An Ugly Fence Gets a Makeover

Over the past six months, one primary school has been giving its fences a makeover. It's been a trial and error process. But the results are amazing and deserve public accolade.

It started in the summer term, by using the fences for a display. This is the simplest way to get started. Every class adopts a portion of the fence and considers it as an additional display area.

One class tried making planters by using recycled milk bottles. This was a learning experience, in that some of the containers were cut too low to hold much soil. Remembering to water them was hard and one Friday night some local youths did relieve themselves in a couple of them. But the class weren't daunted. Look at their next experiment...

The children invited a local fisherman into the school to show them how to make nets. The children made these really well. The golden fish are laminated gold foil paper. When they catch the wind, the fish sparkle in the sunlight - just like a real school of fish.

Each fish has a Doric word linked to the school grounds and local area. Because it's a very windy location, the staff and children tried various ways of keep the displays intact as the wind rips through. Duct tape, ring hole strengtheners and use of wire over string are some of the experimenting that has gone on.

This term, the fish are being replaced with other items as they get worn out. The staff discovered lots of weaving stored in a drawer so thought this might add interest.

Another class were studying dream catchers. They made these from wire coat hangers. Beads have been attached. However a little twist has happened. This is a seashore village school, so shells have replaced the feathers at the bottom.

This fencing weaving project is still under construction. The challenge is finding enough plastic bags of the right colours. However the class and teacher deserve a lot of applause for their tenacity in working on this project. The first time they had a go, the bags were not torn into strips so it looked a little lumpy. However, the fence is beginning to look lovely now.

The nursery class have been making a coloured bottle display that you can see in the above photo. I'm not sure what the paint was mixed with to make it stick inside, though.

Back in May, I saw some of the beadwork undertaken by the infant classes. It was incredibly simple and pretty.

The beadwork has been going from strength to strength. The staff and children use wire and a selection of cheap beads.

I think it looks nicer than a jeweller's shop! Over the months, the staff and children have learnt that it's really important to spend time attaching the art work, thoroughly so it's very securely tied on. This reduces the chances of the work being blown off or removed from the fence.

The butterflies and flowers are craft kits that can be bought through the fund-raising catalogue, Yellow Moon. Here's a closer look:

The class has been studying butterflies and symmetry. Look at the detailed symmetry on these butterflies:

I like the way the art work has all flowed into each other. The butterfly symmetry has bead bracelets within the display. The weaving mats were on the Doric wordies and hung between the dream catchers. 

Please do share any bright ideas and thoughts you may have about brightening up fences.The children and staff in this school should be proud of their efforts. I'm really impressed.

Reading Books Outdoors

Like many other teachers, I love and appreciate children's books. Whenever I walk into a bookshop, the children's section is a "must visit" with or without my son in tow.

Children will happily explore books outside. You can have a special den or tepee for reading, or just have them scattered throughout the play area and see what happens!

One of the first things I did when I took the plunge and became a freelance consultant was to set up listmanias on Amazon with books that I felt were natural springboards into outdoor play and learning. Over the years, the lists have changed, grown and been adapted. I have a lot of fun playing with them!

When I run outdoor literacy courses, I set aside time to use books as a basis for outdoor work. In the past I've found them to be a great inspiration for creative outdoor activity - either structured or unstructured both for children of all ages and myself. Most early years staff will talk enthusiastically about "We're going on a bear hunt" and some of the ideas participants have told me about have been incredibly creative and hugely enjoyable.

Imagine going on a bear hunt and finding yourself at this cave!

The opportunity to hear, join in and listen to books outside is just as enjoyable as indoors.  If children are not used to being read to outside, then start slowly with a pair or small group and gradually increase the numbers.

I love this combo - books and sand! 

Have lots of cushions, blankets and comfy mats to sit on, especially in cooler weather. Dens and shelters provide protection from the weather. Torches and lanterns add fun, interest and atmosphere when used with the right book.

Waterproof tarp, fleece blankets, insulating mats and sleeping bags all make cold weather reading a cosy event

Outdoor book bags can be created which can save time collating resources. These can be for use at your school or centre. However with a little bit of adapting, outdoor book bags add interest to the standard ones issued at transition times to children and their parent.

