Nap time can be a hard time for children and for teachers. Having some things put in place preemptively can help lessen the “naptime woes”.
First, the Missouri Licensing standards state that children who do not sleep shall rest on cots for at least thirty minutes but shall not be forced to remain on their cots for longer than one hour. They will then be permitted to leave the napping area to engage in quiet play. This means that in order to have a successful naptime, providers must prepare for children to not want to stay on their cots.
Naptime Strategies
If a child is not napping, use this as a time to bond with the child. Learn exactly what their likes and dislikes are, or just simply do an activity with them. It is understandable that teachers use nap time for things like working on lesson plans or cleaning, but giving the child tools that can help occupy them or making it a time to bond can make nap time with nonsleepers pass by quickly.
If your children seem to get even more rowdy before naptime, you could try doing a quick gross motor, such as yoga, to help calm their bodies down.
Another suggestion is doing some quiet activities while getting ready for naptime to get their bodies ready for rest. Sometimes, reading a book to a classmate, holding a stuffed animal, or working on an activity or busy book can help get children ready for sleep. Activities like looking at books, foam blocks, and puzzles are all examples of quiet play activities that can be implemented.
Another way to make nap time easier can be reaching out to the child’s guardian and ask how they nap at home. Do they like having music? Do they usually have a stuffed animal with them when they go to bed? Are they propped up? These are all things to consider when making naptime enjoyable.
No one wants to feel like naptime is a battle, but hopefully some of these strategies will be helpful for the children in your care.
For support implementing this or other strategies, contact the inclusion services department at United 4 Children by calling:
1-800-467-2322 or emailing: inclusionservices@united4children.org.
