Why is play important? It is an essential part of every child’s life. It is vital for enjoying childhood and developing socially, emotionally, intellectually and physically.
Many lunchtime supervisors worry about children’s lack of social skills and ability to play. They say, “It wasn’t like this in our day. Children knew how to play; we played street games; the roads were safe; and we didn’t have computers.”
Over my years in schools as a teacher, parent and education consultant, I have heard a common cry from teachers, lunchtime supervisors and parents: “Help,” they say, “what can we do about playtimes and behaviour?”
Playtime can be a tricky time. Sometimes all our energy goes into sorting out our inside learning environment and we forget about the outside. Frequently playtimes and playgrounds need re- energising. As a whole school team, we need to reflect on whether behaviour we observe on playground is bad behaviour – or just bored behaviour.
The right environment can make a difference: I have seen many a concrete jungle be transformed into a thriving, creative, active and engaging play space with just a bit of thought and imagination.
Top tip number one: Create playground activity zones
Have you thought about re-vamping your playground? Conduct an audit (as described in the spring edition of Edventure catalogue) and decide how you can use the space and make playtimes a more exciting and vibrant time for your children.
Divide your playground into different activity zones and provide the appropriate resources.
• Ideas for zoned activity areas:
• Imaginative play zone
• Traditional playground games zone
• “Friendship stop” zone
• Quiet zone
• Craze of the week (one type of equipment is used every day of the week)
• Construction / small world play equipment
• Ball games – football, netball, basketball • Parachute games
• Performing arts – Music and dance zone • Painted games – hopscotch, etc7
Top tip number two: Imaginative play playground equipment
Look for playground equipment such as:
• Road track set
• Giant plastic playing cards
• Colouring in books
• Dressing up boxes
• Tower and cube set – like polydron, however huge!
• Lego and big build blocks
• Small world play
Equipment like this will help younger children who are transitioning to a bigger playground with older students.
Top tip number three: Craze of the week
The craze of the week is a successful lunchtime strategy. As you know children love learning new crazes, from card swapping to marbles, elastics, yo-yo’s and clapping games. The “craze” is changed after one week for another new and exciting activity.
How to organise craze of the week:
- First talk with the children about activities they would love to have in the playground.
- Choose and buy enough equipment for that craze. Crazes can be things such as skipping ropes, French skipping ropes, bean bags, plastic stilts, whoppas, ankle skips, shuttleball, hoops, lolo ball, cats cradle, etc. There is so much equipment for children to choose from. Go through the Edventure catalogue with your children and decide on the most popular activities. You will need roughly 10 to 15 of each supply, depending on the size of your school.
- Create playground craze activity boxes. I always use Edventure’s great storage containers.
- Create a “craze of the week” notice that is alternated each week.
- Every week on Monday morning the craze of the week is introduced in assembly by Playground PALS.
Top Tip number four: Quiet Zone
Do any of these scenarios sound familiar? Are there children in your school who:
• Don’t enjoy running around at playtimes?
• Would rather sit in quiet contemplation, maybe in a quiet area of the playground – a garden, or more solitary space?
* Would prefer to read a book or play a quiet game or activity?
If you have answered yes to any of the above, then it’s time to create a quiet space and offer the choice of quieter games and activities.
Educationally, it is important that we offer children a breadth of experience and playtime is no exception. We can provide children with a range of games and activity zones that cater for all our children’s varying needs:
Ideas:
- Teach all children the quiet games from 101 Playground Games in their PE lessons
- Create a quiet zoned activity area with picnic tables, rugs and mats when the weather permits.
• Organise “Quiet games activity boxes” for the quiet zoned area. These may include: cat’s cradle, wooden dominoes, Jamanga, giant noughts and crosses, pick up sticks, tiddlywinks, board games, Lego, cards, colouring in, bricks, and more.
• Create a secret garden or quiet space away from the busy playground. If you have access to a green area or garden then this is perfect.
• Develop a gardening club; many children like to connect with nature at playtime.
There are so many ideas, but not enough space to write about them. If you would like to learn more, please look at 101 Playground Games and 101 Wet playtime games books or email me at therese@successpartnership.com