The wonderful thing about poetry is that once you have it in your head, you can take it outdoors whatever the weather, wherever and whenever you want! A poem, like a song, is a little piece of language that children can carry round with them in their heads, wherever they go. It is eminently transportable. A favourite poem will never fade in the sun, it won't blow away in the wind and it certainly won't get wet; it is the ultimate outdoor resource for literacy!
Poetry and outdoor play have been linked for centuries. The oral tradition began outdoors, and for many adults the poetry of the street was an integral part of childhood. Once gently prompted, adults tend to remember a wide collection of poetry which usually includes a range of counting-out rhymes, skipping games, songs to be sung in a circle, playground games and rhymes associated with playing ball.
There is a tendency to think that today's children are unaware of such things, or have moved on to more sophisticated forms of play. I don't think that such a view is true, and even if it were, then teaching children such songs, rhymes and poems becomes even more important. Children need to know that playground rhymes and games are valued and that you want to hear them chanted and see them played!
Why not begin by sharing one or two of your own favourites with the children? I have a soft spot for 'In and out the dusty bluebells' - which I always thought was a very beautiful image. My other favourite is 'The big ship sails on the alley alley oh'.
Talk to the children about how these rhymes were learned. Usually they were passed on by older friends and relations. You may be surprised at how many the children know. You could suggest that the children teach them to one another. Many of the games are collaborative in nature, and encourage teamwork, turn-taking and sharing as well as co-ordination and, of course, an enhanced vocabulary.
Make a collection that is unique to your setting by gathering those known by the children, typing them up and printing them on to card. If these are then laminated, they make an excellent resource for outdoors. Simply punch a hole in the top left-hand corner and either put a treasury tag or a split ring through so that the cards can be hung outside. Adults working with children outdoors can then use them as a resource.
It is important that adults involve themselves playfully outdoors. Children will not be inspired by someone standing dolefully with their arms folded, just longing to go inside! Poetry, rhyme and song engender a sense of fun and physicality into outdoor play. They are difficult to resist!
Inviting parents to contribute their favourites in all the community languages of your setting will add another dimension, giving a sense of shared ownership to the collection. Involving parents in this way also helps to communicate the importance of the outdoor curriculum and offers an ideal opportunity to explore a sense of time and a sense of place.
PROBLEM-SOLVING, REASONING AND NUMERACY
Teaching circle games to children can be an invaluable means of passing on a rich variety of mathematical language in a way that is meaningful and contextualised.
- Make a collection of games that will promote mathematical development, and plan to use them with the children. These might include rhymes such as:
'One potato, two potato, three potato, four ...', and
'Acker backer soda cracker, acker backer boo
'Acker backer soda cracker, out goes YOU!'
- Also include circle games such as 'The Hokey Cokey', 'Ring a ring a roses' and 'Here we go round the mulberry bush'.
- Think about the language that is passed on, not just through the words of the poems and songs, but also through the way that the children are organised to play the game effectively. Phrases such as those below show that mathematics is contextualised and a valuable part of everyday life - not just for doing sums! Phrases used are likely to be:
'Gather together ...'
'Form a circle'
'You need to be a bit closer'
'Stretch your arms out'
'Come nearer'.
- Using mathematical language for problem solving
- Using the language of position
- Counting
SMALL-WORLD AREA
Create a small world where children can re-enact some of the playground songs that they have learned. The example is for 'Down in the jungle where nobody goes' (found in This Little Puffin):
- Offer a Tuff Spot builder's tray or similar container. This could be placed either outside or indoors. If placed inside, it offers the opportunity to make links between the indoor and outdoor curriculum. If placed outside, children may wish to gather natural materials from the outdoor area to add to the miniature environment. They will also be able to see the impact of weather on the small world - something not possible indoors!
- Add a range of materials, preferably gathered together with the children, to create a jungle 'feel'.
- Gather together a selection of jungle animals. Make sure that you have some of those mentioned in the rhyme above, but also add others, so that children can invent new verses to the song.
- Ensure that the children know that they can also access junk and found materials to add to the small world.
