crossing the road to a new toddler group

We did something different today. We visited a toddler group that I have not visited for over a year or more and that the children with me have not been to before. I felt we needed a change.

The old toddlers had become stale and I felt the children were not really getting anything out of it. Every week they would disappear into the playhouse and spend the whole morning playing in there. I wasn't so unkind as to try to coax them out of there, or to push my way into their game although I did offer ideas, such as fetching paper and pencils so they could write shopping lists when they were emptying the kitchen cupboards in the playhouse. But their play remained stubbornly inside the playhouse and I was surplus to requirements (after sitting outside a few times listening and taking notes, and occasionally peeking over the top of the playhouse). It was time to consider the benefits of attending the group.

 

 

So this morning after explaining to the children that we would visit a 'new toddlers' and reassuring them that it wasn't very far away and that I knew the lady who runs it....we set off with the baby in the pushchair and the two children walking. In the village we crossed the road, as usual there were lots of questions....'Sara what that?' 'can I help **** when we get to the prickles?' (a few stray twigs overhang the footpath here) 'where is the toddlers?'....and then as we walked past  the school 'we haven't been here before have we Sara?'. Which was odd as we have, but we always walk on the other side of the road and I suppose it all looked very different, so we had a conversation about that, and about the school having the same name as the village, and which school the children would be going to when they are old enough. And then we arrived at the new toddlers. 
 

As expected one child dived right in and the other child followed a little reluctantly but determined not to let the friend out of her sight. Within a short space of time the more confident child was chatting to the helpers and settling down to do some painting....as if we had always gone there. The other child followed her lead and was obviously taking it all in and quietly confident, confident enough to welcome help getting her apron on. The baby smiled at everyone who came close. And then it came to me, the children were having such a great time because of positive relationships, even after such a short space of time the staff had learnt the children's names and this showed they were welcoming and available. The environment is unexpected too- for a church hall. Enabling is the right word. Enabling environments isn't just about having the right equipment and access, it can also be about atmosphere and feeling comfortable enough to use all of the space in any way that you might want to use it. Even when that means spreading toys and biscuit crumbs everywhere. Yes, the only thing wrong with this toddlers is they still provide biscuits instead of the 'healthy option' .....oh well, I'm sure the parents won't mind.