Provider led activities

[Momof4]

Freeplay is really important and children should not be asking you what they can do next. They should be able to look around the room at the variety of toys and amuse themselves. That being said, I do encourage their games and give them ideas when they are 3-4 years old to help them learn to use their imatinations but I don't play WITH them unless we are playing games like Pop Goes the Weasel or Red Light Green Light, etc., then I'm involved in the games.

If we have an inside day due to weather I set out a bunch of toys in the morning and about mid-way through the morning put some away and bring out others, but I don't have the dedicated daycare room where everything is accessible to the children all the time. Or I tell them it's creating time and put them at the table with scissors, paper, markers, wooden puzzles, pompoms, a good variety of things.

I don't think children should be allowed to use the word BORED. There is too much to do in life. I don't even thing adults should ever use that word. When a child starts to come to me nonstop to show me something I encourage them to show their friends. I think they are used to having all the attention of the adults at home because they are only children or the baby of the family but part of our job is to help them learn to socialize with their peers and learn to play. I just cured a little boy of this habit of showing me everything he picked up.