The Early Years Staff Meeting
Have you ever sat through a staff meeting and thought, 'but how is this relevant to Early Years?' Do you want on-the-go CPD that supports you to develop your EYFS practice in a way that holds the best interests of the children at the heart? Would you like this delivered by passionate and experienced Early Years teachers who know the realities of working in a busy setting? Then come and join us at The Early Years Staff Meeting to explore the magic and mayhem of the EYFS. Grab a cuppa, rest those feet that you've been on all day and delve into all things Early Years with us. Learn, listen and laugh with The Early Years Staff Meeting.
The Early Years Staff Meeting
Briefing- Agenda: Wet play
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Briefing
Agenda: Wet play
In this short meeting we will be exploring the issues around wet play, the positives and challenges that this brings. To be outside or to not be outside that is the question!
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Briefing-Wet Play Minutes/Transcript
[Steph]: Hi everyone, welcome to the Early Years Staff Meeting. It's Stephanie here…… And Sarah?
[Sarah]: And it's Sarah. Sorry, I thought you were carrying on That's okay.
[Steph]: it's just been a bit of a rainy day today, sleety day.
[Sarah]: Yeah, a very wet day a lot of the children, of course, didn't bring any spare clothes. So, we've had very soggy, miserable children and adults today.
[Steph]: I mean, I feel really bad because I wasn't there to support you through it as it's my day off. I did think a few several times throughout the day today.
[Sarah]: Oh, were you doing something really nice?
[Steph]: Well, I just had lunch with my friends.
[Sarah]:Oh, my heart bleeds for you?
[Steph]:I’m sorry
[Sarah]:So the classic thing happened where the decision about whether we were having the wet play or not was sort of dithered about and its sort of half of the year group did go out and half stayed in and there were sort of staff everywhere and it was a bit chaotic, but we finally got our act together and it was the whole outdoor play was finally called off about mid-morning.
[Steph]: And I mean we do like to take the children out in all weathers You know that if it is wet play, then it's seriously wet.
[Sarah]:Definitely. I think, and that's why we were dithering so much because we wanted the children
to be out and it was sleet snowing and we had a lot of excited children and we wanted them to experience it but equally we had a lot a lot of big puddles. I mean the mud kitchen was like a mud pool which a lot of children took advantage of, to the point where it got a little bit risky. And there is risky play and then there's risky play. So yeah, that was shut down.
[Steph]: It's trying to find that balance, isn't it, between, yeah, this is a valuable experience for them, getting
out in the rain, you know, experiencing that. But at the same time, the practicalities of do we have any spare tights? We barely have any boys pants left. And you know it's the muddy boots traipsing through the classroom, getting the classroom wet. So it's just weighing it up, isn't it? And thinking.
[Sarah]: Yeah, and like when you see their little faces and they're having just the best time in that big muddy puddle, you're through your mind, you're in that moment with them and you're like, oh yeah, this is magical. But then your mind is also skipping about five steps ahead when you know, you've got to try and get this child out of the puddle and be, you're then thinking, hmm, I think I've only got one pair of socks left and they could be Barbie ones. So yeah, it is a you're always weighing it up in your mind and I think that is why early as practitioners are always so tired because we are thinking about 10 steps ahead. Yeah for many children and staff.
[Steph]: as well Yeah, and I think also is that having that conversation at the end of the day with the parents because you kind of know your parents That are of sending the rain suits and the wally boots and a fine with them going out in the weather And then you do get you know even though we tried to and they're out in all weather, as you do get those parents that will be like, oh what, you let them get soakingwet and yeah it's trite, it's just thinking, oh do I really want to have that conversation at the end of the day? No, the bag of wet clothes again. It's always the same children.
[Sarah]: It is, it's the children who come in with all the wet weather gear that don't ever want to go out and it's the children that don't usually come prepared are the ones that are in the thick of it. But I think I've seen that some settings, they do put out little displays for parents, where they have pictures of uniform that are muddy and wet and caked in paint and play dough and dinner, just to show parents that if children do come home like this, then that is a sign that they have been doing lots of really great learning. parents to a sending spare clothes but to be just let their guard down a little bit and their expectations about what children should be coming home they're not always going to be like coming in, coming back the way they came in.
[Steph]: That's a bit of a sign of the fun they've had and all the learning they've done that day.
