What age for Playcentre

Ive been wondering about Playcentre.

For those of you who belong to one, what age do you think is good to start?

Issy doesnt "do much" yet ... so Im wondering do we wait till shes a toddler that can move around when she can take advantage of all the cool things on offer?

Thanks for that info ... I will definately ring up about it.

We are in Parnell so I suppose I will ring the ones near to us and see if they do that particular programme.

I'd look to starting between 9-12mos but no harm in going earlier if you'd like the company!

We do 1 duty day per week, which means we get there a bit earlier than some of the others and set up the outdoor equipment and make playdough and other messy activities, and everybody helps with clean up at the end. If you go more than 1 day you can get there a bit later once things are set up.  We have only been going for this term as members and did 3 visits at the end of term 1. I have just finished the first course that you can do (some centres are really pushy with the courses and others are more laid back)

They recommend that you go 2 times a week but at the moment we only go the once. It took Leah the first couple of times to settle in to were she just goes and plays and doesn't look for me, sometimes I won't see her for an hour if I am setting things up, but she knows I am there somewhere and looks for me when she wants me.

Maya was 11 mths when we started, to be honest it was prob more about me to start with than her coz I wanted to meet some other people with kids of similar ages. She enjoyed it but not as much as she did as she got older. We stayed till she was about 2 1/2.

We didn't have a very good experience with our local one. We took Caitlin just before her 1st birthday (she had been walking for 2 months by then) and I found the set up was mainly for older kids and didn't cater at all for littlies.

I personally didn't want my 1 year old playing with real hammers and nails and there was a collage table set up with shells and small beads and stuff - perfect sized choking hazards

SO we didn't go back

Hmmm good points to ponder over ladies .. thanks

Duty stuff depends on playcentre to playcentre. For us it is the following:

You need to attend two sessions a week. In a term attend one centre meeting. Then you have a planning meeting where kiddies come with and you just plan the term.

You are mothers help once a term on each session you are. So if you are there for 2 session, twice a term. And that is just to set up an extra activity, take washing home and to get some entertainment during morning tea. For example read stories or put music on.

Other responsibilities are term clean up for 3 hours. Whole centre gets cleaned. Property day once a year. For 3 hours as well and that is weeding ect or fix some stuff up. Hubbies can do this stuff too.

You get free education stuff in the form of courses and play workshops. Some daytime ones as well as nighttime ones.

When you have been there for a while you need to take one of the other jobs up. Like library or shopping, or banking, equipment team or property team.

I am studying full time, Look after M and do Playcentre and it really isnt that much work as it works around your times. Your child comes first in all things.

When I went for visits I got freaked at the carpentry table. I really did. Other thing was the water play. But you know with the high ratio's and 3 full terms of attending one I havent seen any accidents yet at all. None what so ever.

I will however suggest if you have a baby to start out with space.

I started playcentre with Casey when she was 6 months old. I must admit it was more about me than her at that age - we moved to the South island to a small community when I was pregnant and until we started at playcentre I didn't really know anyone locally.
She still got a lot out of it though and now at almost 3 and a half she loves it :)
Zoey went for her first visit at 4 days old and now at 12 days old she's been to three sessions (and slept through all 3 - LOL). So she has started really early but that's only because she has an older sister going as well.

We're only a little centre - due to being out in the country - so for each day that you attend each week you'll be on parent help 3 or 4 times a term which means getting there early to set up etc

Everyone cleans up at the end of session

And of course there are the positions like President, treasurer, secretary but they wont try to pull you into those straight away. I'm currently the centre secretary but I was there about 18 months before I got roped into that one