I planned to play home, safe, a week before fairtrade fortnight. It was in half term and neither of our regular staff could be there, and the majority of parents we usually rely upon to support staff were on holiday, we had a high turnout (35 children) ranging in age from 0 to 8, and I had all three of my own children to watch out for too.
So I turned up 9:45 for 10, at the same time as the first of parents were arriving. I decided to get out the bulkiest, heaviest kit out (why make things easy?), realised forgot bread - dash to shops, back again, Three children still there, and happy (don't worry, had good friends there to look out for them while I popped out to shops).
By the end of snacktime, I was hot, sweaty, tired and time to start 'Kit on' workshop. Running a workshop with your own three children (2, 4 and 7) is a bit of a risk, but sometimes it can work to your advantage. Today they really got into the activity and helped run it with their friends, and the parents of their friends. I was particularly chuffed with the way Arthur and Jago talked about the day afterwards.
Paraphrasing Arthur describing to Mum - 'It was really good. First we dressed up Patch (another Dad), then we worked in teams and dressed up our parents, but not Daddy. Then we dressed some of the children. I was one of them. Then we dressed up everyone and we all got chocolate (thanks John Boyle and the Coop) It was all for fairtrade because we should be buying fairtrade clothes.'
He'd got all of it, and understood the order (and probably why) of activities - choose someone willing to give anything a go (Patch), involve the parents, have fun (don't get pompous about fairtrade), get everyone participating. I had been tempted to chat a bit about Uzbekistan and state sponsored child labour picking cotton and I'd totally forgotten to do the Cotton-picking song, and other songs (which was a shame). Also not so sure how much the under twos got from it, but if they had fun putting clothes on Mum, then all is well.
Cotton picking interview
More Photos
So I turned up 9:45 for 10, at the same time as the first of parents were arriving. I decided to get out the bulkiest, heaviest kit out (why make things easy?), realised forgot bread - dash to shops, back again, Three children still there, and happy (don't worry, had good friends there to look out for them while I popped out to shops).
By the end of snacktime, I was hot, sweaty, tired and time to start 'Kit on' workshop. Running a workshop with your own three children (2, 4 and 7) is a bit of a risk, but sometimes it can work to your advantage. Today they really got into the activity and helped run it with their friends, and the parents of their friends. I was particularly chuffed with the way Arthur and Jago talked about the day afterwards.
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| Patch in a dress |
He'd got all of it, and understood the order (and probably why) of activities - choose someone willing to give anything a go (Patch), involve the parents, have fun (don't get pompous about fairtrade), get everyone participating. I had been tempted to chat a bit about Uzbekistan and state sponsored child labour picking cotton and I'd totally forgotten to do the Cotton-picking song, and other songs (which was a shame). Also not so sure how much the under twos got from it, but if they had fun putting clothes on Mum, then all is well.
Cotton picking interview
More Photos
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