CONTRIBUTOR Risky


CONTRIBUTORS ky play in a safe environment


Continuing our series in associationwith Edge Hill University looking at Early Years, DR JACQUELINE BASQUILL, Senior


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Lecturer in Early Years Education, thismonth looks at risky


ky play.


Experience has demonstrated that when you ask adults what they remember from their childhood, most will comment about playing outdoors and being unsupervised. The experiences of creating their own play and solving problems left lasting memories. Sadly, in more recent times the opportunities for free play have diminished. Brussoni et al. (2012) found that despite a large proportion of parents having these experiences, less than half encouraged their children to do likewise.


It is necessary to understand that a child’s right to play is included in Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (United Nations, 1989). However, the word play can mean many different things to many different people. Hughes andMelville (2002) created a taxonomy of play and described sixteen different types of play. This leads to a great deal of confusion when claiming that children are engaged in play without consideration of the impact a broad or narrow approach to types of play can have on a child’s development. Giving children the space to choose their own kind of play leads to innovation, transfer of skills and creative solutions, skills that will benefit them across the curriculum.


Risky play involve s children having challenges and solv ing problems independently, it is linked to free play, where children make their own decisions and rules, which may be adapted as play progresses. It is a fluidic process and cannot be directed by any one person. Risks are decided by the children and the more experiences they have the better they become at assessing risks as they understand potential hazards. Sandseter (2007) identified six types of risky play, these involved playing at height, speed, using tools, playing in dangerous places, rough and tumble play and playing without adult supervision.


Parents are understandably concerned about their children’s safety and increased access to media and news stories about incidents involving children lead to greater concerns and therefore more protective practices. There are environm ental and technical influences which affect parents’ encouragement of free play. The number of vehicles on the roads has increased dramatically so playing on the roadside is not an option, the number of open spaces has diminished greatly, leading to the need to travel to it, rather than there being a suitable space close by. Parents may want to take children to parks, beaches and woodlands, but often both parents work, and free time is limited.


Early Years settings are key in developing children’s engagement with risky play. Risk assessments ensure that activities are safe, but with opportunities to take risks. Increasingly, the Forest School and Beach School approaches are being adopted. These enable children to play in a safe, natural environment where they are taught how to use tools, they learn how to assess risks for themselves and as they become confident, having the opportunity to play freely. The children are able to spend time on the beach or in woodland, learning about the ecosystem. These approaches not only encourage risky play, but also an understanding of the environment and allow children time and space to wallow in the beauty of nature. In a world where every day is a challenge, we need to ensure children learn to be resilient and encouraging them to be creative whilst they asses their own risks will support them in this.


1 8 www .education-toda y.co.uk.co.uk www


Reusing eftover Christmas goods in the cla ss oom! This month regular contributor


Reusing l lefto


go ods in the classroom ! Thismonth regular contributor inspiration from her grandfather, spinners out of foil trays, and Christmas decorations once the


KIRSTY BERT RTENSHAW takes


KIRSTY BERTENSHAWtakes who showed her howtomake emonstrates howyou can reuse festive season is over


Once schools break up for Christmas, decorations need to be taken down and there is usually a substantial amount of waste that just ends up in the bin. However, these leftover items and well used decorations can provide inspiration. So, before you pack up your classroom, have a look and see what you can save!


Wrapp ng paper


Gittery or shiny foil wrapping paper cannot be recycled by ocal authorities. Instead, these can be used to line worn bookshelves and cheer up the classroom. Other ideas could be to add them to a sensory area,, use them for backing paper for classroom signs, add them to the craft bag or even make a “wall of l love” where each child can record the things they value about each other..


ry or shiny foil wrapping paper cannot be recycled by l local authorities. Instead, these can be used to line worn bookshelves an cheer up the classroom. Other ideas could be to add them to a sensory area use them for backing paper for classroom signs, add them to the craft bag or even make a “wall of ove” where each child can record the things they value about each other


Wrappiing paper Glittel


https://https://www.minted.com/julep/2013/02/07/wall-of-love/ Plastic baubles


Plastic baubles


Plastic baubles can’t be recycled, but scuffed or chipped paint doesn’t mean these no longer have a use! Spherical baubles can be used as “particles” to model the arrangement of particles in solids, liquids and gases, mixtures and compounds and subatomic particles to model an atom. Different sized baubles can even be used to make solar system mobiles when learning about space!


