PRETEND HOUSE BRICKS
TTS GROUP
AGE: 3+
PRICE: £54.99
CONTACT: 0800 318686 or www.tts-group.co.uk
This pack consists of 25 bricks, made from strong foam, all the size and colour of a house brick.
Tested by Barton Nursery, Torquay, Devon
'We introduced the bricks to the children after reading the story of The Three Little Pigs. Initially, it was used as an exploratory product for the children to make a house for the pig. We then asked them to do some tasks. For example, could they make a square house, a round house and a triangle house? Could they make a wall with holes in it? They were able to extend their learning naturally. First they built up the wall straight and then realised that it was more stable if the bricks were staggered. Another teacher put some bricks in her Bob the Builder role play area with a wheel barrow and some builders' tools. The product is tough, resilient and safe. I think it's quite reasonably priced. The children's lack of comments spoke volumes - they were just so absorbed in the task.'
Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Very Good
DEN MAKING SET
TTS GROUP
AGE: 3+
PRICE: £32.99
CONTACT: 0800 318686 or www.tts-group.co.uk
This set includes a 6ft x 8ft flame retardant woodland netting and a 6ft x 6ft camouflage tarpaulin.
Tested by Alyth Kindergarten, north London
'We tied the tarpaulin to the climbing frame and let the netting hang down the side so that the children could go in and out. They loved hiding inside the climbing frame on which it was set up, and the staff liked the fact they could see them though the scramble net as they played. One group of boys told the girls, 'This army tent is for boys only', but the girls were not impressed and joined the game anyway. When we found a lizard in our back garden, we talked about camouflage and the children were very excited to discover that their tent was also camouflage.
'All dens and little hide-away areas encourage children's speech and language communications skills. This product did not necessarily enhance this further, but it had the side effect of encouraging more physically excitable behaviours. It's safe, but the children need supervising, as they could catch something in the scramble netting. It's expensive for a tarpaulin and we have bought several cheaper versions from DIY stores.'
Star Rating: 3 out of 5 Good[QQ]
GIANT JUMP DUMBELL
DIRECT EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
AGE: 3+
PRICE: £49.99
CONTACT: 0800 0434142 or www.des-uk-shop.com
A colourful blow-up device, made from nylon and vinyl, with grip handles to allow two children to sit and bounce at a time.
Tested by Harwick County Primary and Nursery School, Essex
'The children enjoyed this product; it engaged their attention, enhancing collaborative learning and supporting the development of social skills. It was also good for sharing and turn-taking, as well as physical skills as they attempted to manoeuvre the dumbbell to different parts of the outdoor area. Lots of giggling could be heard and all the children were eager to have a go. Imaginative play was also supported as the children used the item to represent a camel. We had some problems initially, as there were no instructions or pieces supplied to allow us to pump the parts full of air. But the supplier later sent them to us. There were no safety concerns, but I would encourage children of the same age and weight to sit on either side to support the balance. It seems a reasonable value for the price; the materials used are of a good standard, and we would definitely consider buying it.'
Star Rating: 3 out of 5 Good
WE-GO SYSTEM
MINDSTRETCHERS
AGE: 2+
PRICE: £140
CONTACT: 01764 664409 or www.mindstretchers.co.uk
An assortment of six small bags attached to a waterproof base by Velcro straps, which can be hung on to a fence using the quick-release clips and folds into its own bag for easy storage. (Resources in bags not included).
Tested by Bolsover Infant and Nursery School, Chesterfield, Derbyshire
'This is a must for any nursery or Key Stage 1 school, due to its versatility in activity use and compactness for storage. The product is brightly coloured and easy-to-handle for little hands that love to explore. The children had great fun taking the bags to their favourite place in the outdoor area and using the resources to enhance their activity. The bags were filled with magnifying glasses, bug collectors, gardening gloves for those who don't like to get dirty, little clipboards and pencils, bug identification kits and a collection of plastic bugs for the children who were too anxious to collect their own bugs. It was a huge motivator for the boys, in particular those who love the outdoors. It gave a focal point for the children to congregate, helping them develop independence and the ability to collect and tidy away their resources. The uses for this item are endless and are only limited by the imagination of the people using it. It's extremely safe and very well thought-out. Although it's a large initial outlay, I think it's worth every penny because of the quality of materials offered and its life span.'
Star Rating 5 out of 5 Excellent
STORY TELLING APRON
MINDSTRETCHERS
AGE: for adult use
PRICE: £20
CONTACT: 01764 664409 or www.mindstretchers.co.uk
An apron with a waterproof back containing pockets to hold an assortment of props to engage children in storytelling outdoors (tested with a set of three miniature resources, £6).
Tested by Frederick Bird Primary School, Coventry
'The concept of the storytelling apron is a good one, but unfortunately we did not find it suitable for its intended use. The pockets were adequate to hold the miniatures provided, but were too shallow to hold our own props. A practitioner sat on a large tree truck in our outdoor area and read the story Owl Babies to the children using soft toy owls and feathers but the pockets could not hold our props. The waterproof section at the back was useful because it protected the practitioner's clothing when she sat on a wet tree trunk. The themed miniatures resources included were too small to engage the attention of a group of children. Also, they were labeled 'This is not a toy' and 'Unsuitable for children under three years old' and it seemed poor that children could not handle the story props.'
Star Rating: 2 out of 5 Satisfactory
WATER PLAY RESOURCES
EARLY EXCELLENCE
AGE: 2+
PRICE: £485 for full water play collection (can be bought
individually); curriculum guidance booklet £8.75
CONTACT: 01422 311314 or www.earlyexcellence.com
This collection includes high-quality, open-ended resources to support exploration and investigation with water outdoors. Designed to help children be physically active, follow ideas, explore mark-making, and play imaginatively and collaboratively. Individual sets come in a storage container.
Tested by Holly House Day Nursery, Walkden, Manchester
'The use of water on a large scale outdoors has brought a whole new world of excitement to the children. We introduced half the resources in the first week, with the practitioners inputting ideas and language opportunities, and then slowly introduced the rest of the resources over the following week. The children love to transport the water around using pipes, guttering and connectors to create different waterways. All the time they are thinking about how water travels and where they want it to end up. The set includes watering cans, buckets, bowls, pegs, a washing line, measuring jugs, hosepipes and other items for exploring the flow. The younger children love using the paint brushes to apply water to different surfaces, using gross motor skills to make marks. The water area has created opportunities for toddlers and pre-schoolers to work together to explore the resources with lots of sharing of language and ideas and creativity. The products are completely safe but adult supervision is needed so children can take on challenges under a watchful eye. To be successful, the resources need to be freely accessible to children at all times.'
Star Rating: 4 out 5 Very Good
All prices exclusive of VAT and post/packaging
BEST BUY
For Jennie Lindon, child psychologist ...
'When it comes to buying outdoor equipment, practitioners should think about enhancing the natural environment and complementing what's already there. Buy some decent digging implements, have wheelbarrows and bags available to transport rich natural materials and invest in some good magnifying glasses so that children can look at small insects.'
For a set of four easy-to-hold magnifiers made from rubberwood, priced at £25, visit www.mindstretchers.co.uk.