Choosing Books to Read Outside

Neil Griffiths, the founder of Storysack, recommends using the following criteria for selecting a book:

• ·      A strong story line
• ·      Quality illustrations
• ·      Can be read aloud with ease
• ·      A content and interest level appropriate to young children
• ·      Children’s favourites
• ·      Recommended by parents
• ·      Selected by staff as quality picture books
• ·      Recommended by a local bookshop

Props to Accompany Books

Any resources used outside will get worn more quickly. Cheap and cheerful resources are strongly recommended rather than beautiful matching games, etc. Consider providing:

·      Puppets and soft toys that are machine washable

·      Laminated photos, poems, backdrops and information sheets

·      Games that are derived from natural materials such as sticks, stones, shells, etc.

·      Resources with a clear local link, e.g. local wildlife soft toys

·      Waterproof or plastic playmats

·      Open ended resources such as a piece of material which can be used in many different ways

·      A plastic sleeve or jacket for your book

Different books lend themselves to different outdoor activities. Some are naturally cross-curricular and can result in children initiating a range of activities. Others may only have a link in one or two different areas.  The advantage of a book-based activity are that children get repeated exposure to the storyline, characters, setting and ideas.  This helps reinforce many pre-reading skills.

This Swedish outdoor nursery has developed many stories using a washing line and laminated pictures. Look at the children's level of engagement!

What are your experiences of reading outdoors with children? I thought it was interesting that Gareth Malone in his Extraordinary School for Boys series chose to take children outside to read and be read to. At the overnight camp, parents took turns to read a ghost story aloud to the children. It's a cheap, simple step to learning outdoors.

Getting to Grips with the Grounds at Grantown

My interest in developing school grounds began before I even began my teacher training. Back in 1990, I was volunteering as a ranger in the Pentland Hills, just outside Edinburgh. One of the rangers was married to a depute head teacher of Wardie Primary School in Edinburgh. He talked with great enthusiasm about how he was helping the school establish a tree nursery and improve their grounds.

This is the gardening area at Grantown Primary School.

A couple of years later High School Yards, an Edinburgh nursery developed the "Wee Green School" pack outlining their approach to developing their nursery outdoor space through a gardening project. The booklet is still available and just as relevant today. It became particularly well-known for its one-metre cornfield which was harvested and used to bake bread. If you have a small garden or outdoor space that you want to develop, then the pack is a great starting point.

So when I began my first teaching post, at Grantown Primary School in the Scottish Highlands, I was keen to get going with similar ideas. I consulted local rangers and naturalists. I applied for a school grounds grant and managed to seek additional funding through a competition. With £650, my pockets were jingling and my anticipation levels were high.

This is the area which had the original hedges. It's now a sensory garden with an area for watching birds.

It was a learning curve. The janitor, Bob, was incredibly helpful and worked with the local secondary school to get the children making window boxes. We planted a hedge of native trees - each pupil planted a tree. We looked at making a Highland garden. 

The grounds have always had wilder playspaces. The worn grass shows how popular this area is.

However, the children were not consulted and neither was anyone else. So when mistakes were made, such as using plastic bottles to protect some of the trees that then blew away, the feel good factor wasn't high. There was no maintenance plan to look after anything. Nothing was integrated into the curriculum or class projects. Thankfully Bob was a kind man who loved gardening and kept things going. Every year the window boxes were full of beautiful flowers.

This is a small shelter with a Highland mural! One of the many developments in Mhairi's time

Two years after I left the school, a new head teacher, Mhairi Robertson was appointed. By coincidence, she had been the other depute head teacher at Wardie Primary School several years earlier and knew the benefits of developing school grounds. With her enthusiasm and drive, the grounds continued to be developed, and in 2007 a Highland Garden was finally opened!

The Highland Garden. It was opened with a Garden Party and whole school outdoor performances on the playing field.

What would you do with this space?

Hello Everyone

I wondered if you could help a couple of friends who have no pre-school experience and want to develop this outdoor space for visiting groups of 3-6 year olds. It's part of an outdoor education facility that is an old converted school.

