Who Minds Sensory Play
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21 Who Minds? February/March 2011 J ackie Millerchip, a registered childminder for 19 years, from Hinckley in Leicestershire has had a sensory cabin built in her back garden. The cabin is so popular that she now employs three childminding assistants, has 37 children on her books, 22 of whom are disabled, and has a waiting list. In Lincolnshire, Karen Leyland, together with ve other childminders and supported by Helen Weston, Childminding Manager from North East Lincolnshire local authority, has bought and equipped a beach chalet in Humberston Fitties conservation area. The chalet offers something different for the children and a space away from home. Believe in your ideas Jackie’s idea for the sensory cabin came from her work with disabled children and looking at what they need from a childcare setting. She believes there is a real need for services like hers, a home-from- home environment where disabled children are cared for alongside non-disabled children. “There is a desperate need for disabled children to be cared for and accepted in mainstream society,”says Jackie. “We have a 150ft garden and I loved the idea of making the most of the space with a sensory cabin. When I heard about the Capital Grant Fund and thought about how much benet children get from sensory equipment, I decided to go for it. It took almost two years to get it nalised. The grant funded half the building work and the rest was self-funded. When the cabin had been built, I realised we’d need a covered walkway to get the children from the house to the cabin. So we got one built from the back doors with Professional focus Mel Parks hears from two childminders who are bringing sensory play to the children they look after. Sensory play The sensory cabin at Jackie’s setting
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MelParkshearsfromtwochildminderswhoarebringing sensoryplaytothechildrentheylookafter. Believeinyourideas 21 WhoMinds?February/March2011 ThesensorycabinatJackie’ssetting
Transcript of Who Minds Sensory Play
21WhoMinds? February/March 2011
Jackie Millerchip, a registeredchildminder for 19 years, fromHinckley in Leicestershire hashad a sensory cabin built in her
back garden. The cabin is so popularthat she now employs threechildminding assistants, has 37children on her books, 22 of whom aredisabled, and has a waiting list.
In Lincolnshire, Karen Leyland,together with Ive other childmindersand supported by Helen Weston,Childminding Manager from NorthEast Lincolnshire local authority, hasbought and equipped a beach chaletin Humberston Fitties conservationarea. The chalet offers somethingdifferent for the children and a spaceaway from home.
Believe in your ideasJackie’s idea for the sensory cabincame from her work with disabledchildren and looking at what theyneed from a childcaresetting. She believes thereis a real need for serviceslike hers, a home-from-home environmentwhere disabledchildren are cared foralongside non-disabledchildren. “There is adesperate need for disabledchildren to be cared for and acceptedin mainstream society,” says Jackie.
“We have a 150ft garden and I lovedthe idea of making the most of thespace with a sensory cabin. When Iheard about the Capital Grant Fundand thought about how much beneItchildren get from sensory equipment, Idecided to go for it. It took almost twoyears to get it Inalised. The grantfunded half the building work and therest was self-funded. When the cabinhad been built, I realised we’d need acovered walkway to get the childrenfrom the house to the cabin. So we gotone built from the back doors with
Professional focus
Mel Parks hears from two childminders who are bringingsensory play to the children they look after.
Sensoryplay
The sensory cabin at Jackie’s setting
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ramps; it is wooden with a Perspex roofand concrete Joor, and lit with solarlights in different colours.”
The children clearly thrive with thesensory experiences they get in thecabin, and Jackie is motivated bywatching them progress and develop.She tells the story of a boy with Down’s
Syndrome she looks after. “When heIrst came to my setting, he would justsit in front of the television and rock.Gradually, I started to get him playingand going outdoors. One night he wason the trampoline with other childrenand when his mum came to pick himup, she started crying because she had
never seen him play like that. He was 9then and is now 17, he still comes tomy house and sometimes staysovernight. He is an amazing personto know.”
Give parents a breakAs well as the beneIts of the sensorycabin’s enhanced play experience forchildren, Jackie knows that she givesparents of disabled children a much-needed break. She says, “A lot ofchildren come after school, giving theparent a couple of hours to make teaor spend time with siblings. I also offerovernight care. I feel proud that I canoffer a service which gives parentstheir life back a bit. It’s so difficult toInd childcare for working parents,particularly working parents ofdisabled children.”
