Sep 28 2008
How to Create a Challenging Play Environment for you Kids?
This sets out in brief format some ideas you might like to think about when planning a challenging play and learning environment. The way in which you organise this is key to children’s learning and development. Some questions you may ask are as follows.
How can I:
- support and extend learning though planning play activities?
- help children to be spontaneous?
- extend children’s language and communication through play?
- help children make sense of the world around them?
- make children aware of the risks and challenges that (especially the outside) world presents?
- make sure that children experience things in a safe situation?
Obviously there will be restrictions upon some settings with regard to accessing an outdoor space. Even so, there are some suggestions below that may be useful if you want to bring some of the outdoors, indoors. Play in the Foundation Stage is the most important factor when planning the curriculum and all of it can be taught outdoors!
Top tips for planning play
Make sure that planned activities have some connection to children’s experiences
When planning activities to build concepts like size, shape, height, weight consider teaching outdoors as much as possible
Make these activities as much fun as possible, e.g. find the longest worm, the largest snail, the heaviest stone, the deepest puddle
When planning creative activities consider using nature’s designs, e.g. leaves, petals, spider’s webs, shells, feathers
When planning with your staff — make sure that all staff are enthusiastic about working outdoors
Use visible rules outdoors so that children know what is expected of them
Have a pictorial timetable (weatherproofed with laminate) on display
Plan different areas and divide up indoor and outdoor spaces, e.g. outdoor quiet areas, running and throwing areas, digging areas, construction areas, sensory areas, creative areas, role-play areas
Plan activities that are interchangeable between the indoor and outdoor environment so that children don’t make a conscious distinction between `learning takes place indoors with an adult present’ and ‘play takes place outside with my friends’
Six things to do every time when planning and teaching
Identify teaching objectives and share these with the children Specify the exact behaviour expected
Give clear instructions
Specify the criteria for success
Use rewards — praise
Outline what support you will use, e.g. demonstrating the activity first so the children understand what to expect, use of physical prompts
Top tips for organising play
Restrictions such as health and safety considerations and space available will have an impact, but consider creating a planting area indoors
Have window boxes
Snails and worms can be kept successfully indoors if there is no outdoor space
Grow plants (flowers and vegetables) on sunny windowsills
Hang rain gauges from hooks near windows Hang bird feeders near to the window
Stick windmills on window frames
Ask parents to donate wet weather clothing
Place hooks for hanging outdoor clothing at child height near to the exit so that children can help themselves
Keep small items such as magnifiers handy and in a place accessible to children
Invest in large plastic boxes with lids for storage of equipment inside and out — label them with a picture and a word
Link the indoor and outdoor area with a covered area and organise as one learning environment
Use the outdoor area as a matter of course for story time, whole-group time, painting, counting, writing etc.
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