Enabling Environments: Tried and Tested - Carry on

Equipment that allows young children to gather and transport is extremely important in enabling them to engage with the outdoor environment effectively. They love to push and pull trolleys and wheelbarrows and they like to move around materials like sand, water and stones by hand. Resourcing these activities well will help satisfy two common schemas - transportation and containment. It will also help develop children's understanding of quantity, capacity, number and distance.

SCRUNCH BUCKET

Muddy Faces

AGE: 2+

PRICE: £6

CONTACT: 0114 221 9617, www.muddyfaces.co.uk

This soft, squidgy bucket can be folded, rolled and scrunched, and it always pops back into shape. It has a straight handle for easy use.

Tested by Frederick Bird Primary School, Coventry

'Children used the buckets to transport compost to the new planters and also to collect stones that had been sieved out of the soil. They were fascinated by the feel of the buckets compared with hard plastic buckets. They enjoyed scrunching them up and laughing delightedly when they sprang back into shape. They were useful for developing vocabulary, as the children asked questions about why they were "squishy" and "squashy". We would consider buying the buckets. Hard plastic buckets tend to crack and break with heavy usage and children's fingers can get trapped where the handle joins the bucket. The scrunch buckets have rope handles, so this danger is avoided. Also, being made from soft silicone, they appear unbreakable and very durable. The buckets are good value for money because they can be used for water and sand play as well as transporting. They are very easy to store in settings with limited space.'

Star Rating: ***

FOLDING WHEELBARROW

TTS Group

AGE: 4+

PRICE: £19.99

CONTACT: 0800 318686, www.tts-group.co.uk

A lightweight wheelbarrow that can lie flat on the ground, allowing leaves and other debris to be swept directly into it.

Tested by Chancet Wood Children's Centre, Sheffield

'Staff put the wheelbarrow together after a discussion with some of the children who were initially interested in it. Following this, staff left it alongside our existing wheelbarrow to observe how children would use it. They filled it with balls, buckets and spades to move around the garden, but nothing heavier. This was because they tried to use it as a normal wheelbarrow but soon got frustrated because they couldn't wheel it.

'The handles are too wide, even for the five-year-olds, and the barrow itself is too long for them to control and steer. This item would be better if it was scaled down, probably to a third of its size. The netting sagged quite quickly: any items in the barrow would have dragged on the floor. We do not consider this item suitable for the under-fives and we wouldn't consider buying it.'

Star Rating: *

PULL CART

TTS Group

AGE: 2+

PRICE: £25.95

CONTACT: 0800 318686, www.tts-group.co.uk

A sturdy red and yellow plastic pull cart with an interchangeable handle, 50cm in length, load weight100kg.

Tested by the Gower School, north London

'All age groups enjoyed playing with the cart. One four-year-old rode a trike and pulled the cart simultaneously while steering it with one hand; the twoto-three year-olds used it as a target to throw balls into; others used it to transport their friends or objects like pebbles and balls around the garden. It is good for social development, gross motor development, hand-eye co-ordination, creativity and role play. We would definitely consider buying it because it's good value, hard-wearing and children can get endless enjoyment from it. However, it's not completely safe. The cart topples over when the load inside is not even. It's not stable enough for a two-year-old to sit in. When they were using the long swivel attachment on the cart, it often got stuck when swivelled around and the children found it difficult to move back on their own.'

Star Rating: ****

JUTE BAGS

Mindstretchers

AGE: 3+

PRICE: £12 pack of six

CONTACT: 01764 664409 or www.mindstretchers.co.uk

Rubber-backed, eco-friendly bags, useful for transporting natural materials around the garden.

Tested by Barton Primary and Nursery School, Torquay, Devon

'We set up a scavenger hunt where the children had to find springtime items. They were given a bag to use with their partner to go and find the items. There was no discord about the colours - all the colours were natural and muted and the children liked them all. There was a short discussion on the type of material used, and it was an interesting introduction to recycling bags and reusing bags rather than using plastic carrier bags. The next time we used them they were put in the role play area for free choice and the children used them as shopping bags and for buying artificial flowers. The children played for a long time and this was good for observing their social skills and language development in the general conversations with each other. In the gardening area, they used the bags for seeds and small cuttings. The bags are versatile, reasonably-priced, hard-wearing and they clean up well. Also, they are an everyday object made child-sized, so the children loved them.'

Star Rating: ****

BLOCK AND TACKLE

Reflections on Learning

AGE: 3+

PRICE: £39.99

CONTACT: 01732 225850 or www.reflectionsonlearning.co.uk

This pulley set, which can be attached to a branch or climbing frame, introduces children to forces and simple machines.

Tested by St STARters Community Pre-School, Crookes, Sheffield

'The children were excited by the block and tackle and keen to have a go. We fixed it up on a beam over the sand pit and the children immediately tried to fix buckets on to the hook at the bottom. The first problem was that when lifting the bottom pulley set up, the ropes became dislodged from the wheels and had to be re-set by an adult. The distance the load could be pulled was too small - about a metre - which resulted in frustrated children pulling on the rope to try to make the pulleys go higher and the ropes becoming twisted and coming off the wheels. The product is not completely safe. The strap and fixing holding the equipment on to the beam came off completely and fell down on a child, who was okay but a bit shocked and tearful. The product is in principle a good idea and beautifully made, but it just needs to be more securely fixed and a method to keep the ropes in place so that small children can use it to its full potential.'

Star Rating: *

BUCKET WITH VALVE

Reflections on Learning

AGE: 3+

PRICE: £15.99

CONTACT: 01732 225850 or www.reflectionsonlearning.co.uk

A strong, flexible nylon bucket with easy-to-grasp carry straps. The bucket can be emptied by turning the valve on the side, producing a fountain of water.

Tested by Chelsea Open Air Nursery School and Children's Centre, London

'This is a flexible resource which allows both the children and the adults to use it for childor adult-initiated play. The ease of handling is a real asset and means it can be located in a variety of places to support both free-flow and adult focused activities involving water.

'We used the bucket in conjunction with science, gardening, sand and water play and role-play. The children were able to fill it to an appropriate level so they could manage to carry it. It encouraged independence, relocation and connection to a variety of activities, schematic play and motor skills. We would definitely consider buying this product and we would probably buy three or four to ensure wider access.

'It would be a good idea to dry it out at weekends and occasionally sterilise it with Milton solution.'

Star Rating: ****

All prices are exclusive of VAT and post/packaging

  BEST BUY

For Lisa Kirkwood, manager at Heathfield House Day Nursery, Warrington, Cheshire

'We purchased two pushcarts from Community Playthings a couple of years ago at a cost of £135 each, which I feel represents good value for money considering the wide range of uses they have. Made from solid hardwood construction with an extra wide handle and designed to avoid tipping, the cart is strong enough to carry playmates. The cart is easy to manoeuvre and enables children to negotiate spaces and openings and to change direction. As well as one another, the children transport dolls, logs, leaves and soil.'

www.communityplaythings.co.uk