Play plays a big role in your day as a kindergarten assistant
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If you want to be a nursery assistant, it is wise to try to imagine what your day will look like as a kindergarten assistant. This will often be a question asked during the PMI visit: what would a typical day at home look like if you become a kindergarten assistant… Here is an example you can draw inspiration from.
The main rules of your day as a typical kindergarten assistant
A typical day for a kindergarten assistant must follow a few main rules:
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- ensure the comfort and well-being of the child, particularly by respecting their rhythm : meals, naps, manual activities, outings, etc., must be planned according to each child’s rhythm, and schedules adjusted on certain days if the child is tired, sick, etc.
- the safety of the children first and foremost : this is the crucial point for most PMIs. This means, in particular, that you should not undertake activities during nap time that, if abruptly interrupted, would prove dangerous (e.g. ironing, cooking)
- reassuring rituals : your day should be punctuated by small rituals because they reassure the children! It can be a “good morning” greeting, reading a story before nap time, tidying up before the parents arrive, but also more “practical” rituals such as washing hands before meals or going to the toilet before nap time
- in the program, awakening and learning autonomy : this is one of the two most important aspects of the kindergarten assistant profession. To promote this awakening of the child and their learning of autonomy, vary the pleasures: alternate free play and directed activities, physical exercise and “intellectual” exercise (reading, puzzles…), “regularly see the country” during outings or walks, meet other children in the park, at the RAM or at the toy library, etc.
If you have children that you need to pick up or drop off at school, don’t forget to incorporate these “constraints” into your schedule as you will likely be challenged on this point by the PMI.
In the morning, generally, you are calm
The arrival of the children is usually staggered
Your day as a kindergarten assistant can start from 7 am, depending on the arrival time of the children. In principle, it is advisable to stagger the children’s arrival by 15 minutes, in order to have time to welcome each child calmly, give them time to say goodbye to mom or dad, and chat for a few minutes with their parents.
After the parents leave, take care of each child individually for a few minutes: change the babies if necessary, help the older ones feel comfortable (put on their slippers, hang their coat on the coat rack…)
Once everyone has arrived, why not gather all the children for a little morning ritual : everyone in a circle to say hello and discuss what we will do during the day, the weather for the day, the day before, then we gently wake up with songs or by reading a book, etc.?
Then, free play or manual activities follow
The day can then continue with free play or, during the nap of the younger ones, manual activities (the morning is the most appropriate time for learning and concentration). Of course, each child is free to participate or not. For example, you can offer the children to draw, paint, cook, craft with small objects to give to their parents, etc.
You can also suggest an outing to public places (library, toy library, RAM…).
A little outing opens the appetite
Many mischiefs happen a little before lunch when the weather allows, once the younger ones are awake from their nap: the children get fresh air, relax after an activity in which they had to concentrate, exercise opens their appetite.
If the weather does not allow, why not plan another type of activity to unwind : improvised motor skills class with mats and cushions, dancing, a board game that gets you moving (for example musical chairs)…?
At noon, lunch is a moment of sharing
Around noon, it is obviously lunchtime, the highlight of your day as a kindergarten assistant.
Before going to the table, wash hands : everyone at the sink, on a step for the older ones, and teach them to soap, scrub their hands and rinse properly.
This is an opportunity for the little ones to eat a balanced diet, discover new tastes, and continue their food diversification.
Depending on the age of the children you are welcoming, they will all be at the table at the same time (in high chairs, strapped in) or you will have them eat in a staggered manner (the bottles first, so that the younger ones can sleep first as they usually sleep longer).
When all the children are eating at the table, it is a moment of sharing (discussion among themselves and with you) and awakening (learning autonomy).
In the afternoon, we sleep, we play, and we have a snack
The nap allows you to take a breather in the middle of your day as a kindergarten assistant
The afternoon generally starts with a nap (about 2 hours) that allows the children… just like Nanny to rest 😉
Before the nap, you can read a little story all together or sing a song, to calm the children and prepare them for rest .
During the nap, do not plan noisy activities or activities that cannot be interrupted immediately (this means no ironing, no vacuuming, no mopping, as if a baby wakes up from a nap, the floor could be slippery, etc.). On the other hand, you can plan to clear the lunch table, clean the kitchen, and especially prepare snacks!
The children wake up from the nap each at their own pace.
Afternoon tea is a ritual that children love
After the nap, give them a balanced snack : fruits, cookies, or dairy products. You can also have a snack that you prepared together in the morning (pancakes, cakes, etc.)
Depending on your schedule, you can go out a little
After the nap, if the weather is nice, and if you have time before the parents arrive, you can take the children to spend a little time outside , for example in the park, so they can meet other children and socialize.
If the parents arrive early (5 pm for example), or if you cannot go out, plan quiet games at the end of the afternoon (nursery rhymes, readings) and especially ones that can be easily interrupted when the parents arrive.
Reunions with parents are an important moment for children
10 minutes before the parents arrive, explain to the children that their parents will be arriving soon, tidy up the toys a bit with those of their age (it is never too early to learn to tidy up!), prepare the children’s diaper bags (don’t forget to check that nothing is missing for the next day: diapers, milk, etc.)…
Then, once the parents arrive, do the same-day transmission , help the children get dressed and take the time to say goodbye. Optionally, set up a little ritual for this: a little song to say goodbye, the program for the next day, etc.
After the children leave, your day as a kindergarten assistant is not over
Once the children have left, everything remains to be ready to welcome them in good conditions the next morning. It is therefore necessary to tidy up (toys, childcare materials,…), clean the rooms where the children were (broom, vacuum cleaner, etc.), do the dishes if necessary, put the daily laundry in the dirty (bib, towels, etc.), and if you provide meals for the children, prepare the meal for the next day.
And if you plan activities for the next day, prepare the necessary supplies, do the printing, cutting, etc.
That’s it, is everything ready? You can take a breather, your day as a kindergarten assistant is more…!
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