunch time, story time, nap time, outdoor play time, dropping off and taking my daughter to school, and snack time take up pretty much a majority of the day!
nannyde 06:00 AM 12-06-2010
Oh not much. We set up stuff for them in our roational toy system but they play with each other. We also rotate the older kids into the play of the 1-2 year olds on their side of the room.
Kids are designed to play with kids. Been done since the begining of time. This generation isn't any different.
I wish I could go back in time and ask my Grandmother this question. I can just see the look of 
WHAT on her face. 
We try to stay out of their play as much as possible. My day care is almost always full of only children. They really enjoy each other and play wonderfully together. We love giving them the gift of self entertaining and playing with kids who are close in age to them. (meaning from age one to five). This is their one shot to have children who are two years younger... a year older... three years older... three younger to play with daily. Once they start school they will have age mates primarily in their day to day. It's a gift to give them the life experience of each other. We try to stay out of that and let them have that experience.
We do the things for them they can't do for each other like reading. Once our four to five year olds learn to read though we have them do the reading to the kids.
Kids are designed to play with kids. Been done since the begining of time. This generation isn't any different.
I wish I could go back in time and ask my Grandmother this question. I can just see the look of WHAT on her face. We try to stay out of their play as much as possible. My day care is almost always full of only children. They really enjoy each other and play wonderfully together. We love giving them the gift of self entertaining and playing with kids who are close in age to them. (meaning from age one to five). This is their one shot to have children who are two years younger... a year older... three years older... three younger to play with daily. Once they start school they will have age mates primarily in their day to day. It's a gift to give them the life experience of each other. We try to stay out of that and let them have that experience.
We do the things for them they can't do for each other like reading. Once our four to five year olds learn to read though we have them do the reading to the kids.
AfterSchoolMom 06:40 AM 12-06-2010
Nannyde, would it be the same for you if you had just two children in your care? Or only one? I'm not trying to argue or disagree at all, I would really love to have your opinion.
marniewon 06:47 AM 12-06-2010
Originally Posted by AfterSchoolMom:
Nannyde, would it be the same for you if you had just two children in your care? Or only one? I'm not trying to argue or disagree at all, I would really love to have your opinion.
I do like Nannyde - I allow the children to free-play with each other and very rarely get involved outside of reading stories or the occasional times they WANT me to play with them. I have 2-4 kids on any given day. And even when I have only 2, yes, they play together or independently. Today I only have one (the other scheduled child is sick today) so I imagine I will be doing more playing than usual, but I still encourage independent play (and really, he prefers it).Nannyde, would it be the same for you if you had just two children in your care? Or only one? I'm not trying to argue or disagree at all, I would really love to have your opinion.
nannyde 06:56 AM 12-06-2010
Originally Posted by AfterSchoolMom:
Nannyde, would it be the same for you if you had just two children in your care? Or only one? I'm not trying to argue or disagree at all, I would really love to have your opinion.
Well if I just had two kids the parents would be paying for something completely different. It would be VERY expensive to have a one to two ratio with ME being the one adult. It would be more of a Nanny situation and not group care so I would do as I was told by the parents. Whatever they wanted I would do.Nannyde, would it be the same for you if you had just two children in your care? Or only one? I'm not trying to argue or disagree at all, I would really love to have your opinion.
Unregistered 05:33 AM 12-06-2010
I only have 2 daycare kids (this what what is allowed without a licneses in my state) and my little girl who is a toddler here in the mornings my own 2 boys are in school till 2pm and they always do there own thing after school here is what my day looks like.
7:30am-8:00am- arrivals
8:00am-8:30am breakfest
8:30am-11:00am- free play inside (they play by there self some and I play too some)
11:00am-11:30am- lunch
11:30am-1:30pm- naptime
1:30pm-2:00pm- snack
2:00pm-5:00pm- free play in or outside (they play by there self I watch)
5:00-5:30pm- dismissal
7:30am-8:00am- arrivals
8:00am-8:30am breakfest
8:30am-11:00am- free play inside (they play by there self some and I play too some)
11:00am-11:30am- lunch
11:30am-1:30pm- naptime
1:30pm-2:00pm- snack
2:00pm-5:00pm- free play in or outside (they play by there self I watch)
5:00-5:30pm- dismissal
daysofelijah 07:43 AM 12-06-2010
Pretty much none. They have each other to play with. I'm not a playmate, I'm a caregiver. I do talk with them, read to them, engage them in crafts, learning activities, etc.
But during playtime I will supervise, intervene if necessary, sometimes insert an idea into the play (Maybe you could build a tower with the blocks? Are you going shopping at the store?). But no I don't really do any playing myself.
But during playtime I will supervise, intervene if necessary, sometimes insert an idea into the play (Maybe you could build a tower with the blocks? Are you going shopping at the store?). But no I don't really do any playing myself.
boysx5 08:00 AM 12-06-2010
I have five to six kids a day and they do all their free play together. We do a preschool circle time for 20 mins to 30 mins.
DanceMom 08:23 AM 12-06-2010
I have 9 kids - I play with them maybe 30 minutes or less a day..
My kids are all around the same age and usually play well together..I love them to use their OWN imaginations and problem solve with little help from me. I do preschool time and will help with puzzles and of course reading..but general "play" I do not do.
My kids are all around the same age and usually play well together..I love them to use their OWN imaginations and problem solve with little help from me. I do preschool time and will help with puzzles and of course reading..but general "play" I do not do.
laundrymom 08:24 AM 12-06-2010
I must be the oddball. lol. (that doesnt really surprise me, lol) I enjoy playing on the floor with them. I have a big group though and just because Im on the floor with 2 of them,.. there are still 7 who are self entertaining at any given time.
tenderhearts 08:27 AM 12-06-2010
I do much like the others. I don't necessarily "play" on the floor with them or I'd be a "jungle gym" lol (seriously) but I help with puzzles, or put together train tracks, read, when the babies nap we play games, like alphabet bingo, penguin pat, memory, hi ho cherrio. Usually it's letting them play dolls or cars together, I don't do that haha.
momofboys 08:42 AM 12-06-2010
Maybe 1/3rd of the time I spend actively playing & by that I do mean we play some board games or I sit & do Legos with them or read books with them. The rest of the time they play on their own.
sahm2three 12:30 PM 12-07-2010
Hmmmm, it really depends on the day. And who is here. The dynamic of the group changes depending on who is here. Some days I find myself being pulled into games, which is fine if I am not tending to other duties. Like my only little dcg likes to play house. My son will play with her most days (while being a super hero), but if my son's best friend is here (who I watch), he would rather play with him and not play house. So, I end up being "grandma" to dcg's babies. Fine by me. We play kitchen or restaurant quite a bit. I try their creations and ask them about their ingredients. I get games going for them (friendship ball is one of the favorites, sit in a circle and you roll the ball to someone and say something nice about them, the little guys pretty much just copy the older kids, but it is good practice), playdough I help the little kids roll out their dough and etc. I do a lot of assisting. We read TONS of books. We do a LOT of coloring and art projects. We decorated Christmas trees today. (Printed out plain trees and gave the kids materials to decorate them, they were fabulous!) So, I guess I don't do a ton of actual playing, but mostly because they play together. But if they bring me a creation to taste that they made in their kitchen, I absolutely try it and we talk about it, or if one of my "grandbabies" needs a "grandma" love, I will do that. I guess I just don't get brought in very often. I do dance with them and we sing silly songs. Is this what you are asking?