The centre has a very limited budget. As the site is situated near a road, I've advised that the boundary wall cracks need fixed and the area made secure through installing proper gates and fencing where it matters. The other big expense could be a traversing wall by drilling holds into the boundary wall (see why below). The grass is a suitable surface for this, providing the foot holds remain 60 cm or lower.

What do you think? Would this be a priority for you? (Parents, teachers, pre-school staff, interested readers who are willing to give an opinion?)

As you can see from this photo there are a couple of concrete slabs, which I believe need to stay as they are something to do with the site drainage. But look...there's a wee bit of a trip hazard. Would you...

    a) Leave it and point it out to visiting groups?

    b) Add turf or some other material to make a slope rather than a step?

    c) Put a fence or other boundary around it for a wee cubby, sandpit or play area? 

    d) Something different (and better)?

At the moment the site is essentially wet, mossy grass that's quite shaded from large trees, outwith the site. The trees within the site have been pruned...

The plan for the tree area is to create a low ropes course. This will act as an informal boundary to the rest  of the site and will provide a taste of the challenging activities to come as the children return when they are older. Beyond the trees is a cycle area that may (subject to funding) become a high ropes course.

One person did suggest that the area should be zoned according to curriculum areas, e.g. having a literacy area, maths area, etc. But I feel a cross-curricular approach is more natural. Also, in my experience, children move things around. So adults can have these grand ideas yet the children interpret them completely differently...!

The next bit of good news is that the stone outhouse can be used for storage. Also there is an outdoor tap. If a hose is bought, water play is really possible.

I've suggested that the centre sticks to the "outdoor adventure" theme to keep it special and different from a standard outdoor nursery space. So, some possibilities include:

 - Using old outdoor clothes like buoyancy aids for an outdoor dressing up box

 - Having old paddles, karabiners and other used equipment as part of the loose parts available to children

 - Putting an old sailing boat into the area for imaginative play. I like the idea of children being able to make flags and having pirate props nearby

 - Using old sails for the children to make dens

 - Having outdated ropes for free play

 - Having large loose parts like crates, planks and tyres for obstacle courses and construction work

However PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE tell me your thoughts, ideas and suggestions. We're not looking for expert advice, just a suggestion or two or as many as you have time to write down. If you blog and have relevant posts, then add links to these. No idea is too far out to be considered. 

Thank you, in advance!

Feathers

These past few weeks have been the time for collecting feathers in NE Scotland. All the gulls have been shedding their feathers, left, right and centre on the playing fields and parks.

See all the feathers on this patch of grass!

Although commercially bought feathers come in an attractive range of colours and look cute and fluffy...

...they are no competition for a wild feather found on the ground that is asking to be picked up!

Even walking back home with a fistful of feathers makes passing children stop and look with interest. Feathers have a a uniqueness and power that is hard to put into words. In many Native American cultures bird feathers are sacred to their cultures, traditions and religions. For example, it can be considered a high honour to receive a feather as a gift of friendship. After a walk in the park, children can examine the feathers they have collected, pick their favourite and give it to one of their friends. 

For many years I've been intrigued with answer feathers which are traditional healing tools for those seeking answers. An answer feather is usually a collection of two of three small feathers held together by a bead. You pick a feather you are attracted to, put it in your pocket or keep it on you. Within a day or two, you will find the answer or it will become clear to you. The feather should then be thanked and released back to Mother Earth or cleansed in moonlight for future use.

This is an answer feather I made from 3 wee feathers stuck together with masking tape

Talking feathers can be used during Circle Time as a change from a stick. At the start of the year, with a new class, the feather can be be small and fragile. The children may only talk when they are holding the feather. Care is needed when passing a feather to keep it intact. It can help create a special atmosphere, for a talking feather may only be held by a person who speaks from the heart and speaks the truth. A feather should always be passed clockwise. As the class gets older and more used to Circle Time, then the feather can be replaced with a larger one to signify the growth of the group. This can happen periodically throughout the year as important milestones are reached particularly when there has been friendship issues that children manage to sort out positively and the class dynamics are strengthened. I like the idea that a child could quietly post a feather to an adult when they need a moment to talk. Sometimes a silent act is more powerful and says more than a verbal request.

