Froglets takes place every Monday, except for Bank Holidays and during Christmas and New Year. The two hour session, which runs from 9:30 a.m - 11:30 noon in Ickleton Village Hall, is open to all pre-school children aged 0 - 5 and their carers. During school holidays older brothers and sisters are also welcome.
There is a charge of £2 per child and £1 per baby (up to 1 year), which includes tea/coffee for the adult and a drink and snack for the children. A pink plastic money pot is kept on the entrance table for fees - please also make sure that you enter your child’s name in the weekly book and indicate whether you would like tea or coffee. This serves as our register of attendance in the event of a fire.
1. Provide a welcoming and supportive meeting place for adults and children.
2. Provide an opportunity for parents and carers to be with their children and support their play without the distraction of household chores.
3. Offer children and babies the chance to meet others of similar ages in a friendly environment, to interact and play with, or alongside, each other and to experiment with equipment and activities they may not encounter at home or elsewhere.
4. Offer parents and carers the chance to share ideas and discuss problems and air views on children’s play, health and development.
A committee, with help and assistance from the parents and carers who attend, runs Froglets. We always welcome offers of help, ideas for the weekly activities or new ideas on how to improve the sessions or to boost funds. However we do not hold fund raising events and do not aim to make a profit. The fees cover the rent of the Hall, heating, refreshments, art supplies and the purchase and replacement of equipment.
At the beginning of each half term we produce an outline of the weekly activities for the next six weeks. Nine volunteers are required each week: - three to help set out the equipment, three to help with the final clear away and three to do the refreshments. There are spaces on the sheet for you to add your name and we request that every parent or career helps at least once every half term to lighten the load all round!
The session is loosely structured with approximately an hour of free play which may include the following - sand, water, dough, dressing up, bricks, home corner, puzzles, games, farm, cars, books and paints or other messy activities At 11.00 O’clock everyone helps to clear up and the children sit down for a drink and the all important biscuit. This is then followed by an activity session when the children play on a selection of cars, bikes etc or with cones, hoops and beanbags. We finish with 15 minutes of calming down time when the children have a story and some action rhymes. This also allows the helpers time to finish putting all the equipment away.
PLEASE NOTE: Parents and carers are responsible for their children’s/child’s safety at all times.
Setting up Helpers arrive at 9.30 to help the key holder set up the hall. This includes bringing out the regular items; “Quiet corner” with carpet, bean bags, book trolley and baby toys; Home Corner, tables, chairs, sand or water tray, climbing frame or trampoline. One table is usually covered in a cloth or newspapers for the art or messy activity.
The Drinks Helpers should make tea and coffee at about 10.30, using the register to see who wants what. They also need to set up a tray with beakers and trainer cups and put out the biscuits or other snack ready for 11.00 O’clock. We encourage one of the elder children to pass round the biscuits. After snack time the cups, plus any paint or glue pots, need to be washed, dried up and put away.
Putting Away Helpers: By 11.00 O’clock the parents and careers have helped to clear away most of the equipment and have brought it to the cupboard ready for storage. The role of the helpers is to help store the equipment away in the cupboard. During story time the bikes and final bits of equipment are put away and the floor is swept clean.
Parents and careers are welcome to borrow items for one week at a time at a cost of 50p per item. If something takes your fancy - a bike, a box of bricks, toy cooker or a few puzzles just ask one of us. The only limit is the size of your boot of the weight load of your pushchair. Our only request is that the borrowed item is back by the following Monday.
Finally it would be appreciated if you could write your (and your children’s) name and telephone number on our list at the back of the register. Occasionally, due to illness, Froglets has not been open and, if this happens, it helps if we can let people know in advance.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask one of the committee members.
Thank you for support – We look forward to seeing you and your children at Froglets!