This month Jan White and Gail Ryder Richardson show how ropes and string can effectively support all areas of learning outdoors
Ideas to explore Making connections and joining things together (following a connecting schema).
Resources Ropes and string of various thicknesses and lengths, items and fixtures around the outdoor space that allow ropes to be passed through - such as milk crates, digital camera
PLODS Support children who are interested in connecting, encourage them to explore this interest for extended periods by following their own intentions. Photograph them at work and share their fascination with parents.
Ideas to explore Making messages to send along a pulley system.
Resources Paper and pens for mark-making, envelopes, long rope (several metres), small basket or bag, pulley and hooks (from a boat supplies shop), two fixtures to tie the rope to at each end
PLODS Discuss the message and who it is for, scribing for children as required. Try vertical as well as horizontal message lines; use Rebus symbols or drawings instead of words. Develop story lines around messages (for example a lighthouse keeper communicating with his wife about what to have for lunch).
Ideas to explore Explore concepts of space and distance through the use of the whole body.
Resources A long thick rope, a very long ball of string, fixing points around the outdoor space
PLODS Lay out ropes or string to make straight and wiggly, and long and short pathways. Use ropes or string to split up spaces (on the ground and in 3D); move over and under, in, out and through the boundaries and spaces.
Add complexity as children become more competent.
Ideas to explore Investigate pulling, lifting and moving through the use of a pulley system.
Resources Pulley system as above, buckets and bags, gravel, sand and other natural materials, construction hats, materials for making signs
PLODS Link sand play to the climbing frame with a pulley system. Support children's attempts to create and use their own systems. Use open questioning to extend their explorations and help them build up their 'felt meanings' of weight and forces.
Ideas to explore Playing physical games together with simple and versatile resources.
Resources Several short 'jump' ropes, level playing surface, camera
PLODS Share ideas on how to play together with the ropes, such as jumping, skipping, balancing along a rope on the ground and limbo dancing under a raised rope. Ensure all children can take part if they wish by varying the level of challenge created. Photograph children and make a set of ideas for future use (laminate for outdoor use).
Series guide
Poor resourcing and planning are the greatest barriers to high-quality outdoor play. In this series, Jan White and Gail Ryder Richardson of Learning Through Landscapes' early years team suggest simple resources that can provide stimuli for cross-curricular learning and give possible lines of development (PLODs). By focusing on resources that are cheap, easily prepared and easy to store, practitioners can then respond quickly to children's interests and events outdoors. More ideas on creating high-quality outdoor spaces are available from LTL Early Years Outdoors, tel: 01962 845 811.