Tinsel Straggly bits of tinsel cannot be recycled due to the mixed plastics used to make them, but they can make excellent additions to materials lessons. They can be investigated for properties such as shiny, bendy, malleable, magnetic etc in primary science lessons. Pieces of tinsel are also useful for teaching electricity and circuits and can be added to the materials used in circuits to see if the bulb will light up to indicate conductivity. Small pieces of the tinsel can be cut off the main strand and used in static electricity lessons as they pieces can be attracted to charged rods.


Tinsel


Straggly bits of tinsel cannot be recycled due to the mixed plastics used to make them, but they can make excellent additions to materials lessons. They can be investigated for properties such as shiny, bend y, malleable, magnetic etc in primary science lessons. Pieces of tinsel are also useful for teaching electricity and circuits and can be added to the materials used in circuits to see if the bulb will light up to indicate conductivity. Small pieces of the tinsel can be cut off the main strand and used in static electricity lessons as they pieces can be attracted to charged rods.


Mince pie foil trays Mince pie fo foil trays


Once washed, these trays have several uses as they are, and can be modified for other uses too. They make shiny decorations for sensory areas, and good additions to materials lessons and circuit lessons. Again, these can be used for magnets as it is often assumed all metals are magnetic, so aluminium trays can challenge this idea. If static electricity is being taught using a Van der Graaf, stack pie trays upside ha


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Once washed, these trays have several uses as they are, and can be modified for other uses too. They make shiny decorations for sensor areas, and good additions to materials lessons and circuit lessons. Again, these can be used for magnets as it is often assumed all metal s are magnetic, so aluminium trays can challenge this idea. If static electricity is being taught using a Van der Graaf, stack pie trays upside down on top of the dome before charging. The trays will acquire a charge and repel each other, flying off the stack one by one in an sive demonstration. Another use is in convection lessons, by making a spinner that can fit onto a radiator and show the effect o the convection currents. Firstly, flatten the tray slightly and then cut the folded areas that made up the sides into fins/ blades. Fold these fins slightly so they are tilted like blades on a fan. Find the centre of the circle and poke it with an unfolded paper clip to make an indentation but not a hole. Twist the other side of the paper clip into a curve shape to either fit over a radiator, or a rounded shape to place into a ball of blue tac and stick on a radiator. Balance the foil tray onto the pointe


ed end of the paper clip, using the indentation as a pivot point. The tray should spin with the movement of hot air!


Kirsty is the founder of STEMtastic, an education consultancy with fo


KiKirsty is th rsty is the fo founder of STE


focus on Science, Tee, Technology www.stemtastic.co.uk


focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Math www. tew.stemtastita tic.co.uk


TEMta gy,


y, Engineeri tastic,


c, an education consultancyta cy with ring and MathMaths


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Plastic baubles can’t be recycled, but scuffed or chipped paint doesn’t mean these no longer have a use! Spherical baubles can be used as “particles” to model the arrangement of particles in solids, liquids and gases, mixtures and compounds and subatomic particles to model an atom. Different sized baubles can even be used to make solar system mobiles when learning about space


//w/www.minted.com/j/julep/2013/02/07/w/wall-of-love/


Once schools break up for Christmas, decorations need to be taken down and there is usually a substantial amount of waste that just ends up in the bin. However, these leftover items and well used decorations can provide inspiration. So, before you pack up your classroom, have a look and see what you can save!


nspiration fromher grandfather, who showed her how to make spinners out of foil trays, and demonstrates how you can reuse Christmas decorations once the festive season is over.


ft ver Christmas


charge and repel each other, flying off the stack one by one in an impresimpressive demonstration. Another use is in convection lessons, by making a spinner that can fit onto a radiator and show the effect of the convection currents. Firstly, flatten the tray slightly and then cut the folded areas that made up the sides into fins/ blades. Fold these fins slightly so they are tilted like blades on a fan. Find the centre of the circle and poke it with an unfolded paper clip to make an indentation but not a hole. Twist the other side of the paper clip into a curved shape to either fit over a radiator, or a rounded shape to place into a ball of blue tac and stick on a radiator. Balance the foil tray onto the point d end of the paper clip, using the indentation as a pivot point. The tray should spin with the movement of hot air!


Decembe r 2019 2019


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