Let’s ‘Play to Learn’
Encourage the children to:
- Imagine they are trapped in a castle and someone/thing comes to rescue them. The only way to escape is to hide in the rescuer’s ‘bubble’, where they become invisible. If they move outside the bubble or touch their rescuer, the magic spell will be broken. They must move quickly through the castle’s tunnels and corridors, across the moat to freedom.
- Share one another’s ‘bubbles’. Start one behind the other – the child in the front is the ‘leader’, the child behind is the ‘follower’. The follower tries to stay in the leader’s ‘bubble’ but not touch the leader.
- Children decide what happens if they touch the leader or move outside the leader’s ‘bubble’.
- Decide the route they will take to escape when they are the ‘leader’.
- Play both roles – ‘leader’ and ‘follower’.
- Develop and wear costumes/crowns/masks to enhance the role play.
Safety & Organisation
Ensure:
- the surface is clean and free from obstructions
- children understand the ‘bubble’ concept
- costumes do not restrict children’s movements or vision
Opportunities to
- develop increasing control over large body movements
- follow simple rules of a game
- role play in partnership with other children
Questions
- How did you get trapped in the castle? Who did you imagine you were? Who came to rescue you?
- What were you looking at as you followed your partner?
- How big was your leader’s ‘bubble’?
- Which action was the easiest to do as you were following?
- What did you imagine might happen if you touched the rescuer?
- Which did you like being best – the ‘leader’ or the ‘follower’?
Can you see the child?
- Developing increasing control over large body movements
- Following simple rules of a game
- Role playing in partnership with other children
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Most of the time
Encourage the child to:
- run to catch up with the leader
- complete a slalom course as part of the escape route
- imagine a smaller bubble to keep within
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Sometimes
Encourage the child to:
- hold partner’s hand
- walk slowly
- discuss which route they will take before they start
- practise running an escape route by themselves
- use a hoop or large piece of elastic to keep the pair close together
- imagine the rescuer has a really large bubble to hide in