next question...block corner

[Heidi]

How big is yours? I have a 9x12 room to divide up into dramatic play, small motor/manipulatives, and blocks. With the way the layout is, I can use half for the dramatic play. Would 4 x 6 be enough for a block area? I have 5 kids now, a potential for 8.

Art, science, literacy, and math are all in the livingroom/dinning room combo....

[countrymom]

my blocks are in a cupboard those are toys that need to be asked to be played with.

[melskids]

Mine is 5x6, and we can only comfortably fit 2 in there at a time. Sometimes it's one at a time, depending on what they are building and if they want to be in there alone.

[Heidi]

Mine is 5x6, and we can only comfortably fit 2 in there at a time. Sometimes it's one at a time, depending on what they are building and if they want to be in there alone.

Mel, how does the "alone" thing get managed? Or limiting the number. Again, 4/5 mine are sibs, and "alone" is not something they get at home (respecting boundries is a constant struggle in general).

If one child goes in the block corner, gauranteed 4 will want to join in. How do you kindly limit that?

[melskids]

I don't know, it's just always what we've done...

If two are in there the others know that's the max and they need to pick something else.

If one is in there and already building, the next child has to ask if they can join them, and if the child in there says no, then they know they have to pick something else to do. I like to give them the chance to work alone when they need to.

Now, I have two who will try and "hoard" the block area or the sand table, so they do get a time limit to be in there and then need to choose something else. I also try to make sure each child visits each area every day, sometimes they do, sometimes they don't.

Because of space constraints, all areas have a limit. (More then two in the blocks just causes chaos and no one can build anything with meaning or purpose.) I always make sure to have more area choices then there are children, and they usually don't mind choosing something else while waiting for what they want.

So for 6 kids I usually have available:

2 blocks
2 dramatic play
2 art
1 easel
1 sand table
4 table top toys (math, science, literacy, fine motor, etc)
1 reading
1 listening
1 writing desk
music can fit all of them as long as they dont get crazy
and the infant/toddlers have their own "space"

I have seen pictures of others set ups who use a sign in and out sheet for centers, or even a poster with two (or however many) slots to place their name card to show that they are in that center. Its a good concept, but I'm just too lazy to follow through with something like that.

Sometimes when they all really want something, I dont mind moving centers or removing them all together if they all want to work together. Sometimes the whole room is blocks, sometimes dramatic play, etc. Our room evolves constantly to meet the childrens interests.

Now that the weather is gorgeous, we drag it all outside and spend the day out there. We can spread out much more and not be on top of each other so much.

[WImom]

Mel, how does the "alone" thing get managed? Or limiting the number. Again, 4/5 mine are sibs, and "alone" is not something they get at home (respecting boundries is a constant struggle in general).

If one child goes in the block corner, gauranteed 4 will want to join in. How do you kindly limit that?

I'm not Mel but I limit the amount of kids to Three in my house center. More than that it gets too crazy in there. I just have a sign that reads

House Center
3 Kids

There is a photo of a kitchen set at the top and under the number 3 are three butterflies.

The kids knew pretty quickly how to follow that. I have my blocks out with all my little people stuff so I don't limit for that. I limit the sensory table to two kids and that has the same type sign as well.