Enabling Environments: Let's explore ... Darkness Slipped In

Many children have a fear of the dark. Like many fears, it is irrational, but children who have this fear need empathy and reassurance. For early years practitioners, this means offering a listening ear, validating the child's feelings and providing opportunities for the fear to be explored, explained and discussed.

Stories are an invaluable vehicle for exploring such issues. They offer a safe and supportive context in which to discuss what is frightening, and how the fears may be managed and perhaps even overcome. It is easy to talk about the characters in a storybook; they offer reassurance that the child in question is not alone, and that others share their feelings. Many children will find it easier to discuss their fears through such a medium. Stories provide a shared context which allows children to reflect on their own experiences and develop new understandings.

Darkness Slipped In by Ella Burfoot (Kingfisher) is perfect for exploring fears of the dark. It is a really reassuring book, in which Daisy, the heroine of the piece, is shown as being in control of the dark, fearless and playful. Darkness is presented as a positive thing, offering fun and excitement, and also an opportunity to rest and recuperate - a time for sleep. The illustrations portray dark as a mischievous character who is really rather funny, therefore bringing a much-needed touch of humour to a subject that can cause some children to worry. As with all the best children's books, it offers a way into numerous cross-curricular activities for the imaginative practitioner.

MALLEABLE MATERIALS

• Make some stretchy black play dough so children can make their own darkness characters. Simply mix some self-raising flour with warm water and bind it together to form dough. (The more this is kneaded, the stretchier it will become).
• With the food colouring paste that is used by cake decorators, add some black colour to the dough. This is easily done by making a small 'well' in the ball of dough, folding it together and then kneading it until the colour has mixed in. Children will enjoy doing this with you.
• Offer rolling pins so that children can roll the dough very thinly, watching it stretch and change shape, just like darkness in the book.
• Add some googly eyes so that children can add these to their character.

Learning opportunities

PSED Responding to significant experiences, showing a range of feelings where appropriate
PSED Working as part of a group or class, taking turns and sharing fairly
C&L Extending their vocabulary, exploring the meanings of new words
C&L Using talk to organise and clarify thinking
C&L Telling stories
EAD Responding in various ways to what they see, hear, touch and feel

Adult role

• Listen to the children as they work with the dough. What kinds of vocabulary do they use? What experiences do the children share?
• Write down some of their comments and questions in order to make a display, with photographs of them participating in the activity. Make sure that you do not prescribe the outcomes, and accept all representations.
• Some children will enjoy seeing their stories written down. Others may enjoy creating a story orally in the malleable materials area that they can then draw, mark or write about in the graphics area.

GRAPHICS AREA

There is no doubt that many of the children will be intrigued by the way that darkness is represented in the illustrations of this book. Encourage bookmaking in the same style by enhancing this area of provision with a plentiful supply of a black paper and scissors, so that children can cut out their own 'dark' creatures.

Provide a range of drawing and mark-making equipment, so that children can experiment making a wide range of marks and images. Offer a selection of simple ready made, blank books so that children can create their own 'darkness slipped in' adventures.

Learning opportunities

C&L Story-making
L Attempting writing for different purposes
L Beginning to form simple sentences, sometimes using punctuation
L Using a pencil and holding it effectively to form recognisable letters

Adult role

• Make time to celebrate and share the children's mark-making.
• Provide a special container so that the books written by the children can be displayed to best effect.
• Display the children's dark mark-making, with annotations explaining what the children know and can do.

CREATIVE AREA

Offer a selection of black fabrics, in a range of sizes and textures. The children will enjoy using the fabrics to create their own 'dark dances', just like Daisy in the book. They may even wish to choreograph their own version of the 'Funky Twist'.

Adult role

• Make time to watch the children perform their dances. You may wish to suggest that they work in pairs or small groups to perform for other children, both indoors and outside.
• Video their dances, and play them back, so that the children enjoy their own and each others' performances.
• Offer large sheets of paper and charcoal so that children can capture each other's movements in simple drawings.
• Older children in the EYFS may enjoy trying to represent their dances on paper, so that others can replicate their movements.
• Ensure that you value all possible ways of representing. Children's own invented symbols can be ingenious and original.

