Activities - First Steps Playgroup

Teaching through Play

Activities

Here’s a downloadable version of our full prospectus:

Special activities

Throughout the year the playgroup celebrate events and organise special activities for parents and children to take part in. We ask parents to pay a small annual fee to help cover the costs of these activities.

For example:

Diwali

Eid

Christmas

Mother’s day

Father’s day

Easter

Graduation ceremony

Parent workshops

World Book Day

Holi

Children learn all about baking, making yummy cakes and learning vital skills

Festivals and celebrations

Visits to the local laundrette library and park

PALS (Playing and learning to socialise)

This programme is an introduction to social skills and they are essential to help a child adapt to school. It supports children to use a range of socially skilled behaviours such as looking at people when talking to them, listening and not interrupting, follow rules and share/take turns. Parents are asked to support this at home and are sent information sheets home on ideas of how they can support their child.

Multi – sensory group time (small group time)

Children will take part in a small group activity during their time at playgroup which is lead by an adult. Every child will be encouraged to take part and the activity is planned so that the child’s senses are used to encourage deep learning. Activities may be based around a story, nursery rhymes, letters and sounds or music. It is linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage and forms part of the weekly planning.

Let’s talk together

At the setting we have an Early Years Lead Language professional (Annette Rahman/Yasmin Mohamed) who ensures that the setting is a communication friendly environment. All team members spend time talking and more importantly listening to children, taking part in their play, extending their language and developing their imaginary play. To support talking together we use signing and visual clues alongside verbal language. We spend time reading stories using props so the children can become involved and we sing various different rhymes as this help to develop vocabulary in a fun way. Parents are involved by sending rhymes and stories home. In turn parents share what their child has done at home and how their child expresses themselves so we can work in partnership.

Comments from Ofsted:

“Children’s early communication and language skills are given high priority”

“Partnership with parents and the local community is a strength of the playgroup”

“Leaders share information with parents in their home language”

Forest Schools

Every child will be able to take part in Forest Schools which takes place in the local Park. In the park the children can explore the forested area, the paths, walkways and in the forested area the trees, plants and wild life. There are high staff ratios 1:3 with two qualified practitioners. The children are encouraged to be independent, to challenge themselves and take managed risks.

Outdoor play

Everyday the children will be encouraged to go outside where they will have access to the same curriculum as inside. This allows children that prefer to learn by moving around to access all the activities in a more physical way.