Starting a playgroup

amother

Mon, Jul 11 2022, 1:17 pm

Can all experienced morahs and mothers chime in please
Im starting a 18-24 playgroup
What would be an ideal schedule for this age?
How long do kids this age generally nap?
Im offering lunch and need healthy easy meal ideas, moms what would you like your kids to eat?

amother

Slateblue

Mon, Jul 11 2022, 1:22 pm

Easiest way is to connect with an experienced Morah for that age. I sent to a new Morah and she got her schedule, curriculum, etc from other experienced moros. The group ran very smoothly BH even though she was new.

amother

Coffee

Mon, Jul 11 2022, 1:28 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Quick and easy lunch ideas
Pasta with cheese, veggies on side
Grilled cheese sandwiches w veggies
Scrambled eggs, yogurt, fish sticks, tuna salad/egg salad sandwiches...

Some kids that age don't nap (like mine), some nap 45 mins, and some for 2+ hours! But many, if not most will go around 1-1.5 hours. Ideal naptime, I think starts somewhere between 11:30 &12, then for however long they nap. Lunch can be when they wake up. So for the 1 hour nappers, that's 12:30-1, and have the rest join as they wake up. The only issue with this is that if someone actually naps for 2.5 hours, they'll be hungry for lunch when you're already onto the next thing.
Alternatively, you can do an earlier lunch and then a later nap. Like 12:00 lunch, 12:30 nap. But some kids may already be cranky by then, also can interfere with their nighttime sleep.

amother

Peach

Mon, Jul 11 2022, 2:22 pm

I cannot hep you in terms of a schedule, but I just wanted to say thank you for starting a playgroup. There is such a shortage, it's unbelievable! If you hear of one that is opening for younger twos, I really need one for my son who just turned 2.

My son probably napped around 2 hours by his Morah this year, but at this age some kids start dropping their naps, some kids nap for longer...

amother

Garnet

Mon, Jul 11 2022, 4:04 pm

Playgroup morah here.
9.20 start.playtime until about 10.30
You have to take away toys and replace as needed so they don't get bored of same toys.
Clean up time. Davening/circle time and projects or coloring if you're doing one that day. Read a book.
Change diapers as needed.
11am lunch
11.30 naptime I spread apart packs plays as much as possible so kids don't wake up each other
1pm I start taking out kids that woke up or wake up kids that cant sleep too long
2nd Diaper change as needed.
I take out one thing that everyone plays with together(like magna tiles or legos)
Then serve snack at 2 and outdoor playtime depending on weather or exercises. We usually end wiith some books once everyone is ready. We end at 3.

amother

Lawngreen

Mon, Jul 11 2022, 4:22 pm

This is our schedule:

8.50 till 1

8.50 (they don't all come on time) till 10ish is free play.

10-10.15/30, tidy up the toys

About 10.30, snack time

10.45-11.30ish, we take out different toys for those that have finished snack. Then we do a craft/activity/go in the garden etc.

Change nappies (those that are dirty, we change throughout the morning obviously)

12ish is lunch time

Tidy the rest of the toys

12.15/30 - circle time/davenning/singing songs /quick rest on the rug whilst singing songs like Hamaloch and little sleeping bunnies (no naps, although a couple of the younger 18 month olds do occasionally fall asleep in my baby's strollers. He has 2...

12.50, get ready to go home. Read stories...

Everything takes a long time with a few toddlers.

amother

DarkRed

Mon, Jul 11 2022, 6:50 pm

9-2\3

9-10:15 free play as the kids start coming

10:15-10:30 cleanup

10:30-11:15 is snack, Davining, crafts

11:15 lunch, after lunch is diaper change(unless they needed it earlier)

12:00-1:30 nap they sleep in pack and plays in one room some kids wake up earlier and talk\sing with each other(if they start to cry we will take them out, but most of them don't)

1:30- take them out and start changing them again if they need

2:00-2:15 first shift goes home

After 2:15 is free play and more snack, about 2-3 times a weak another craft

3-3:10 everyone else leaves

Some kids sleep longer until about 2:30
In the start of the year we start putting them in to nap at 11:30 as they get older we put them in latter, in the start of the year many kids are still sleeping when their parents come at 2:00

amother

Lavender

Mon, Jul 11 2022, 6:54 pm

ty for starting one!
its hard finding a frum playgroup in my area. and especially hard finding a frum playgroup with jewish assistants.

my baby goes to a sefardi playgroup so for lunch they get milchigs 2x a week and fleishigs 2x. the felishigs is traditional sefardi food we eat. Pizza, mac and cheese, rice and chicken, meatballs, stuffed peppers...

8:30 am- 4 pm.
750$ a month

amother

Ecru

Thu, Jul 14 2022, 7:30 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Hi! What hours are you doing and where are you located?
Im interested to hear more if you still have room.....
Can you pm me?

amother

DarkYellow

Thu, Jul 14 2022, 8:47 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Please share location I need a slot for that age