Nursery World - It's holiday time!

The theme of 'holidays' is a popular focus for nursery curriculum planning in the summer months and can provide children with a wealth of exciting opportunities. However, when planning for children's learning, it is crucial that practitioners bear in mind the varied experiences that children will bring with them to this topic. Of course, children experience holidays not only in the summer and practitioners may want to 'dip into' this topic throughout the year as the need and interest arises.

this topic throughout the year as the need and interest arises.

To be relevant to children, planned activities should always build on what children already know and can do. Adults should guard against using their own understanding and experiences of holidays as a starting point for planning and must find time and opportunities to learn about children's individual perceptions and experiences.

It is easy but unhelpful to make assumptions about children's experiences and even about their understanding of the language related to holidays. For example, for one child 'holiday' might mean 'when Daddy is off work', but for another the word could evoke memories of a skiing trip while to another it might be a weekend break in a caravan.

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