Froglet Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I have been working really hard on improving outdoor provision for my reception/Y1 class. I have a small area which they have constant access to which always has the water tray in it together with a giant blackboard. There is a bench which I often have snuggly fleece blankets and books for an outdoor 'reading corner' then in addition to that whatever small world the children have asked for - usually cars and road mat or dinosaurs at the moment. If I have another adult we have access to a much larger space which contains another blackboard, climbing frame, and covered sandpit as standard then there are other things we get out at different times. A couple of weeks before half-term an advisor came to look round school and said that we weren't doing enough with outdoor provision. The timing of the visit meant that the whole class was sat on the carpet indoors for a lesson input. There's always someone outside at other times. I'm planning specific activities for different groups of children (Y1 and reception) for both English and Maths at least once a week. My head passed the message on! Improving the use of the outdoors was an action point from our last Ofsted and I'm being asked to do more but I don't know what! I feel like I'm missing the point somehow. I'm now regularly being asked what outdoor provision there is and I don't know what to do. I struggle with setting up/resourcing lessons as it is. I have gained so many ideas from reading and posting on here, I have read loads from many different sources about outdoor learning. I created an outdoor numberline (which keeps blowing down), a painting area and a music wall. I admit that they need a bit of a repair job but they are there. I don't know what it is I'm doing wrong and I'm getting disheartened about trying to improve it. No one ever says 'it's lots better than it was' now try and... Instead I'm just getting 'it's not good enough' The advisor is coming back in January for an observation and I want to be really good and not let anyone down but as I say I don't understand what I'm not doing. I kind of feel like giving up all together right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hello Kitty Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Bless you it sounds like the Head doesn't really know what to suggest. I'm in Nursery and we have the door open for most of the session and children come and go as they choose. We generally have - water play - sand (or other stuff like shredded paper, cornflour gloop, soil etc) play, - a book area which is sometimes cushions and chairs on a mat, sometimes a tent, sometimes on a table (to attract different children) - a role play area (we have had a fire station, Superheroes and a garden centre this half term) which stays as long as the children are engaging with it - usually 2 weeks nad sometimes as long as 3. We add to it as we go along and the children suggest things. - something more physical like a climbing frame, hoops, balls etc but recently we have put out a PE trolley for them to have more free selection outside - small world either on a table or on mats/tuff spot - mark making of some description - maybe an easel with paint or an activity on a table. There are always mark-making opportunities in the role play too. We are trying to get some planters so they can have a digging area but in the meantime they are allowed to fill watering cans from the water butt and water the trees and plants we have already (that they planted!) I don't know if that helps... How about some equipment for den building? Or take outside some activities you usually have inside? A nature table? The Nature Detectives stuff is brilliant for ideas - The Woodland Trust Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garrison Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 Any books by Jan White are good for inspiration Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 For a bit of inspiration have a look on here.... http://creativestarlearning.blogspot.com/ You may need to search around but there are a few posts about small areas and what you can do. I sometimes think that the worst part of this job is that we always seem to be playing catchup with the new latest 'thing' and there is never time to consolidate. Anyway if you want to feel some 'can do attitude' have a read and be inspired Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hello Kitty Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 What a lovely site. Thanks for that link. I'm big on outside play and it's always good to have more ideas. One word of warning to you all... I followed links to the water wall and she has used something called animal tubes. I put this into google as I would like to get some and got a page full of animal porn sites I've upped my safe search pronto! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 OMG sorry about that! if you want some more info on water walls try here http://www.playbasedlearning.com.au/2010/0...h-a-water-wall/ i promise no links to dodgy cows bits!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 oh and hello kitty try here! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ancol-Bendable-Gui...sxp_grid_pt_0_0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Froglet Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 Thank you for your encouragement. I already have that blog on my favourites list - came across it by chance and have got lots of great ideas from it. Hello Kitty - thanks for your list. That's pretty much the kind of thing I have got going on outside. I could do with 'improving' my den building box and getting it out a bit more often. Part of the 'problem' seems to be that there weren't actually children outside at the point at which the advisor came round. As I said though we are outside lots. Even one of our Letters & sounds groups is usually based outside - they'd come in that day because it was so windy they couldn't hear each other clearly - not great for phonics work! If they had been around another 5 minutes they would have been out. I also hadn't 'set up' the larger outside space. There are some days when because of staffing I know I won't get to use it hardly at all so use the set up time for the many other jobs that need doing. The message I feel as if I'm getting is that it only counts as outdoor provision if there are numbers and letters floating around somewhere. That's not it is it? I feel as if I'm being really thick over this. I need to do a bit of research into small world I can set up outside and probably set up some kind of mark making box/maths box too. I also really need to get my continuous provision planning sorted - it's all in my head at the moment. I know there are examples to adapt but that still takes time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I read a post on here a while ago that inspired me to set up some 'bum bags' for outdoor play (ive had rather a lot on so they still aren't finished) but i wonder wether something similar might work for you and then whether you have a small or large area available shouldn't matter. Basically each bag is a mini version of an area....so i have a small world one with a selection of animals/fences/wooden pieces etc and a plastic background....a markmaking one with a pack of pencils /mini note pads/crayons etc/ a numeracy one with measuring stuff /magnetic numbers. im sure you get the idea. Included is also a photo of what should be in there so that the children can 'tidy up' their own bag when finished. They can then just grab and go when they want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Froglet Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 Another thought - how are you setting role play up outside? My over riding concern with everything is the setting out and tidying up and yes I do get the children to help but it always seems that there is lots that gets half-done because we need to go home/clear the classroom for lunch etc so 'stuff' gets put down in corners and I spend ages finding its proper home at the end of the day when I'm already bogged down with marking, meeting parents, staff meetings, running an after school club or putting a display up. I'd love to be in a situation where most of the things are ready most of the time. And before anyone shouts at me - I know pack away settings have it much harder than me. I don't know how you manage - I guess I'm asking for some tips from you before I run myself into the ground or go insane! