Activity Packs

Once I get acquainted with the children that I work with, I begin to select activities that the children might enjoy when I am looking after them. This so called ‘activity pack’ that I put together for the children that I work with makes me look like a 21st century Mary Poppins clutching a big backpack. Observing the child/children carefully before making suitable decisions is a must. I have to factor in the amount of time available for this sort of activities because some families (probably slave masters in their previous life) jam up my hours with lots of ‘little’ chores to keep me on my feet. For households with multiple children of different ages, I have to restrict the number of ‘complicated’ projects and may sometimes plan activities by focussing on one child (in turns) while still catering to the whole group to participate in as well. I normally do not prepare any activities to take with me for children less than 18 months of age because they are too busy getting to know themselves and their own environment to be further overwhelmed by what I can introduce.

A typical ‘activity pack’ for someone Stella’s age (4) would include a couple of picture books and a game or a craft activity. While I have accumulated quite a big collection of picture books, art & craft stuff, games, toys and other educational products over the years, the activities I offer may be repeats. Most children do not mind ‘reading’ the same picture book over and over again. If a child likes a certain game or activity, he/she may ask for it again. With children older than 6/7, I would plan a more elaborate project to be carried out over a few days. This is usually a hit during winter holidays.

I also supplement my own collection by borrowing library books and making some of the games myself. While I enjoy doing this as a hobby, I can understand that not all nannies are willing to spend their time off visiting the library or searching the internet for ideas to make educational products. Also as nannies, we are aware that our pay will never match the $$$ our employers make. With bills to pay, I try to be frugal and invest in some useful items every now and then. As time goes by, my collection has grown and I have developed an eye in selecting quality and useful items for young children. Most of these things will never go to waste, as they will become extremely useful in my next big adventure.

Most parents are amazed to see the never ending number of activities I can offer their children. They see how the children enjoy themselves and may even begin to ask for tips so they too can plan for such activities when I am not there. Knowing that I am obviously on a tight budget, some parents would gladly supply basic items we need for the projects/activities. A few others are less appreciative. They tend to think that I should spend more time completing extra ‘little’ chores (that aren’t on my work description) while I look after the children so they don’t have to keep the cleaner and still enjoy a clean and tidy home. That’s seems to be pure exploitation but that’s a topic for another post.