May 16, 2013 | Maths Outdoors, Technologies
I always feel it is good to follow up open-ended introductions to challenges and activities which allow children to further develop core skills in different curriculum areas. I have previously blogged about reflections and beginning symmetry outside. I enjoy the...
May 4, 2013 | Maths Outdoors, Science Outdoors, Technologies
Recently on the Creative STAR Facebook Page I showed this wonderful photo of a wind tunnel created by a space blanket. Sadly, it ripped almost immediately after the photo was taken. I really didn’t want to chuck it out as I felt that was a waste. So instead I...
Apr 13, 2013 | Early Years Outdoors, Gardening, Science Outdoors, Technologies
In March I was facilitating a twilight workshop about gardening in the Early Years. Here in Aberdeen City, many practitioners work in settings where vandalism happens if anything is left outside, including children’s gardening efforts. So one of the things we do...
Feb 26, 2013 | Early Years Outdoors, Health & Wellbeing, Technologies
A couple of weeks ago I blogged about two children who decided to wash one of the trikes in the slushy snow mix. It often is the case that when water is in the outdoor space, a trike gets washed. Recently Alistair Bryce-Clegg made a good point in one blog post about...
Feb 19, 2013 | Play Resources, Technologies
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...
Jan 16, 2013 | Nature Play & Learning, Play Resources, Social Subjects Outdoors, Technologies
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...
Nov 28, 2012 | Community Involvement, Developing School Grounds & Outdoor Spaces, Technologies
The focus on palettes continues. I was staying in The Bunkroom Hostel recently which had a tiny social space outside. As with all hostels, this was created on an ad hoc and shoestring budget. Naturally this means lots of potentially transferable ideas to cash-starved...
Nov 17, 2012 | Developing School Grounds & Outdoor Spaces, Gardening, Technologies
Many years ago, I was fortunate enough to spend the day in the company of Tim Gill who took me on a magical tour of the Kate Greenaway Nursery and Glamis Adventure Playground. Our final destination was a temporary pop up community play space which oozed wonderful wood...
Oct 23, 2012 | Health & Wellbeing, Nature Play & Learning, Social Subjects Outdoors, Technologies
The first frost of the autumn arrived last week. The rose-hips (Rosa canina) have turned red and so the combination of the two means that it’s time to get out and get picking. They can be found on bushes all over the UK and beyond. Historically, they are a wild...
Jul 23, 2011 | Gardening, Science Outdoors, Technologies
NOTE: This shows an example of a tyre pond. All ELC settings need to consider location, access and the need for a cover. This pond was in my back garden. Many years ago, I made a pond from an old tyre that had been sitting in my garden for more than a year. I happened...