Learning Opportunities
Story-making
Responding in a variety of ways to songs and poems
- Problem-solving
- Sorting and classifying
- Sequencing and ordering
Exploring the properties of materials
Responding in a variety of ways to what they see, think hear and feel
Adult Role
The adult could add:
- clipboards, paper and pens for:
Mark-making, drawing, recording information
- camera and video camera for:
Capturing images from the small world to use for book-making
Filming children's own songs, to share with others
- musical instruments for:
Creating musical accompaniments to their singing
- laminated cards with the lyrics of 'Down in the jungle where nobody
goes' typed on to them (see Book Box) for:
Sharing Together
Reading
Singing
Counting
- jungle animal glove and/or finger puppets (www.puppetsbypost.com) for:
Singing
Counting
FUN AND GAMES
There is a lovely website at www.playgroundfun.org.uk where many contributions are from children and come from all over the country. It's a great place to learn new games, as well as being reminded of old favourites. It is also possible to post the rules of new games.
Exploring children's Interests InnIinterestsinterests
TUNING IN
Making time to talk to parents and carers is an important way of finding out about children's current interests and about what matters to them. Such information helps practitioners provide a curriculum that is relevant and meaningful.
Having an existing interest in a particular theme means that children approach it with enthusiasm and expertise, giving them confidence and increased motivation to engage in the activities provided. Children can use this expertise best in carefully planned, open-ended learning opportunities without prescribed uniform outcomes.
ENHANCING PROVISION
Any significant interest that a child or children may have should be explored by enhancing a setting's continuous provision - that is, by adding theme-based resources to the areas of provision that are available daily to children and should comprise:
- role play
- small-world play
- construction play
- sand and water
- malleable materials
- creative workshop area
- graphics area
- book area.
By taking this approach, children can choose to engage with the theme or pursue their own interests and learning independently. Adults need to recognise that children require a suitable length of time to explore any interests in depth and to develop their own ideas.
Adult Role
If children's interests are to be used to create the best possible learning opportunities, the adult role is crucial.
Adults need to be able to:
- enhance continuous provision to reflect children's interests
- use enhancements to plan meaningful learning opportunities across all areas of the EYFS
- know when to intervene in children's play and when to stand back
- recognise that children will need a suitable length of time to explore any area of provision to develop their own ideas
- model skills, language and behaviours
- recognise how observation, assessment and reflection on children's play can enhance their understanding of what young children know and recognise how these should inform their future planning.
Areas of Learning
Personal, social and emotional development
Communication, language and literacy
Problem solving, reasoning and numeracy
Knowledge and understanding of the world
Physical development
Creative development
BOOK BOX
There are many anthologies of playground poems, rhymes and songs available for practitioners. The selection below includes some with attractive illustrations that I think children would also like to browse through. Never be dissuaded from offering quite young children an anthology. If the book is shared with them effectively, by an enthusiastic adult, they will soon learn to browse through it themselves. Practitioners sensitive to the needs of young children will ensure that favourite rhymes are available both indoors and out, whatever the weather! Spend time helping the children to develop a repertoire of poems, rhymes and songs that are particularly appropriate for outdoors. You will be rewarded by seeing children who may be reluctant to join in such sessions indoors, being confident, capable and exuberant when playing outside. Literacy also needs to be planned for taking account of the outdoor environment. Moving inappropriate activities outside will not improve them!
I Saw Esau edited by Iona and Peter Opie, illustrated by Maurice Sendak (Candlewick Press) This is a fantastic collection of rhymes, including such classics as 'Nobody loves me, everybody hates me, Think I'll go and eat worms'. The pictures are simple and amusing, in muted colours.
Playtime Rhymes by Sally Gardner (Orion Publishing) This is a beautifully illustrated book, with an accompanying CD. It is a lovely size for sharing with either a small or a large group, offering a wide range of poetry for use both outdoors and inside.
Playtime Rhymes by Michael Foreman (Walker Books) Another stunningly beautiful collection. The 72 rhymes are illustrated, the actions are demonstrated by a teddy bear, and further explanations are given at the back of the book. A real gem, which young children would very much enjoy browsing through.
Hand Clap! by Sara Bernstein (Adams Media Corporation) A book of 42 hand-clapping games. Useful as an inspiration to make your own book, with photographs of the children in your setting.
Schoolyard Rhymes: Kids' Own Rhymes for Rope Skipping, Hand Clapping, Ball Bouncing, and Just Plain Fun by Judy Sierra and illustrated by Melissa Sweet (Alfred A Knopf Books) Together with The Little Book of Playground Rhymes by Simon MacDonald, Sally Featherstone, and Martha Hardy (Featherstone Education) and This Little Puffin edited by Elizabeth Matterson (Puffin Books), these books are all intended as resource collections for adults, but reproducing individual favourites on cards, with illustrations by the children, would make them accessible to everyone.