When the children in the Raindrop Room asked for babies in the role play area they gave us lots of ideas of what else we needed to provide to look after their babies. Once we introduced their suggestions, this was a very popular area to play in and the children showed good understanding of how to look after babies in their conversations and imaginative play.
Marnie: babies like stories. At bedtime they get baths with their big sisters to keep them safe. Lift big things away from baby sisters that might fall on top of them.
Ella: first the babies cry and then we give them the dummy. Babies cry when they don’t like the toys they have. We change babies’ nappies, some people call them diapers. After you’ve fed the baby you put the spit cloth on your shoulder. Put the baby on your shoulder and pat them.
Luca: sing babies “One, Two, Three, Four, Five Once I Caught a Fish Alive”.
Tilly: mummies look after babies so they don’t cry.
Joely: babies need milk from the kitchen. They drink it in a bottle. Cuddle babies.
Mason: rock babies to sleep.
Noah: babies cry. Cuddle them. They like baby toys. Babies have teddies. Wash babies with a sponge.
Skye D.: we need to be careful when we hold a baby. When we wash a baby we need to be gentle.
Robin: we sing lullabies to babies. We cuddle them. They are cute and small.
Kara: babies sleep in a cot. We feed them fruit. Be careful holding a baby. They like a dummy if they’re crying.
Fern: mummies look after babies. Babies like carrots. They get fed with milk at bedtime. Babies wear baby clothes. You can rock babies to make them sleep in your arms. At bedtime they get bedtime stories. Fire things keep babies safe from the fire.
Sophie E.: I look after baby Harry and play with him and love him. I feed him his bottle when it’s time for bed. We like looking at each other.
Anthony: be careful – don’t break babies. Babies like trains. They drink baby milk. They cry if they want baby milk. Babies wear nappies. Mummies feed babies. They sleep in a baby bed.
Summer: babies like milk in a bottle. A baby sleeps in a cot.
