Tidying Up - Child's Play

Tidying Up – Child’s Play!
 
People often ask us “Where do we put everything” and “How do we manage to get tidied up by the end of our session?”  It's certainly no mean feat and as a ‘Packaway’ setting we need to leave the hall, clean, tidy and ready for the next user to come in.
 
Over the years we have reflected on our practice and found that the best way is to let the children help. Why, you might ask when they are here to play and learn. Well, children learn better when they can see adults modelling. Children love nothing more than being actively involved in doing the things that adults do and by tidying away together, we as adults, are modelling to children to value the resources we have and to respect our environment.
 
So many learning opportunities are possible when putting things away, but how do we engage children?
 
Firstly, there is nothing worse than having to stop what you are doing because someone is shouting “tidy up time” with no word of warning, especially when you are in the middle of building a racing car from Mobilo or building a magnificent tower from blocks, so giving a warning is key.
 
We use three red dots on velcro, we tell the children that we are going to pack away in three dots, then two dots etc. By the time the dots are finished, the children know what's coming. To signal the tidy-up time we play the song ‘Tidy Up’ by Nick Cope. The red dots and song act as a visual and audio timetable so children know what's coming up next.
 
Then, while the song is playing, we, as adults, model to the children returning things to where they belong. By asking the children questions such as “Where does this live?”  they must use their communication skills to first, listen to the question, then think about it, and then decide where it goes. Now don't get me wrong, initially, there are a few children that always need to go to the toilet at this time or desperately need a drink, but on the whole, with encouragement and praise, most children will do the right thing and help.
 
Organisation is key to tidying up effectively and having an environment where boxes of toys are all labelled with pictures helps.
 
Being effective at tidying up isn't about speed, (although it does help on occasion!) it's about valuing the learning that takes place as part of the process. There are many opportunities to explore shape, number, matching, sorting, classifying, and learning new vocabulary and concepts, such as positional language.
 
The children's absolute favourite thing is lifting heavy things. Showing how strong they are, rolling up the rugs and carrying them together demonstrates teamwork, of course, there is always an adult to make sure that they can't hurt themselves.
 
Heavy work activities that push, pull or lift the body are a sensory activity and this proprioceptive input helps them to understand where their body is and what it should be doing. It also supports the vestibular sense controlling balance and movement.
 
These gross motor skills that children develop using their whole body, support muscle development which in turn, develops fine motor skills to support early writing.
 
Who knew that tidying up was so important to child development and learning? With careful consideration, this mundane daily routine can run smoothly and become a meaningful way of teaching and embedding various skills. As well as gaining a sense of accomplishment from completing a task which reinforces their belief in their capabilities and encourages them to take on new challenges.
 
Have a watch of our video of the children helping with the tidying up to see how good they are!
 
 
 
The red dot system is a great way to warn for many things. Having a little pocket-sized version means you can use it anywhere. For example, in three dots, you need to put your shoes/coat on. If you are in the park, in three dots, we need to go home. You, the adult, control the amount of time between the dots. It’s not a timer, it’s you being in control. Give it a try!