Outdoor Learning
Creating dynamic zones in your playground A smooga portable games area provides safe zones for play, PE and sport in the playground
T
here are always a handful of children who can dominate a space with their ball games and general activity. If you can corral this activity, more
children will feel free to explore and use their playground environment in their own ways and the smallest children and those with SEND can feel more included and safer in the playground. How? With a Smooga.
What is a Smooga? A smooga is a fully portable games area. They are made of recycled and
recyclable plastic in the UK. The modular system is made up of panels which are fully weather-proof and extremely robust and safe. Smooga is a new, exciting concept and seems to be just what schools have been waiting for to help manage playground activities and get more children involved in active play, PE and sport. Smoogas are making a real difference to the way children use their outside space. In fact one Executive Head teacher, Alison Townsend at Emneth Primary in
Norfolk has said that “Smooga has transformed the culture of play (particularly football) in our playground”. Marie Chadwick, SBM at Garswood Primary School, St Helens told us:
“We use it for a wide range of activities. The Smooga is the best investment we’ve made for the school in a long time”. What can a Smooga do for your school and your playground? • A smooga improves your PE and sports environment. • Helps to promote the fun side of competitive sports and games • Promotes skills development, higher levels of inclusion, fun, and
engagement. • Smoogas remove conflicts in the playground, (often caused by ball games taking all available space) creating safer play environments, inside and
outside the smooga. • A smooga will enable you to manage your playground activity more
easily, in free play or during lessons, making more effective use of your time. Here’s what Natasha Caswell, Oxford United striker and coach had to say
about using a smooga: "I think the smooga is a great idea for helping contain the session so that
balls do not fly everywhere, helping to prevent the break-up of play. We’ve had a lot of fun here today with the students from Tower Hill Primary School. It was fantastic to see a mix of boys and girls enjoying our futsal coaching session inside the smooga and I hope we have been able to inspire them enough to ensure they keep playing sport in the playground.” Jason Elwell, Director of Sports and Community at Marish Academy Trust
says: “The Smooga really has changed the dynamic of our playground and lessons.
It creates a compact area, helping to ensure the students are all
engaged in a safe environment. There has been a significant reduction in accidents and importantly, we have seen an increase in participation from students who are typically less keen to get involved. Our teaching time is now better spent with the children.” Smoogas are situated all over the country and their presence is growing all
the time. There may be one near you. Visit the web site
www.smooga.co.uk and see the map of users
http://www.smooga.co.uk/map.php Contact 01865 301917 or at
info@smooga.co.uk
uwww.smooga.co.uk
September 2015
www.education-today.co.uk
43
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