Sherry and Donna at Irresistible Ideas for Play Based Learning have a lovely post about The Tickly Feather Game. Here children are lying on the floor with their eyes closed. One child begins by gently tickling another child with a feather on a stick. The tickled child gets up, takes the stick and chooses another child to tickle. The game continues in this fashion until every child is "awake" and everyone give the last child a special clap. Afterwards, children can talk about how the feather feels against their skin and whether all feathers feel the same.

Feathers can be used for printing and other artwork, such as placing feathers on paper and spraying around them. Sandpits are great for feather sculptures as the feathers can be stuck upright in the sand. Older children may enjoy looking at the wildlife feather art on YouTube:

Coloured feathers are a lot of fun for hunting and finding in the garden or outdoor space. They can be hidden in all sorts of places. You can make requests such as "Find me a small green feather" or "Find four red feathers". This can be followed up with Lois Ehlert's story Feathers for Lunch about a cat who is trying to catch birds.

An interesting investigation is to see where feathers will land on a windy day when released into the outdoor area or school grounds. Different coloured feathers can be released or thrown into the air in different places. The children can predict where they think the feathers will land or end up after one hour. Of course, it's quite a challenge simply trying to catch a feather that is twirling in the wind.

Feathers are for exploring! Dropping feathers in different ways and seeing how they fall to the ground can be useful comparative work. Collections of different sorts of feathers help children understand the diversity birds and the different types and functions of feathers. Finding objects that truly are as light as a feather can be a homework job.

Love Outdoor Play Campaign is Launched

Authors, explorers and charities unite to revive outdoor play

More than 30 respected authors, charities and explorers have come together to say that a ‘big society’ needs more children playing outdoors in our streets, parks and communities.

“Having the freedom to play outdoors improves the well-being of children and their communities. Together, we are building a visible community to support reasonably safe exploration, adventure and play. Wherever you see a Love Outdoor Play sticker or symbol, you’ll find people who welcome play and are looking out for young people” is the manifesto for the Love Outdoor Play campaign which launches on Tuesday 14^th September.

“We are asking people to take a very simple action. Make or get a Love Outdoor Play sticker and put it up where you live or work. Research shows that in many communities we’re afraid of what other parents will think of us if we let our kids out to play or walk to school. By putting a sticker up you not only show that you support outdoor play but can start a conversation about how play can be improved for children where you live” explains Daniel Raven-Ellison, one of Love Outdoor Play’s organisers.

The Love Outdoor Play symbol is available under a creative commons non-commercial share-alike licence. As long as you are not making a profit from the symbol and credit Love Outdoor Play anyone can use the symbol.

Authors - The Geography Collective (Mission:Explore), Lenore Skenazy (Free Range Kids), Sue Atkins (Raising Happy Children for Dummies), Sue Palmer (Toxic Childhood), Nicola Baird (Homemade Kids),Bethe Almeras (Grass Stain Guru) have come together with explorers Benedict Allen, Olly Steeds, Jake Meyer, Alistair Humphreys and Bonita Norris in an effort to get more children playing outdoors again. The campaign is also supported by Play Scotland, the Campaign for Adventure, Digi Mums, Play Association Tower Hamlets, Institute of Outdoor Learning, Alliance for Childhood and the Association of Play Industries. A full list of supporters can be found at www.loveoutdoorplay.net.

Anyone can join the campaign and help to crowd fund stickers at www.loveoutdoorplay.net.

Inverarary Primary - Demonstrating School Values in the Grounds

This is the third post about Inveraray Primary School. There's still more to show! In Scotland, each school is expected to have put together a set of school aims and values. It is always interesting to look at the grounds and see if the outside areas reflect these. After all, does a barren asphalt and tarmac surface tell you that the school community cares for its environment? Is a school a welcoming place when you are met by a big locked grey door?

Like The Coombes School, there are a number of structures which have been built that demonstrate the caring, sharing ethos of the school and the involvement of children in all aspects of the planning, design and implementation of the project.

