peep in stay and play sessions (drop-in)

> Click here for downloadable version of the Stay and Play ideas on this page

(We use the term ‘Stay and Play’ to include any Drop-in or Parent and Toddler type sessions, where families arrive and leave when they want, and move around to different play activities when they feel like it.) 

Why include Peep: Using Peep Learning Together is an effective and practical way of adding opportunities to share ideas with parents about supporting their child’s development and their home learning environment, within the informal Stay and Play structure.

Getting started:  We’ve suggested six ways of incorporating Peep, followed by 15 suggested topics (3 from each strand) that work well in Stay and Plays, using the Talk time: Activity session plans.

6 tips for incorporating a Peep topic into your Stay and Play sessions:

1. Display the Topic Card near the entrance, to introduce the session focus

These are the cards with an introductory sentence, starting ‘Thinking about…’.
This is a low-key way of introducing the session focus to families, as they arrive.  You could also display it on the wall near the topic activity, and point it out during the session when appropriate.

2. Display a relevant Peep Tip next to your topic-related activity

These short tips are designed to share a message with parents about how the activity supports their child’s learning (stick the Peep Tip to the table to stop it getting knocked off). Often, they open the door to conversations with the parent.

You could use the activity suggested in the session plan with Talk time: Activity or feel free to adapt it or choose your own, to suit your and the families’ interests. You only need to have one topic-related activity (which you might spend more time near, to chat about the children’s learning in relation to it). Plan the other activities to suit your resources and families’ preferences, and/or the activities you usually have in Stay and Play sessions.

3. One-to-one conversations with parents

This can be done while you are at the topic activity, or when you get the chance. Chat with parents about one or two of the Key Ideas relating to the topic – read the Key Ideas and ‘Talk time’ suggestions before the session. You probably won’t get the opportunity to chat with every parent, it’s a drip, drip approach.

Parents quite often see drop-in sessions as an opportunity to chat with other parents while their child plays – which is an important aspect! But it’s also worth encouraging parents to come and join in with an activity their child is doing sometimes. It provides a way in for you to chat about the child’s learning, but also gives the parent an opportunity to have fun playing with their child – some parents don’t really see the point or are less confident about doing it than others.

4. Use cued modelling when playing, listening and talking with the children

This can be done at any time, engaging the child to support their learning. ‘Cued’ modelling is when you (as a practitioner) draw parents’ attention to something that you are doing – and why you are doing it, so that the parent/carer feels encouraged that it is something that THEY can do at home.  It’s a step beyond simply modelling, which can (unintentionally) encourage parents to see the practitioner as the ‘expert’.

5. Share an LTP Key Idea or two during song time and story time

It’s great to add a song and story time at the end of your Stay and Play session, if you don’t already have one. About 20 minutes before the end of the session you could let the families know it’s tidy up time. After a few weeks of doing this, it will be part of the routine that the parents and children help you tidy up as part of the session, then you can all gather together for singing and story.

Including LTP Strand or Topic Key Ideas: Start the singing with the hello song and your familiar core of songs you share each week. Include one or two songs that relate to your topic, and share a few words about how it supports children’s learning (e.g. “Heads, shoulders, knees and toes is great for helping children learn the names of body parts" or "... for gradually learning to stay quiet for some bits as you go through the verses, which helps them develop their attention, and manage their actions and behaviour”). Finish the session with a story (and a key idea) and a goodbye song.

6. Share handouts with families

Remind parents at the end about the handouts for continuing Peep at home. This would usually be a TDAH (Things to Do At Home) - briefly share some of the ideas, and why you’re asking them to do these at home. If they’d like more info, you could also share the topic handout.

You could pin one to the wall and invite parents to take a photo of it, to save printing costs. Or you can share it electronically if you have a closed Facebook or WhatsApp group etc – and invite families to share comments or photos of their experience, to support and encourage each other.

Changing an existing Stay and Play:  If you are going to make changes to an existing Stay and Play, be mindful that some parents may not like things to change - this is normal. It may be a good idea to share with existing families that you are starting to add Peep to your Stay and Plays, from whatever date you’re choosing, and explain why. There are leaflets on the website which you can share with existing or new parents. They explain what Peep is and how it supports young children’s learning in day-to-day life.

Gathering feedback:

this can be harder to gather in drop-in sessions so a joint feedback poster on the wall or shorter forms can help, eg:

> Peep Stay and Play feedback scale ('Becoming a good listener' example) - This can be particularly useful to print A3 and pin to the wall or leave near the door during a drop-in session, for families to add a sticker and comment before they leave. The topic name can be changed each session. You could also use it in a group session.

> Peep Feedback Slip - (general AND 'Sharing books with your baby' examples) - this slip contains two examples for asking parents ONE question at the end of a session, while it's fresh in their mind. It could either be a general 'What message/ideas are you taking away from today's session?' or one that relates to the session's focus e.g. 'How has Peep helped you share books with your baby?' You could either ask parents to jot down their thoughts, or you could ask if you can write down their verbal comment. You may or may not want to include session details on the slip.

> Peep feedback form - 3 topics (C&L examples) - as above, but with 3 topics. Adapt questions to relate to your topics and/or main course aims. 

If you've found a particular feedback format or question/s to be useful, or you have any questions, please contact us: support@peeple.org.uk

Suggestions for Stay and Play (activity) topics

• The suggested topics can be used in any order (click blue bars below for details).  They’re just suggestions – you can adapt them and/or choose other topics.
• Each topic name below is a weblink to the topic page (log in to the Peeple website for the link to open). We recommend reading the relevant topic, and picking a couple of key ideas to share.
• The Talk Time Activity is probably the easiest to use in this context – use the activity as your ‘topic‑related activity’, and display the suggested Peep Tip on the table next to it.
• We've suggested a Things to do at home (TDAH) handout and Peep tip for each topic. You can find them all in the Toolbox for that topic.