Let’s ‘Play to Learn’
Encourage the children to explore:
- Moving from one spot to another spot
- Moving from one place to another only using the spots as if they were stepping stones in a river
- Taking objects with them, e.g. picnic and things for the beach
- Moving from spot to spot following a pattern they or another child has designed, e.g. red , blue, green, red, blue, green or using numbered spots e.g. 1, 2, 3, 4, … 10, etc.
- Moving from spot to spot using ‘foxes’ so that hands or feet are in contact with the spot in a horizontal climbing action: hand, hand, foot, foot, etc.
- Estimating how many spots they need to move over short distances
Safety & Organisation
Ensure:
- the surface is clean and free from obstructions
- children work in ‘gardens’
Opportunities to
- develop increasing control and co-ordination
- stand and run on tiptoes, jump backwards, hop forwards
- listen and respond readily to instructions
Questions
- How far apart can you place the markers and keep your balance?
- How close together do the spots have to be when you are ‘Foxing’?
- How else can you travel from spot to spot?
- Is it easier to carry one bag or two bags? Why do you think this is?
- How many spots do you think you will need to travel from here to the other end of the playground?
Can you see the child?
- Developing increasing control and co-ordination
- Standing and running on tiptoes, jumping backwards, hopping forwards
- Listening and responding readily to instructions
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Most of the time
Encourage the child to:
- gradually place the spots further and further away from one another
- follow a particular pathway – simple 2D shapes
- follow more complex patterns
- explore carrying heavier, more awkward objects
- estimate the number of spots they would need in different environments
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Sometimes
Encourage the child to:
- practise actions referring to Technical Skills Cards
- practise actions from a mat to mat or larger area to larger area
- keep the distance between spots very small to start with
- discuss what they are going to do first and then complete the task by copying/following a more able child or a practitioner
- place the spots where they want them
- carry very light objects initially