activity & play
Regeneration projects across Britain are seeking to create a focus for schools as the heart of the community. By doing so, the hope is that young people will grow up identifying more with their neighbourhoods and will gain a sense of commitment to them.
Promoting spontaneity in play
W
ITHIN schools, head teachers see play as one key way to foster that commitment, especially at
primary school level. The primary curriculum is involving play-centred activity more so than ever. South Farnborough Infant School in Hampshire, which caters for boys and girls from four to seven, embraces a vision to enhance the potential of all within the school while encouraging a positive contribution to the community.
Function
As a means of promoting social interaction and co-operation, the school uses a nine-piece modular play system that comprises a series of shapes – loop, cone, bump, wave, wall, noodle, mound, pad and spider. The units can be used separately or together to take on whatever function and role children wish, to allow them to explore, learn and have fun. Designers Snug & Outdoor developed the concept as a creative learning resource in nursery, primary and special needs schools, before joining forces with manufacturer Sutcliffe Play. A complete kit is appropriate for the equivalent of a class at a time but it can accommodate 40 to 50 children. Normal playtime supervision is advised but supervisors need no special training for the Snug elements, which are soft and tactile.
56 edbmagazine.co.uk
A class shared ideas on the theme of dinosaurs before going out to play, writing down words and ideas. Through free play the children used the kit to invent and act out stories.
The equipment is used in all weathers and plays a role as part of the compulsory time the school devotes to exercise during the week. “It provides a good workout in the time available and
children are so much more able to think outside the usual parameters than adults
gets pulled into plenty of our outdoor activities,” explains head teacher Helen Fletcher-Davis, who has embedded the equipment into the curriculum. “Children work with it spontaneously. They are so much more able to think outside the usual parameters than adults when they play. They build up anticipation about different, innovative ways.” Acting out story themes forms a popular
activity during the outdoor sessions – building an ice castle for example, as part of a fairy tale. Teachers often adapt the application of the kit to reflect themes a class focused on earlier in the day.
www.sutcliffeplay.co.uk
During the playtime that followed a lesson on life during the Blitz, a whole class spontaneously re-enacted scenes from the history lesson on World War II using the units to create their own interpretation of what they had learned.
Children were divided into small teams with each team using elements of the kit to design a public sculpture. Teams worked together to design and present their sculptures.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100