Ask the Expert: Nursery home corners

The girls in our nursery tend to monopolise the home corner. I want to ensure it is accessible to all children. What might I do?

The “home corner” is a role play area where children can play out domestic and routine experiences. It is important for all children and beautifully cross-curricular.

Observe what is happening there. Do your best to look and collect information about who uses it and when; what resources are used; what kind of play is happening;  what staff do when they are there; whether male staff use it; how the younger children use it; and whether it is monopolised by the same group of girls.

This data can be the basis of a staff meeting and you and your team can plot your responses. Much of what you find should lead to a solution. You might need to dismantle it and rebuild it with the children’s input.  Engaging the children and getting the facts will help you address the issue and avoid simply buying new furniture or reorganising the day.

Answered by June O'Sullivan, chief executive of the childcare charity and social enterprise, the London Early Years Foundation