Jul 22 • General discussion
Birthday boards
Unpopular opinion (maybe?)
Just because we’ve "always done it that way" doesn’t mean it’s actually developmentally appropriate or meaningful for children.
Let’s be honest for a second.
Early childhood education is beautifully rich in tradition, but it’s also flooded with a lot of outdated practices. I know I did a lot of them in my early careers 😉
We often inherit them from old ways of working, well-meaning mentors, or just the ingrained habits of a new centre we've joined.
But if we are being completely real with ourselves? A lot of these old-school routines were actually designed for adult convenience, not child development.
Let's gently look at a few examples👇🏽
The phrase “Zip it, lock it, put it in your pocket” (or fingers on lips): We use these catchphrases to get quick silence, but do they really teach self-regulation, or do they just pause the noise? 🤫🤐
The 30-minute calendar routine: Expecting 3-year-olds to sit cross legged and recite the days of the week when they don’t truly understand the concept of "yesterday" yet.
The "cookie-cutter" crafts (or "craptivities"): Twenty identical, pre-cut paper plate ladybirds where an adult did 90% of the work.
It looks lovely on a display board for parents, but it can completely crush a child's actual, messy creativity. Isn’t it time to celebrate the process instead of the end result?
What about the obsession with "shushing" children? Equating a silent room with a successful classroom. The truth is, true childhood is loud. Authentic play is naturally noisy! 🥳
Evolving your practice isn't a betrayal of your past self. It’s actually the heart of our job. It’s about reflection and the courage to step outside our comfort zone. To try something else.
It takes real guts to look at a routine you’ve used for five years, admit it’s no longer serving the children, and to adopt a new way of doing things.
This isn't about feeling guilty for what we used to do; it’s about having the professional integrity to do better once we know better.
We owe it to the children to stop running our settings on autopilot. If the only defense for a routine is "well, that’s how it's always been done," it might be time to let it go and start fresh. Time to slow down and get off the conveyor belt of activities, crafts and herding children on mass.
Honestly, once you loosen the reigns you’ll never go back 🥳❤️
Let’s chat in the comments 👇
What’s one early years tradition you used to swear by, but have now realised doesn't really serve the children?
No judgment here, just open reflection!
See picture below of swopping the birthday board for meaningful birthday rituals. At The Curiosity Approach we help early childhood centres to understand WHY and HOW.
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Birthday boards
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