With the arrival of spring and the melting of snow, the outdoor environment has transformed into a more open, flexible and inviting space for play in our Afterschool 1 program. The absence of snow has created opportunities for children to engage in a wider range of organized and cooperative games using diverse equipment such as parachutes, hula hoops, balls, dominos, scooters, bikes and more from our outdoor cart. Another lovely addition is bringing out our art cart which allows children to colour, draw on the picnic table while the others are playing, to decompress from their busy day of learning at school.
The first day we brought out our outdoor cart, and art cart, the children eagerly explored the newly accessible materials right away. A group gathered around the parachute working together to lift, lower, and coordinate their movements with the help of an educator. They communicated with one another, “Hold it from here, not the other part,” “If you go far, we will also have to move with you,” said Praise- making sure their peers were aware of their spatial surroundings in a shared space. They negotiated roles, and laughed as they rippled the parachute up and down, fostering a strong sense of belonging and team work.
Nearby children engaged in soccer and basketball games. Reid and Educator Shrishti worked together to make a triangular pattern with 3 tires and make a basketball shooting game. As others saw us put it together, they joined us and we played a game of hoops with tires. They practiced aiming, throwing far, demonstrating growing control over their bodies and refining gross motor skills.
Some children creatively incorporated tires as seats by lifting, rolling and using logs to sit on them, as they people-watched and spot cars from the fence. They engaged in conversation, identification of various types of vehicles and pets on walks with their families too. Children also really enjoy drawing pictures on the picnic table and once in a while, we do get to enjoy eating our afternoon snack, picnic style on the table or by setting a mat on the ground- making these spring time experiences memorable.
Moving forward, we will continue to build on the children’s growing interest in collaborative and active outdoor play by intentionally incorporating a variety of open-ended materials as well as organized games.
Educators will support and extend this learning by encouraging turn-taking, teamwork, and problem-solving, while still allowing space for child-led exploration and creativity.
By providing opportunities that challenge both gross motor development and social interaction, we aim to deepen the children’s sense of belonging and well-being in the outdoor environment, while nurturing their confidence, independence, and collaborative skills.
