What are we doing in Starfish for December?
This month we will be having a focus on tidying up and taking care of things. We have some new starfish in the room who are learning the ropes and being exposed to a new range of toys to play with. They are learning how to play with them, where they go and how to explore with care and consideration for others and the environment.
Of course, December is a month of many festivals, including Christmas and Hanukah and so we will be also thinking about and doing many activities based on the festivals.

Some of the activities we will be doing this month will involve:
Making a game out of tidying up and having group times involving children putting objects away in the right places.
Using lots of shape sorters and puzzles to emphasize putting pieces in certain places. Supported role play in the home corner to focus on putting things away and tidying up.
Reinforcing, role modelling and reminding children about where things go and the need to tidy up.
Circle story time in the book corner with getting children to take turns at putting books away.
Using and emphasising language such as precious, careful, special.
And for Christmas??? Glitter, tinsel, sticking, wrapping, etc, etc, etc.

Some ideas to support your children at home:
Have a ‘tidy up time’ before meals, bed, or going out and encourage your child to tidy up.
Chose some music to play while tidying up to indicate tidying up time and make it a fun event. (Mission Impossible has a great pace and will give you some humour to go with it).
Play ‘Where does it go?’ You chose an item and get them to show you where it goes. Make it a fun and light hearted game.
Talk a lot to your child about caring for toys and looking after things. Especially books. Show how to handle them with care and how important it is.
Use words like ‘precious’ when referring to special things that extra care is needed for. Precious is a special and less used word as well, so it emphasises that there is something important about taking care.