Beach buddiesChildminders in North EastLincolnshire have also taken thesensory experience as a theme for theirbeach chalet. They wanted to dosomething as a group that they couldtake the children to that was outside oftheir usual experience. An allotmentwas the Irst idea, which then becamebuying a beach chalet. HumberstonFitties dates from pre-war and is aconservation area; a traditional seasideplace with sand dunes and wildlife. Thechalet originally had three bedroomswhich have been converted into playand activity rooms. Every room has adifferent theme:
a den room with mirrors and softplaya lounge for story time withbooks, a soft couch, and sensoryplay equipmenta water activity room with a tankand play sharksoutside in the large garden thereare foam bricks and a play cementmixer which the children can usefor building.
Di Chilvers, Early Years RegionalAdvisor for National Strategies hasbeen to visit the project, she says, “Thebeach chalet is a unique setting foryoung children and families and is well
supported by the childminders inNorth East Lincolnshire and theircommitment to the Every Child aTalker (ECAT) programme. ECAT wasdesigned to strengthen children’s earlylanguage development throughsupporting practitioners and engagingparents. The team in North EastLincolnshire have developed a spacefor children to talk, explore,experiment and enjoy with fabulousconnections to the outdoors with thebeach on the door step. This is a placewhere children have opportunities tocreate their own play, follow theirinterests and engage in richconversations with each other andwith adults.”
Helen explains how the initialfunding was accessed, “It took two anda half years to get the project off theground. We used Capital GrantFunding to buy the chalet and gotadditional funding through the ECATprogramme to equip the chalet. Therooms are all set up to promote earlycommunication with dens, darkspaces, and low level mirrors.
“To run the project, we set up BeachBuddies which is a group of registeredchildminders and a company limitedby guarantee with charitable status. Iact as an advisor to the committee, butthey make all the decisions as well asmaintaining the chalet and cleaning it.
The take up by local childminders hasbeen brilliant, we have also had thelocal children’s centre doing speciIcpieces of work with children andfamilies down there, and we’re hopingthat our social services department willcome on board so disabled childrencan beneIt.”
Enhance children’s livesKaren, who was the Irst childminder tocommit to the project along with hersister Susan, is part of Beach Buddiesand values the service she is bringingto local children. She says, “We couldsee a possibility to enhance children’slives and give them something wecouldn’t give as individuals. I am alsosharing my happy memories, as Iowned a chalet myself when mychildren were younger and my mumand dad owned one. The beauty ofgiving children who don’t go on
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The sensory chalet in HumberstonFitties
holidays a chance to go to the seasideis exciting. We can cover all areas oflearning and development using thechalet and the environment around it.It’s amazing hearing the seagulls, andseeing and feeling the sand, whichcreates lots of play opportunities. It isrewarding seeing the children’s faceslight up as they play and have fun atthe chalet.”
Keep it goingBoth projects need continualfundraising to keep them going,maintain the buildings and buy newequipment. Jackie recently organised apampering and
indulgence evening at the localfootball club with a big raffle at theend. She says, “It was an amazingnight, we raised £816. Friends andfamily have also been fundraising forthe project, with my son-in-lawrunning the London Marathon, and afriend of mine is on a sponsored diet.”
Beach Buddies hosted a charity racenight which raised £842 and they’vebeen applying to local trusts andfoundations with success from TheArtie White Foundation, whichdonated £500.
Follow your instinctThe success of both the projectsdepends on inspirational peopledriving them forward. Theiradvice is to follow your instinctsand persevere. Karen says,“Have the tenacity to carry onand don’t give up. We’recontinuously thinking of waysto keep the money coming in.”
Jackie agrees, “Follow yourinstinct and give it a go. Inever dreamt my projectwould be what it is now. It’sworth everything whenyou’ve done it, changing livesof children and parents. It’snot a job now, more avocation. I love it.”
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Funding forchildmindingprojectsAlthough funding has beenaffected by the GovernmentSpending Review, NCMA will beworking to ensure thatGovernment understands theimportance of continued fundingin the early years sector.
Are you interested in starting yourown project?
/nd out what provisions arelacking in your local areacontact your local authorityearly years worker to /nd outwhat funding is availableapply to local trusts andfoundationsorganise fundraising eventsjoin a childminding networkand fundraise as a groupteam up with your localchildren’s centre.
