Outdoor Play

[Guest]

I was talking to someone today who has CCTV in their outdoor area so they can supervise the children without needing to be out with them. How lucky is that? (Just think, observing them without them needing to feel inhibited, making perfect interventions to take their play on at the right moment...)

 

Dianne xxx

[Sue R]

Hi all,

Interesting and valuable subject.

On a personal note, I would HATE not being outside with the children!

We have something for everyone outside, playhouse, dressing up,(so lots of role play and drama) mark-making and number/shape 'chest', whiteboards, cassette player, books (although there is quite a high mortality rate there when it rains suddenly - as it does!!) small-world resources (these are selected by the children on a weekly basis, but chn know they can request more or alternatives at any time), paints, playdough, various physical equipment - climbing frame, 'caterpillar' and balance bars are a fixture, but chn can choose 'gymbag', cars & bikes, parachute etc as they wish....We also have an ongoing 'Gardening Club', which sounds a bit stiff, but really means that we encourage the chn to dig and explore with seeds, bulbs, plants etc.

My personal fave is our 'discovery' box, with a notebook for each child as well as magnifiers, bug boxes etc. It's great helping the little ones discover their environment and make their own records! We will'scribe' when asked, but it's surprising how many want it to be all their own work.

We don't have a huge out door space, but it's not bad. It is divided into tarmac, all-weather surface and a few borders. We have cds and laminated pictures and info boards fixed to trees and fence, with windmills and windchimes (that the chn have made, which need fairly regular replacing). And no, we don't plan formally for it as a norm, just if we have a particular outcome that we are concentrating on.

 

Sorry, went on a bit there, but I really enjoy outdoors!

 

Sue R