A Recycled Xmas Tree
A guest blog post from Andrea Stevenson. I was truly inspired by a recent Creative STAR post about giving new life to a Christmas tree which would otherwise have been thought of as rubbish. The first thing we decided to do was cut off all of the branches leaving short...Milk Crates
This is another long overdue blog post. I think I’ve been stopped in my tracks previously as Kierna Corr from Learning for Life has blogged so wonderfully about her milk crates that really there wasn’t much else left to say on the matter 🙂 Anyway, this...Alien Invasion
This blog post is written by Lesley McLaren who works behind the scenes at Creative STAR. Thanks Lesley! She also took all the photos 🙂 … I was kindly given these little guys to have an experiment with, and who best to try them out than my son, ‘Little Man’....Repurposing Charity Bags into Dance Resources
Do you have a growing collection of charity bags which get popped through your door each week? If you do, and you don’t have any particular plans for them, perhaps it’s time to put them to good use as outdoor dance items. Several years ago I was...The Necessity of a White Sheet
When working outside, I end up using a lot of different surfaces. A stock item in my bag is an old white sheet. I have various sorts and sizes from king-size (ideal for whole class work) down to cot-size (for pairs or individual work). I use them deliberately to...Den Building
What’s your idea of a den? I worked largely in tarmac playgrounds and school grounds which often had few trees suitable for den building. The dens I saw children build tended to be reliant on boxes, lattice tunnels and attached to fences or a line of rope tied...Wood Logs and Lumps in Schools
In recent years moveable wooden disks, logs and planks have begun to make an appearance in more and more school grounds that I visit. If you look closely at the photos from the Inverallochy update, you can see the place is littered with wooden bits and pieces. They...10 Ideas if You Can’t Leave Resources Outside
Recently I blogged about 12 Tough Resources for Outdoor Play and Learning. One of the criteria I used for my decisions about whether a resource was suitably tough was whether it could be left outside in all weathers. Now this is all fine and dandy if you can leave...A Hammock Made Out of a Tarp
During this term, we’ve been having the equivalent of a gym session outdoors. The children have been constructing various items from ropes. The universally most popular item has been a hammock. The one in the photo comes from Muddy Faces. As you can see, the...The Beauty of Bamboo
There is nothing quite like seeing a native plant growing in its rightful place. Over in Japan, bamboo is a weed that can be found growing as ground cover in woodlands like this: And yet it is cultivated in gardens to grow to a glorious size – a proper bamboo...The One About The Plastic Pipes
If you ever pass by a building site, have a quick look. The chances are there will be various different types of plastic pipes lying around. This post is about the ones with a corrugated exterior and blue (or occasionally black interior. The ones below were waiting to...The Black Suitcase
The opportunity to transport objects, materials and people is something many children love. Many years ago, with one of my classes, most weeks we would end up taking a suitcase full of stuff to the wildlife garden. This was always exciting in itself and most weeks...The Forbidden Fun of a Compost Bin
I know some people think it is inappropriate to allow or even encourage children to play with items that are not proper toys. But very often it is these objects that are open-ended and have a high play value because there is no fixed purpose or pre-defined way of...Axioms of Sensorimotor Play
Most classes love any water play. Many children will join in and explore with enthusiasm and gusto in their own preferred styles. Many years ago, one of Tom Sensori’s blog posts was very helpful in terms of understanding the behaviour and actions of my group in...Outdoor Play with Bread Crates
Bread crates have to be one of the toughest and most versatile resources around. At the school where I work on Fridays, they are used daily by children in a free flow capacity and during lunch times too. One question I am often asked is, “What learning is taking...Amazing Mazes in School Grounds
Children love mazes. Whenever I undertook consultations with children about what they like to do, the idea of having a maze in the school grounds really appealed to them. One school I worked with ran a competition for a maze mural, and the children created this...It’s all about stuff!
This past few months I’ve had the privilege of being involved in a wonderful and spontaneous project about stuff. The children exploring the materials for the first time It happened as much by chance as by intent. Every year, Learning through Landscapes and...Reflections on Ropes
This has been a ropey session since August. There is something about rope that just makes it fun and appealing to children of all ages. The more I use it, the more I learn about its potential, particularly for group and cooperative work. The boys in the photo below...Scrapstore PlayPods and Free Play Systems
At the 2011 International Play Association Conference Wales, there were many references to Scrapstore PlayPods. The video below tells you more… Having spotted the above video a couple of years ago, I’ve been a strong advocate of this approach. In the...
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Recent Posts
Story Stones and Thinking SkillsA little stone can give a lot of empowerment in a funny sort of way.
Outdoor Toilets and ChildrenWhen children need to go they need to go!
Hand hygiene outdoorsRemoving one of the barriers to working outside with groups.
12 reasons to have stumps in your outdoor spaceStumped for ideas? Check out this blog post about why every school needs a stump or several!
Dunblane Nature Kindergarten – A transformation from traditional to nature-based practiceFantastic example of positive impact of nature-based practice.
Legacy and LossWhat’s your professional and personal impact?
Education Scotland Outdoor Learning Webinars FREE to viewLots of free outdoor learning webinars all in one place from Education Scotland
Out to Play 12: Caring for Our Outdoor SpacesJust published. Time-saving links and a download.
Compass Points – Outdoor Suggestions15+ ways to learn about compass directions – all in a download.
7 Conker Games and AdviceEvery school needs a conker tree
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