Outdoor Play

Outdoor Play

by: Jacqueline Harbinson - 07-05-06 21:49

When you say activities what exactly do you mean - group activities or solo activities? As a childminder I use the regular bean bags into hoops whilst children are running from one end to another, dribbling balls around a cone or aiming into a net, using signposts to direct them to various activities to do ie skip over chalk line, run to a certain area and back etc. Creatively there is nothing here but maybe you could be more specific and then I would better understand and advise.

by: shelley1

The staff in the nursery I work in tend to treat outdoor play as a chance to stand around and chat, whilst the children get on with it. I want the staff to start building up a bank of activities that they can do with the children. Both group and solo activities would be great. I've got ideas of my own but would love to have some more.
The garden is an area where things have to be packed away at the end of everyday, due to security issues.

Outdoor Play - 13-05-06 16:15

by: scarlett

our children are out nearly all day. we put the activities outside that are normally inside. eg the sand tray. the painting easel. a table with jigsaws a table with playdough.
treat the outside like another room.
i have also insisted that the staff take it in turns to be outside and someone always has to be inside for those children who dont like being outside.

Outdoor Play - 24-06-06 15:22

by: stephmc

Our toddler room holds many activities outside e.g. we have regular picnics with our snack tea. Takeonthe sand,water, paint easel outside.Do chalk drawings on the floor and even give the children a small amount of water in a paint pot and a paint brush so that they can draw on floor hope this helps.

Outdoor Play - 25-06-06 23:01

by: baby_girl

On the subject of outside, does anybody put a minimum protection level on suncream that parents bring in?

Outdoor Play - 26-06-06 14:12

by: joshuajones

The minimum recommended is factor 15 and ideally it should be water resistant not waterproof, if it is waterproof and gets in the child's eye it can't be washed out and can possibly cause damage.

Outdoor Play - 15-07-06 19:21

by: silverdoor83

We had a huge success this week. We had a delivery and had a few reasonable sized empty boxes. The children could climb in them and use them as cars, buses, boats. It encouraged sharing and turn taking, imagination, role play.

Outdoor Play - 16-07-06 03:08

by: antonysimpson.com

Paint feet, let children then run on paper - makes great backing paper for display boards - say your doing a topic on the body!! - Although this is probably a one off or every now and again activity!!

You can do loads of activities though dependant up on age and stage of development!

Hope that got your creative juices flowing!!

Antony.
antony.a@Antonysimpson.com

Outdoor Play - 28-07-06 00:28

by: beecj

As some1 said b4, treat out doors as an extension of your indoors. If you haven't got an shade then improvise or fundraise to buy a gazebo or something. We had a huge gazebo (which challenged our minds putting the thing together at the beginning of the day). We set have set up alsorts underneath,my favourite was a hospital, bed, gym mats, bedding, dressing up, dolls, 1st Aid kits, bandages, stories, etc. We use smaller gazebo style thing, place rug underneath, use as construction, story area, puzzles etc. I've tied a waterproof covering to our 8ft fence and the children love hiding under it. its wonderful on a windy day. Tie perspex to fence and let children paint on them (wash them down for next session).

Hope this helps. good luck.

Outdoor Play - 31-07-06 19:38

by: shellabell

Hiya Shelley1

We regularly use the outside area for large group roleplay.

Last week when it poured with rain and we were unable to go out the children were really dissapointed. One child shouted that he wished something would eat up all the clouds so we could go out and play. The children decided that a flying crocodile would do the job! In the afternoon the clouds cleared and we went into the garden to build a cloud eating crocodile out of large boxes, tubs and tubes. The children loved it and played happily for ages. You can extend all sorts of activities in this way and as our garden area is large it gives children the opportunity to transfer their ideas into large scale creations. I always find that child led activities work best for this though. Seeing them so enthusiastic is great!!

Hope that gives you some ideas.