Why can't the woods be our playground?

A reception child asked this week-"Why can't the woods be our playground?"

He had so enjoyed being outdoors and having loose materials to use, he wanted to know why he couldn't spend more time like that.

Who can blame him when there is so much potential in the natural world...

  Sticks to dig with:        

   

 or to measure the depth of mud...

                                   ..or to make fires...

                                         ...or a shelter.

There are berries, leaves and bark for making art and jewellery...

And then think about mud, sand, snow, rocks...

 My aim over the next few months is to help Reception turn the woods into their playground and make those crucial experiences avaliable at every break and lunchtime...

Outdoor Converts

 

It's been a full term of the whole class non directive sessions and when we started the woods were lush and green and there were nerves all round about what would happen when 30 pupils were taken outdoors and allowed to choose how to spend their time. The only real rule was

"Keep yourself, each other and the grounds safe."

We travelled through a fine autumn,lucky with the weather and found some fine fungi for the pupils to identify.

 

Although sadly the snow waited until after our final sessions together, by the end of term the woods were noticeably bare of leaf and much cooler.

Below are some of the elder groups comments about their time in the woods.

We loved:

*Having our own time to do what we want and being able to learn what we want to learn

*Digging holes because it's fun and allows us to use our imagination

*Experimenting, like using sticks to make different things

*Working with people you don't usually work with

*Learning to use equipment safely

We learnt:

*Boys and girls can work together

*I can get on with people I don't always get on with

*Some people annoy me and now I can deal with my anger

*You can be alone and feel sad and it feels peaceful and it helps you

*You don't have to have technology to have fun

Those comments alone would have made it all worth while but the staff feedback has been fantastic:

* I really enjoyed the whole experience

*Sessions were very beneficial to pupils AND staff

*The children's play in the woodlands often reflected their mood

*New friendship groups were formed

*Pupils took their learning from class outside and vice versa

*Children who struggle in class found something they enjoyed and brought that confidence back into class

*I will definitely continue to use the woodlands whichever year group I am with, I think it's great.

It's sad to say goodbye to those classes, they have come such a long way in a term but it's so great to hear that the staff in those year groups are going to continue working outdoors, with whole classes, allowing their pupils to decide how they want to spend their time.

I can't wait to hear how they progress and next term I get to start again with two more classes to prove the worth of an hour in the woods...



Creativity Central

There has been a lot of creativity again in recent weeks;

 there have been musical instruments...

some lovely collections of autumn leaves, both on sticky charts...

and hanging from string...

crab apples that were all around us on the floor were placed carefully back onto trees...

and looked like fairy lights on a Christmas tree...

and talking of fairies, here is a fairy hotel complete with slide...

Only 4 more weeks with the whole class groups-

I'm waiting to see how the more fornal feedback from staff and pupils works out...

Non directive Woodland Sessions

Well a few weeks in and the pupils are really enjoying the sessions, not without trial and tribulation, but all keen to continue and asking for longer.

The younger class have been really independently creative; fairy wands, fishing rods, a washing line and some environmental art...

There was lots of requests for help to tie the knots required but with only a little encouragement they all managed to tie their own. Cue a discussion amongst staff about the old tie a shoelace boards and books with the teacher thinking of making one for her classroom.

The older class have taken longer to feel settled, maybe struggling with looser boundaries than they are used to, maybe struggling with lack of direction, we've certainly had a couple of "I'm bored!" in that group. We've also had more segregation of the sexes, with one staff member wondering if it was due to the fact that the school is a feeder for single sex secondary schools and the pupils are starting to unconsciously disconnect from their opposite sex peers. It will be interesting to see if that continues. These signs are to warn the girls to keep out...

We've also had a lot of digging, which I've blogged about before, again it was instigated by boys and certainly they were the ones who were showing great excitement when  the shout of "Treasure!!" went up. Of course if you don't find any treasure maybe you can add some of your own to your hole...

But there were also real sparks of creativity, this beautiful bark bracelet...

...and this "awesome" ladder...



There has also been some great conversation amongst staff, who are finding it unsettling, and difficult, to be non directive. But the great thing is they really want to try and they are already appreciating the benefits for their pupils, and themselves. I have had times of great uncertainty and anxiety about whether this would work, and I'm still not sure whether the school will feel the benefits to their pupils is enough to warrant the time out of a busy curriculum. But with amazing experiences after only a few weeks I'm determined to keep trying...

Non directive Woodland Session-Part 1

So, we started seated around the log circle...

...and we talked about how to keep ourselves safe in the woods. The teacher asked if anybody had any ideas what they might like to do and the talk turned to den building. Several of the boys wanted to build a den for all their male friends so two of the pupils counted how many boys there were, and then of course we had to count how many girls there were so we knew how big their den would need to be!

But during the counting movement began to occur, which got a little confusing, however it was the cue that everybody needed and suddenly they were all up and away. Nobody seemed uncertain or unsure, they were off to explore...

There were some crude weapons;

and creativity;



and hanging out with friends;

and experimenting;





The only complaint: it didn't last for long enough!

The only request so far: string!!

Holidays and Loose Play

Sat inside watching thunderous clouds roll across the sky and rain stream down the window. Supposed to be putting together a talk to help one of my schools develop their grounds and the experiential and educational opportunities. Became distracted looking at photos to use whilst going through old holiday snaps...

It seems to me that once again my children have taught me whats important, and what I need to share this afternoon...

...time, space and the natural world for inspiration leads to many wonderful opportunities and creations.

 

Examples of a sterile playground

Following on from my post yesterday about the lack of loose materials in school playgrounds have a look at Teacher Toms latest post for photos of a truly uninspiring playground...
http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/one-big-playroom.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TeacherTom+%28Teacher+Tom%29&utm_content=Google+UK

Loose Materials

So many of the school or playgrounds I visit have no loose material at all, the only activities on offer are sport, or maybe games like hide and seek if there are any plants left to hide behind.

Today I went into the playground at one of the schools I visit regularly and was greeted by a group of year 3 pupils, who I don't know, demanding that I follow them to see their 'settlement'. When the group of around 20 pupils parted I saw the most amazing village, created from the few loose items they had scavenged from their flat and featureless landscape...



They have even found some labels which they have used to name the different areas including the circus and the church.

3 year groups, upto 20 children at a time were working together, communicating their ideas and sorting out any difficulties to create an amazing fantasy land.

Several staff are now keen to enourage the creativity and we've discussed other loose materials that we could import from the vast parkland that ajoins the school.

I can't wait until I visit again to see how the settlement, and its creators have developed...