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Froglet Posted October 23, 2011 Author Share Posted October 23, 2011 I read a post on here a while ago that inspired me to set up some 'bum bags' for outdoor play (ive had rather a lot on so they still aren't finished) but i wonder wether something similar might work for you and then whether you have a small or large area available shouldn't matter.Basically each bag is a mini version of an area....so i have a small world one with a selection of animals/fences/wooden pieces etc and a plastic background....a markmaking one with a pack of pencils /mini note pads/crayons etc/ a numeracy one with measuring stuff /magnetic numbers. im sure you get the idea. Included is also a photo of what should be in there so that the children can 'tidy up' their own bag when finished. They can then just grab and go when they want. I love that idea! What's more I have a mum (my own!) whose work contract is about to finish and who will be twiddling her thumbs soon - she'd not good at sitting still! What's more she's good with a sewing machine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I also struggle with thinking of things to go outside other than taking things from the main classroom to be done outside. One of the things that I do is every half term I visit my local scrap store and come away with things for my outside area. In the summer they had a load of plastic pipes large enough to send balls down and I just put a pile of them in the outside area without any instructions and left the children to it and was amazed by what they built (really complicated water channels) this term I picked up several empty cable reels and planks of wood and again said I wanted to see what they could do with them. Before I knew it we had bridges and assault courses galore. I don't ever set out my outside area, the first couple of weeks at school we spent a long time modelling getting out resources and then putting them away and so I expect the children to always do that. Any specific resources added to the continuous provision are taken out in trays and tidied back into them at the end of the session and these are talked through at the beginning of the week. Deb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JacquieL Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 It is difficult isn't it, especially when the outdoor area has to be set up each day? I think it can also be difficult thinking what to provide that is outdoor and not just an outdoor repeat of what is inside, inside out so to speak. Those people lucky enough to have lots of grass, slopes, trees etc. have built in potential, but those with a bit of tarmac need to be quite creative don't they? I like this article at Community Playthings about outdoor play http://www.communityplaythings.co.uk/resou...tdoor-play.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hello Kitty Posted October 23, 2011 Share Posted October 23, 2011 I have been told to think of the outside as an extension of the inside classroom rather than a separate entity so I don't see the problem with having a mirror of what's going on inside (but I'm a mere pre-school manager not an inspector!) We have certainly found that certain children won't go near dough/paint/small world/dressing up etc inside but will happily and freely access it outside. I'm steeling myself to suggest we clear a room (we're lucky enough to have 2 adjoining rooms) and bring the climbing frame inside for the same reason. There are children that only go on it when it is adult led. In terms of setting up role play we have a canopy over some of our outside area so we can leave some things out - it's at our own risk as although the grounds are locked, kids have jumped the fence before We use the climbing frame a lot - we wrap it in cardboard and paint it as a Prison Cell, a house for 3 little pigs, a building to be on fire etc etc. Another thing we have done (again I realise we are fortunate to have the storage to do this) is to have a lidded box for each role play theme we do. This goes outside (or inside) too so that when we tidy away, we can just chuck it all in the box if we don't have time to properly re-set and anyway the children like to set it up themselves. We have kept old phones, computer mouses and keyboards and so on and are trying to end up with a set in each box. One thing I did do successfully was to photocopy a keyboard! I laminated it and stuck it with tape to the table! Better than nothing I thought!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 24, 2011 Share Posted October 24, 2011 We have a 'Lets Trolley' on wheels with 9 baskets which we wheel out into the play area. Let's discover numeracy, lets investigate,lets read a story, lets play a game, lets make a mark, lets garden, lets imagine, lets pretend, lets make a noise etc We have a sealed carrying basket for adults only with 'top up' items (paper, pens, board markers etc) observations sheets, fresh ball of string, adult scissors to help the adults support childrens learning. A pop up tent, a padded pe mat and a stack of carpet tiles. These are all basic provision and put out under a small covered shelter regardless of the weather. We are lucky to have many other items but these are in a store out of sight of the playing area and excessed as and when required/requested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suebear Posted October 25, 2011 Share Posted October 25, 2011 Also take photos of your outside area in use so if Ofsted do come and dare imagine your children are on the carpet you have evidence of all the great things you do do outside. x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Froglet Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 Also take photos of your outside area in use so if Ofsted do come and dare imagine your children are on the carpet you have evidence of all the great things you do do outside. x That's a great idea. I've already said to the TA that works with me that the next time 'anyone' is in school we are going outside the whole day from register to story regardless of how wet/windswept/cold/sunburnt we are! Clearly I'm joking but it is a bit how I feel at the moment. Thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement - you've reassured me at a time when no one else seemed to be saying 'good job so far'! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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