Learning opportunities

C&L Exploring and communicating their ideas, thoughts and feelings, by using a widening range of materials
EAD Exploring colour, texture, shape, form and space in 2D and 3D
EAD Using imagination in art and design

SMALL-WORLD PLAY AREA

• Turn your doll's house into a place where darkness can slip in and some adventures can start.
• Put the dolls house in a place where it can be accessed from all sides. Place it on some large sheets of black sugar paper or card.
• Add some play people that can represent Daisy and her family.
• Cut some darkness characters from black felt. Add googly eyes, to give them personality.
• Place a pot of white chalks near to the doll's house so that children can make marks and draw on the black sugar paper to show what they think is happening around the house.

Learning opportunities

C&L Story-making
C&L Responding in a variety of ways to stories
C&L Extending vocabulary
EAD Responding in a variety of ways to what they see, think hear and feel

Adult role

The adult could add

• clipboards, paper and pens for mark-making, drawing, recording
• a camera for taking photographs of the scenarios that children create

ROLE-PLAY AREA

Create a dark den with the children. This can be simply done by fastening three garden canes together with masking tape, to use as a base. Add three more, one at each corner, and fasten together at the apex. Drape with dark material, held on by clothes pegs.

Learning opportunities

M Using mathematical language to solve problems
C&L Telling stories
C&L Using talk to imagine and recreate roles and experiences

Adult role

• Add a torch so that children can explore the effect of light, asking questions about how things happen and why
• Add a diary, so that children can record their adventures in the dark and write for a variety of purposes
• Add a basket of dark, dark stories for listening to the language of stories

RESOURCES BOX

Collecting resource boxes around predictable early childhood interests ensures that practitioners are well-equipped to respond when children show a fascination for a particular topic. Such resource boxes can be added to as new items become available. To support children's interest in the dark, have to hand:

• a collection of nocturnal animals, both in small- world and puppet form;
• postcards, prints and images of the night;
• torches and lanterns;
• dark coloured fabrics;
• black food colouring.

Good buys

• www.puppetsbypost.com has puppets of nocturnal animals
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/tweenies/tellytime/rwa/nocturnal. On this link, you will find some wonderful footage of nocturnal animals
• www.tate.org.uk This website has a range of images of the dark portrayed by a variety of different artists
• www.nationalgallery.org.uk is an excellent website for sourcing paintings with a theme of darkness

BOOK BOX

The books listed below are just a few that relate to the topics of darkness and of being afraid. Begin with a small selection, and gradually build up your collection. Use them as a starting point for all kinds of discussions. Children may wish to incorporate the stories into their play. Make time to talk about the stories and how they relate to the children's own experiences.

I'm Not Scared by Jonathan Allen (Boxer Books) - The delightful adventure of a baby owl, coming to terms with the fact that being out at night is just what he is supposed to do!

Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett (Macmillan Children's Books) - This is a truly original and inspirational book. Ideal for small group work with an adult, it actively invites participation from the children. It explores all kinds of unusual fears and would be immensely reassuring for young children.

A Dark, Dark Tale by Ruth Brown (Red Fox) - The classic tale that is sure to have all the children joining in with its strongly patterned text.

The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson and Paul Howard (Egmont Books) - This book is an absolute classic, with a story that could easily be serialised at story time in reception classes.

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell (Walker Books) - This book needs no introduction, and is an excellent story to explore not just 'darkness' but also separation from a loved one, and the ups and downs of family life.

Night Monkey, Day Monkey by Julia Donaldson (Egmont Books) - This book, told in rhyme, explores the benefits of darkness with gentle humour. The illustrations are wonderful. Children would undoubtedly want to hear this story many times.

Funnybones by Allan Ahlberg (Picture Puffin) - The well loved story of the skeleton characters and their dog who go out for fun in the night time makes for a boisterous, enjoyable read, which can contribute to a positive view of the darkness.

The Park in the Dark by Martin Waddell (Walker Books) - This book tells the story of the adventures of a group of soft toys. The text is lyrical and easily remembered. The book has a dream-like magical quality about it that young children would very much enjoy.

Can't You Sleep, Little Bear? Martin Waddell (Walker Books) - This is the classic tale of a little bear who finds it difficult to settle to sleep at night. It is a warm and cosy story that is deeply reassuring for children. The illustrations are wonderful and should incite lots of talk.