Nursery size problem

[sunshineliz]

How big is too big for nursery? It's January and we have 17 kids on the roll and only one of those is inactive. If no one with nursery kids moves in or out or joins the church this year, we'll have 19 come April and that's it for the year. There is also an investigator that I didn't count.

It feels too big to me. We have 3 leaders. But more importantly it feels too chaotic for the kids. Part of that is that we just started a new time (church is at noon) and it's naptime for most of them. Plus nursery is new for a few kids whose families just joined the church. 

Am I right that this is too big and we need to do something? Or should we just go as is and hope the chaos dies down? If we did anything, what could we do? Split the group into two nurseries?There's 11 that will turn 3 this year. Our room is about 2 small primary rooms together and we do have a divider but I think it'd be even harder in smaller rooms with about 10 kids each. 

I want the kids safe and happy, not overwhelmed and upset and I'm just trying to figure out what would be best for them.

[Jane_Doe]

When my little girl was in nursery, she was one of 26.  WAY too big!  So they split the nursery.  Most wards where I've seen these done it's "jr" and "sr" nursery.  For my ward, they nicknamed the older class "Moonbeams".  They have their own room (one of the normal classrooms), own toys, and own teachers.  And because they're bigger, a bit more of a lesson (about 4 minutes as opposed to 2).  Starting in November, the Moonbeams would come into Singing Time for a little bit, just as a transition time.  

As to your specific situation: yes, the 12 time is rough on nursery, and the kids will be cranky from Jan and Feb.  But I do think that for 17 regular attenders, it is worth splitting and getting more teachers.  Is there not a spare classroom you could move the older kids into?  

[sunshineliz]

I'm not sure about another room-- I'd have to look into it. We're trying to shove 4 wards/branches in one smaller building but I believe we're last so there might be room. It would be a bit lopsided in numbers at first if we did it before April, but maybe that'd be ok. 

I think at bare minimum I'll ask for another teacher. We used to have 4 but one had her work schedule change and can't come anymore. 

[mordorbund]

5 hours ago, Jane_Doe said:

Most wards where I've seen these done it's "jr" and "sr" nursery.  For my ward, they nicknamed the older class "Moonbeams".  

Yup, and the younger class is "Starbeams". And the ones too young for Nursery are.... hmm?? Oh, sure thing Bishop, I'll be there in a minute let me just wrap up what I'm writ.....

[anatess2]

Definitely too big in my opinion.  Splitting them into 2 would be better.  If splitting them by 1.5-2.25 years old and then 2.25-3 years old makes the split too lopsided, I'd say split them even-steven by just arranging the class roll by birth date and splitting the roll into 2 groups of the same class size.

This would mean calling on more nursery workers which is what you would have to do even if it's just 1 class anyway.