The seating and gathering places in the Inveraray grounds are interesting developments in that every one is more that your average park bench. Below is the story telling chair that has been carefully designed to blend in with the tree. If you look closely you can see the Charles Rennie MacIntosh design carved into the seat. This came about after the P6/7 class had a technology project that looked at his designs.

"Below is a replacement for a wonderful, original bench which sadly got too weathered. A child designed it to look like a pair of protective wings and each wing was made from one 'slice' of wood, keeping the natural contours. A parent quickly whipped up this replacement." 

"The original was based around a native American proverb. "There are two values you can give a child. The first of all roots, and then wings."  They need to know the place they're from. Inspirational and empowering wisdom! This is our principal school aim."

"This is the Peace Hut. The roof is held up by 7 beams. Each beam is engraved with the names of the children from P1 to P7. The 7 beams are supported by each other. This is symbolic of the school community supporting each other. Every child in the school and nursery has put their hand prints on the inside along with staff, parents, carers and some visitors. We did this originally as part of the final blessing and dedication ceremony, but it has become an annual event to include new pupils.Even the window has seven sides to match the seven classes. The seating starts off low enough for P1 to have their feet on the ground and gradually raises as it goes round the building so that it is the correct height for P7s at the other end."

The viewing platform came from the P4/5 class who raised the money through an enterprise project selling bulbs. They set the whole school a homework task to design the structure. The design had to include the school rules, one of which can be seen below:

In March 2010 the school received its fourth and permanent Eco School Green Flag. This is a remarkable achievement for any school. It demonstrates the value of, and commitment to, making best use of the school grounds as a place for learning. Long may the flag fly high!

Once again I would like to thank Lynn Kidd, Fiona Hamilton and Anne Paterson for their contribution to this and previous postings. Also thanks go to Inverary Primary School for permission to write about their evolving school grounds which demonstrate the values upon which the school community has been built.

Gardening at Inveraray Primary School

In my last post about Inveraray Primary School, I flagged up biodiversity within the grounds. I've always felt that biodiversity and gardening activities go hand in hand. After all, gardening is about growing plants and any plant grown that benefits humans and wildlife is a positive action to take. The Scottish science experiences and outcomes for biodiversity are written in such a way that gardening is an ideal on-going project for any school keen on practical, active learning.

I think gardening is a key feature and a core part of children's outdoor experiences at Inveraray. I'm now going to leave the explanations to the staff, former and present. Many thanks to Lynn Kidd, Fiona Hamilton and Anne Paterson for your comments.

"The tyres are used to grow potatoes and were donated by the local garage who were happy to hand them over as it saved them paying to get rid of them. We repaid their generosity the first year by sharing our crop with the garage employees." 

"This is the second layout of raised beds. You should never be afraid to review areas in the grounds and renew. In this case the children who had designed the first raised beds had all left school so the current pupils redesigned and had new ownership." 

"We are very lucky to have a parent who wants to manage this for us as well as being hands on with the pupils, running an after school gardening club. Parents, carers and staff take turns watering the plants over the summer holidays and their thank you payment is being able to take any produce that is ready for eating over the holiday period – tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, courgettes, peas and beans."

"These tubs were recycled after their original job was to provide sheep with minerals. All you need is a kind farmer. In this case my husband!"

"Cups were added to scare off birds - but then created a litter problem on a windy day, so were taped down to try to solve this problem!"

"This garden was designed by a P1-2 class five years ago during a seashore topic. The boat was acquired from the local caravan park (it was going to be burnt at bonfire night). More holes were drilled in the bottom and it was filled with rubble and top soil. A parent helped the children choose herbs to put in the boat and also donated rosemary bushes that sit along the back of the boat. The grasses at the front were placed to look like waves and other parents dug out an area around the boat for the stones to go down to look like the beach. It is due for a tidy up as we lost quite a lot of plants this winter."

"This is the hot composting shed, which has speeded up the quantity and time it takes to make compost. The janitor, Mr Paterson, looks after this. We doubled the number of beds after the Hot Composting unit was up and running."

All-in-all the gardening routines are established which means there is a system for managing and maintaining the gardening activities. If you want to get going with more gardening in your own school or with your own class, have a look at Wee Green Fingers and other gardening posts.