Nursery children at Cottingley Primary School in Leeds were taken to a world beyond their wildest dreams recently, and they didn't even have to leave the school building! Staff had great fun transforming the school hall into an imaginary world over a weekend with the help of students from Leeds University and the support of local businesses.
The aims of the project were to offer all children, from nursery to Year 6, a multi-sensory experience that would motivate them to work imaginatively and inspire rich use of language. The project was also planned to coincide with World Book Day and nursery staff decided to introduce children to the idea through the book Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.
Outside the hall, a bedroom scene was constructed and, to the nursery children, this was Max's bedroom. They entered the magical environment through a door in the bedroom to be met with an exciting combination of sounds, sights and smells.
The children began their journey in a forest of real pine trees - in pots! - and bark chipping paths where they met birds of prey and a fox. Children shivered as the sound of gales howled through speakers above them and lighting effects produced a 'snowstorm'.
Those who dared then went on to explore a spooky castle with torches, entering via a rather daunting drawbridge. Through a waterfall made from strips of plastic, netting and silver fabric, children discovered an island inhabited by many strange creatures. Sounds from the jungle could be heard all around them. A smoke-breathing dragon guarded its eggs next to a rock pool full of real fish. Near to a castaway shelter, a small rowing boat was tethered. Children could feel sand between their toes and hear crashing waves as they imagined they were sailing far away.
The project ran for two weeks and children visited the hall in small groups. Max and the Wild Things were soon upstaged by the children's own imaginative ideas and exciting stories evolved, although it was interesting to identify elements of familiar stories in their play!
A video of children's responses to the experience was made and shown to parents who couldn't wait to enter the 'dream world' themselves! Poems and stories were shared throughout school and local pre-school settings invited in to share the experience.
As the rather depressing task of dismantling the environment loomed, it was agreed unanimously that this should become an annual event. Perhaps a journey into space next year? Plans are already underway!