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In At The Deep End!


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Hi guys, i really need some help here....Our EYFS have 3 reception classes and 2 nursery sessions. In past years Nursery and reception have done a joint Nativity but we have just been told that due to Health and Safety (Ahhhhhhh!!!!) we have a limit on the number of 'bodies' in the hall. This means we have to rethink the performances and it looks like I might have to do the nativity just with Nursery and reception will have their own. I've only benn at the school since september and in my last NQT term so feeling a little pressured to say the least! Has anyone got any ideas about what I could do or how we could manage to work around the numbers problem. I could do without Nursery doing their own play really but I need to get started on it asap if I have to. Some of the plays from amazon etc look a bit daunting for 3 year olds! Ideas would be appreciated. Thankyou x

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We have just put our reception and foundation 1 group together for the first time, and have got round numbers by having 2 performances, any way you can do this?

 

xx

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That's what we were going to do but we've been told we can't as we will go over 150 bodies in the hall. There would be 100 children on stage at each performance and that's without counting all the staff and of course the parents. Even if we do a performance for each class that could mean 4 or more performances which would be a nightmare. We have thought of putting 2 reception classes together with one nursery session and then one reception with the other half but I think it would be tricky to manage rehearsals and the general feeling is that it is a bit flat if there is only one reception class with nursery. However, we are trying to promote EYFS as one unit and to have Nursery separate would really go against that. Oh well, I can see I am in for a sleepless night!

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one of the most effective nativities I have seen was in a nursery. The children were familair with the story and had been acting it out in their groups and been asked before hand whether or not the wished to have parts but it was all very impromptu for the parents, with the children responding to the story in a very ad hoc way. One of the innkeepers got stage fright and was wiped off and an stand in appointed!

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Our nursery children aged 2.5-5 years come perform a Christmas themed play for parents. We normally use a production from 'Out of the Ark' suitable for this age range. There is alot of singing and one of the adults reads the script. The children become familiar with the songs and dress up in approriate costumes. As the children attend an assortment of sessions we only come together on the day of the performance, last year 72 children. It has always worked for us hopefully again this year!

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We had similar problems re being told numbers too big but this was after we put our foot down and said we would not go to the hall on the stage to put on a show that had little to do with the children's needs more to do with suiting parents. We had many children totally stressed by using the hall and stage it was pretty grim.

 

So we started putting on a very little show in nursery and this was when the numbers issue came up (too many people in nursery) and this was doing 2 showings.

 

So now we don't do it.

 

Reception join with key stage one and every year after that they "perform" on stage so we let it go.

 

What we did instead was invite parents in to hear the children sing a few traditional and non traditional Christmas songs at the end of the christmas party.

When we get to we wish you a merry christmas etc we ask the parents to join in.

 

Its usually lovely, less stress for children and staff..............

 

A nice way to end party day!

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A childminded child in nursery did 'Whoops a Daisy Angel' last year.

 

It wasn't too complicated and the music is simple and pleasant.

 

Have a look

 

http://www.christianbits.co.uk/product.php?id=OUT0409D

 

There are some bits on youtube if you search it too.

 

 

If you follow this link there are several listed and one is called 'Humph the Camel' and it is brilliant.....lovely songs and simple story. You could have a narrator and then get the children to sing the songs, dress up etc.

 

'The sleepy shepherd' is great too, I will always remember singing about the 'wooly sheep that won't sit still, rushing around on the hill (I am singing as I type....good job you can't hear me!!!)

 

The angel one is lovely too but Humph and sheep get my vote.

 

Sue

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These are all super and make Christmas! We also did The Bossy King once and that was great fun. I particularly like The Nativity by Nikki Davies. All hers seem to be extra good. They are published by Out of the Ark Music. As everyone has said they are really easy to do as you can learn the songs at different times of the day, then dress the children up, have a couple of rehearsals, and there you are. If things go a bit adrift at any point no-one minds, as it seems to add to the 'tears in the eyes factor'. We always had a few Year 6 children come and help with supervision, changing, and also narrating the story. It is good to have the older children supporting the younger ones.

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