Rhythm and repetition 

Daily, Weekly and Yearly programme

Our Programmes give a good example of what we hope to create - but details are obviously still subject to change depending on the particular needs of the children in the group.

The daily programme:

A healthy program will have a breathing rhythm - for more information see below

8-9am      Creative / Free play - Children are given the opportunity to play with          minimal interference from adults. "Breathing out". The teacher and assistant will be busy with activities e.g. preparing food for snack time, craft work, drawing and children may join them as they wish.

9- 9:30am Circle Time / Ring time - After tidying up the children will gather in a circle with the teacher for singing and movement games. "Breathing in"

9:30-10am Snack Time - a Table will be laid, food shared out, a songs / verses and tea. Food will be simple and nutritious e.g. rice cakes / provita / cheese / cucumber / fruit. No sweets, artificial flavours or preservatives.

10-10:45 Creative Play / Free play: After tidying up the children will have an opportunity to play outside "Breathing out"

10:45 - 11:45 Activity - Activity of the day - see our weekly program for the "formal activity" for the day. "Breathing in"

11:45-12:00 Story time. Stories usually include nature stories, festival stories and selected fairy tales. Stories are chosen with much care and will be appropriate for the time of year. They are always told (spoken word) and occasionally puppets are used. "Breathing in"

The weekly programme:

Children find reassurance and security in repetition and certain activities will always be done on certain days.

Activities include Painting (wet-on-wet), Modelling with beeswax, drawing with beeswax crayons, games and movement, gardeing, craft etc

The Yearly programme:

To help the child find its place in the "time of the year" we use the festivals to mark the different seasons. Festivals have existed from ancient times and become special landmarks for the child. They are usually seasonal and would often be associated with religious festivals that bring certain gestures, messages and stories. We tend to follow the Christian festivals but our approach is non-dominational and other religions are also included as appropriate. We use some of the common symbols (e.g. painting Easter eggs) and tell simple tales that encapsulates the nature of the season and festival and are appropriate for the young child.

Spring Festival: planting seeds, Michaelmas (September), making kites and "woer-woer", wind and air festival,

Summer Festival: watering and tending the garden, Advent and Christmas (December)

Autumn Festival: harvesting, Easter festival (April), painting eggs,

Winter Festival: St Johns (June), fire festival with bonfires and making of lanterns, lantern walk

Year after year children will look forward to "making kites" or "the lantern walk", "painting eggs" or  making "stars for christmas", which mark the different times of th