De-constructed Role Play

[Guest]

We have recently deconstructed our role play area, and when I started the project I was really excited about it - now its all going wrong and I need to fix it but I don't know how!!!

 

We resourced it with cardboard boxes, tubes, crates, material, pegs and a range of dressing up clothes, it also has clipboards and cameras In there too. So together we established the rules and we did a lot of modelling. We add resources according to their interests, so we have had knights resources, wizard resources, dinosaurs, tills and money. BUT every time it ends in fighting, with cardboard boxes being destroyed, lots of rolling around and screaming, and lots of arguing because there is a clash of who wants to build what.

 

I really want this to work, I have read from Alastair at Abc does how great it can be, we are really restricted in space as we are in a mobile classroom, which is actually a quarter of the size a reception class should be so I am wondering whether this is impacting on its success?

 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Nicky

[green hippo]

Hi,

This is an interesting thread as I was only looking at an example of this last weekend which is set up in Early Excellence 3-5's room. I haven't come across it before, although I did sort-of have my role-play area like this at the start of the year - maybe not with quite so many resources so not as good results as I thought. I would like to explore this further - could you explain how you set it up, what are your 'basic' resources and how do you work the enhancements - as children request/suggest interest? How often do you change them?

As regards your problem - I can definately empathise! I have a group of children who can turn ANYTHING into a fighting/rolling around the floor game which if left to continue ends up with someone getting hurt. Space may-be an issue, could you try offering this outdoors? We provide large cardboard boxes outside and find this works well and give children the opportunity to move around and explore their ideas etc. Sometimes if an area isn't working well we reduce the amount of resources or number of children - we only ever have 2 or 3 in our play-house otherwise it just ends up in tears (either the children or us because they have pulled everything down!) I'm not sure how it is all supposed to work but could you go with one idea for a week or 2-3 days (started by children) and let all the children know that "today our role-play is..." and get the children who set it up describe their ideas? This may be completely 'wrong' for this sort of role-play?? As a last resort, could you stop the children who are fighting using this area for the rest of the day or session? I know it is better to find out why the children are behaving in this way but sometimes a reminder to the children that they should look after their environment and the resources in it, isn't a bad thing (IMO!)

Look forward to your reply,

Green Hippo x

[hali]

i always say to my settings - always have a home corner set up and then any themed areas you want to add put next too

[mps09]

i always say to my settings - always have a home corner set up and then any themed areas you want to add put next too

 

 

oh oh I'm so glad you said this!! I love our home corner and so do all the boys and girls equally..... I love it so much that when I plan a themed role play it is always a bit half-hearted because I'm so reluctant to move out our home corner!!

 

But with this thought in mind perhaps it will work a littel better in future!!

 

Thank you!!