Me Again! Re. Outdoor Play Project

[Guest]

Hi there! Thanks SO much for you help on other posts!!!!!!!!! I REALLY appreciate it! Now, I have been on three day courses in my borough on outdoor play, an area everyone in the early years KNOWS needs to be picked up. But what I am supposed to do is improve the outdoor area but really it is a TEAM job there were about 20 suggestions and I feel it is too much for one person, when I have a reception class as well and all the work THAT entails! There is a moderation on CLL coming up and we just finished reports so it's not like people haven't been busy. But how can I get the others involved in the early years team - I've TRIED! I think I will hold a meeting. I've got about five or six more weeks to really improve things oh and by the way, money seems to be another issue! I MIGHT be able to get a grant but the person who knows about this is ANOTHER busy one!!!!! Otherwise, I guess I'll "eat the elephant one bite at a time!"

[Guest]

never heard the phrase 'eat the elephant one bite at a time'! very interesting.

 

The school I am involved with are looking at a undercover playground. The quotes are £25-30,000!. The PTA have applied for a lottery grant, and I contacted local big businesses who look at local projects.

 

We put the outside playground as one idea to them and an extension to the Nursery premises as another. They showed more interest in the playground and have reduced their list of local projects to 5, us being one of the 5.

 

We should find out in a couple of weeks.

 

The school did send out a letter and questionnaire to parents regarding the playground, it mentioned things like how important do you class this, what equipment would you like to see, are you interested in being involved or know of anyone.

 

I will see if I can get hold of the letter for you. If it helps you in anyway.

 

Sorry I carn't be of much more help, but I wish you all the best.

[AnonyMouse_2732]

Hi there!

 

Don't forget, you don't necessarily need squillions to improve your outdoor area! Lots of things can be easily and cheaply made and if the children are involved then, all the better!

 

One of our Trainees is very musical and has made an outdoor music area using empty food cans - the ribbed ones are great for 'scraping' - and pots and pans, as well as more traditional instruments.

 

Give it a bit of thought and throw it in for debate at a meeting, as you suggested. Bet you'll get lots of interest!

 

Sue

[Guest]

Hiya in our reception class we needed to improve our outside area so we held a 'welly throwing competition', it was so easy to organise the children all got sponsers and we held a competition to see which child could throw the welly the furthest. the children all got a certificate and winner got a prize.overall we raised £600 and used tis to buy all in one outdoor suits from millets and wellies for each child. we also bought boxes for different areas that can be carried outside we needed- maths, writing, supermarket, cafe, house etc and we bought most things from pound shops.

hope ive beren some help

kelly

[Guest]

Sue, that outdoor music area sounds fantastic, do you mean cans from tinned food?

[Guest]

Learning through Landscapes ltl.org.uk is a really good source of information about developing outdoor provision, there's grants available through them as well

[AnonyMouse_2732]

Miss Sparkley -

 

I most certainly do!!

 

[AnonyMouse_2760]

I also like the outdoor music area, sounds great fun.

I have put together a few 'boxes' for outdoor provision quite cheaply. The favourite with the children is the outdoor mark making box:

(Its one of those clear storage containers with a handle and lid that can just be picked up and taken outside) it has jumbo coloured chalks in, a few pieces of white chalk, a couple of empy and well washed out squeezy bottles, a couple of those mini paint trays from good old b and q with small rollers and a set of paintbrushes of different thickness and a couple of buckets. I even used this during ofsted when it was snowing and just added some food colouring to the water - the children loved 'writing' in the snow and the ofsted inspector was chuffed that one of the children had written 'hello' and a smiley face completely unaided. (isnt it great when they come up trumps for ya)

 

I can also endorce learning through landscapes. If you register as an early years practitioner - I think its 20 pounds you get access to their site and a file and magazine each month which builds up a fantastic resource. Well worth the money.

 

Good Luck I am sure others will come up with some great ideas

[AnonyMouse_1208]

Talking of outdoor music area - on a course with Ros Bayley - she used lovely coloured bowls, bins and buckets as a drum kit, with mini mops on sticks as beaters - fantastic sound!

[Guest]

We take a basket of instruments outside and also play music tapes. We have recently acquired some staging blocks FoC and have put one in our covered area. The children just love to climb up, dance, play and sing! We created a musical washing line with the children, using pieces of copper piping, which we can hook up as desired.

[Guest]

Yes, but how do I get the other staff involved or does it HAVE to be a one woman job? I mean they will benefit too! Thanks for the great ideas I will certainly put them into practice!!!! Keep them coming!!

[Guest]

It's a job that needs someone enthusiastic to coordinate it! Can you use some of your PPA time to address some of the issues with your Reception teaching colleagues? Or, can you request some dedicated non-contact time?

As someone suggested earlier, you may be able to get the children invovled too and then you can legitimately spend time developing the area during the school day

[Guest]

Just looked at LTL site, it's 55pounds to join not 20 . Is it wort it? What do you get for your money?

[Guest]

PPA time? HA! What's THAT?! I get about 50 minutes of that but I have to use about half an hour of it doing another duty at the moment and if not that, it's marking homework time and organising new homework! But it's a good idea! Anyway, I will see. I will try to get the boss to let me have one of our inset meeting times for a meeting with the other staff about this outdoor play thing.

 

 

 

Just looked at LTL site, it's 55pounds to join not 20 . Is it wort it? What do you get for your money?

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[Guest]

That is my weekly time not daily!

[Guest]

Hi

I was involved in developing the outdoor area in a primary school last year,as student I worked alongside 2 members of staff and one of the parents. There was also a considerable amount of support from the PTA. The majority of the funding came from the PTA but we also received money raised by two companies who became involved in the implementation of the grounds (i.e. the hard physical work; digging holes, building fences etc).

The companies involved were put in touch with us through Business in the Community www.bitc.org.uk.

Have you put the feelers out with the parents, you may find you have an expert at hand.

Thoroughly recommend it, great fun and real sense of achievement gained by everyone involved.

 

Good luck.

[Guest]

Welcome to the forum Dennhart

The PTA does come in handy, doesn't it?! I read an article recently about Barclays Bank sending people to help with a local school grounds project for a day. I think you need to have a parent who is an employee of the bank, though.