Outside Graphics Area Motivate Me

[Guest]

Help please HAve been given, not asked to do the graphics ara outside to set up and resource in a team of people mostly from daycare and I work in the nursery school so they won't be able to see what's needing replacing etc. Unbalanced I should sya. Anyway, what can I put out there that's easy to maintain?, for all weathers???? and is exciting enough to encourage mark making. Feeling tired and uninspiired. Someone motivate me please

[Shiny]

There maybe some inspiration in here:-

 

Mark_Making_Matters.pdf

[Guest]

You could start with some LARGE child sized blackboards. These need to be marine ply timber so they don't rot. Paint them with blackboard paint and bolt them to your wall or fence.

 

They need to be at child hight. The idea is that they stay outdoors - a little tip...if you get visited in the night by the local community...leave out some chalk. They seem to love using it and it is easier to wipe off the swearing than it is to repaint the board when it has been scratched in!

 

For a really good rainy day graphics activity clip a thick lining paper to your boards (or fence) get the children kitted up in thier outdoor clothing and give them large brushes and thick paint. Give them a 2 minute timer to paint in the rain. it is great fun. The heavier the rain the better! It allows them to explore texture, colour mixing, waterproofing to name but a few..

 

Create an outdoor writing garden. Get some slices of log of different sizes varnished and unvarnished. the varnished ones you can write on with a white board marker. The unvarnished are great for writing on with a stick and some mud paint. get the children to create mud and then squeltch their hands in it to do hand prints on bigger logs.

 

Get the children to sort stones into the ones that will make good marks on paving stones/hard standing and the ones that won't (great K+U!)

 

Tape together some thick lining paper to make a HUGE rectangle and

 

a) Dip various sizes and shape of ball into paint and roll/bounce/throw them accross the paper

Paint the wheels of your wheeled toys and get the children to ride them over the paper, makes great patterns and encourages loads of gross motor movement.

 

I could go on...and on... some of the best mark making experiences outdoors are the ones that use natural materials - they are also the easiest to resource

 

If you haven't seen it already have a look at the Mindstretchers website it has some fabulous ideas http://www.mindstretchers.co.uk/

They also have a great catalogue.

Edited March 18, 2009 by Guest