The School-age 2 team at RisingOaks Early Learning | St. Patrick had fun participating in outdoor activities. We have spent time this winter playing on our snow hills in the before and after school program and PD days. The children have been designing and redesigning the snow hill with small fallen branches. We have been taking turns sliding down the hills and playing several games like fort, snow monster, mountain climbing and sliding down the hill. 

  We have taken advantage of our time outside by going out in the mornings early to get extra time on our snow hills. We have enjoyed playing together and had fun carrying out our common interests of playing active games. Some of the children worked together to design a snow forte and they went back to it each day with their friends to turn the snow into side walls for their fortes. 

Snow monster was a game we played that I also participated in. Snow monster was a tag game where the majority of the children were safe on top of the hill and if they came down to the tarmac area they would get tagged. We talked about safety rules and how we could only play on days where the snow hill and tarmac is not icy. Mountain climbing was a fun game where we used small sticks to poke into the side of the hill and assist our climb just like we are doing real mountain climbing. Sliding down the hill was a school age favourite. The children created a fun ramp slide with snow one day and they all took turns sliding down it. 

The children are using their gross motor skills and  large muscle movements when playing active games. They are using their social skills by communicating with peers and teachers when deciding what to create and on rules of the games. The children are cooperating and working together to decide on plans with each other for their changing interests and games. The children are learning about stability and structure building and they are being creative. The children  are learning about hands on problem solving, making decisions and taking turns. The children are learning risky play and how to be safe by establishing rules with each other and the teachers for the snow hill. We can continue to play with the snow outside and build activities based on our interest.