What’s Going On?
An Approach to Open Ended Play
Our Setting
A large Early Years Unit
within a primary school with
30 Reception aged children
and around 15 Nursery
children each session.
Time for a Change
-Structured planning and
approach.
-Activities which focussed on the
product not the process.
-Planning did not reflect the
interests or prior learning of the
children.
Ethos and
Approach
That children should enjoy
learning and be fully involved in it.
-By planning for hands on
activities
-Child led activities
-Open ended resources
The Indoor Area
In the indoor area we added
more open ended areas of
provision. These included:
-A stage area
-A large junk modelling area
-A stage area
-A woodwork area
-A clay area
Outdoor Resources
-Tyres
-Wooden planks
-Tarpaulin and large sheets
-Drainpipes and guttering
-Hosepipes and
plastic tubing
-A selection of crates
-Large cardboard boxes
-Large blackboards
-Wooden reels
The Outdoor Area
Resources are brought in by parents
and donated by local companies.
These resources are stored in piles
within the outdoor area. There are no
set areas and so resources are used
for a full range of activities. With
the introduction of the new
resources, the play is observed to be
very different. The children use the
resources in a variety of ways,
working collaboratively and creatively
and becoming far more absorbed in
their play.
Transporting
Water
Water play was now no longer restricted
to a water tray within the outdoor area.
Instead, water was transported to every
part of the outdoor area using a variety
of large and small containers. We
provided empty, cleaned out plastic oil
drums, large rubber containers, buckets,
tarpaulins and large watering cans
alongside drainpipes, guttering, tubes,
pulleys and hosepipes. Water
exploration became part of other
activities including building and
imaginative play.
Transporting waterProblem solving
The resources led to lots of
opportunities for problem solving. This
could be individual children selecting
resources for a particular purpose or,
on other occasions, this was seen in
collaborative play when children would
work together towards a common goal.
This was seen when many of the
children worked together, combining
resources to create a paddling pool on
a hot day.
Building Dens
The introduction of milk crates,
bread crates, tarpaulins , tyres,
wooden planks and builder’s sacks
gave children lots of opportunities
to create their own structures
and spaces. These structures
would often be a key part of a
particular child’s play and tended
to evolve over time.
Structures
Staff would support the
children in creating structures
for a purpose such as on rainy or
very hot, sunny days.
Building
Creative Activities
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Creative
Activities
Creative Activities
The children were able to use paint
more readily as part of outdoor play.
They painted on:
-their own structures
-walls, often adding different
patterns
-The wet tarmac and added paint to
puddles.
The Weather
Planning became much more
flexible and spontaneous with the
weather often influencing the
activities. This meant that on wet
days the children would often
explore puddles, paint onto wet
surfaces and find minibeasts.
Physical Skills
The children developed a range
of physical activities through
using the resources in a variety
of ways.
-Constructing a variety of
structures and dens
-Balancing as they walked across
planks of wood
-Climbing on, over and through
different resources
Developing and
Understanding Concepts
Children were observed to
be exploring and challenging
concepts through their play.
-Using their whole bodies to
explore the properties of
shape and space
-Exploring the properties of
water
“Thought is …action carried
on inwardly.” Isaacs
Risk Taking
-The children develop in their
ability to assess risk.
-They become more aware of when
they feel safe or unsafe
Chaos, Mess and Risks
Staff observed the
play closely in order to
develop an
understanding of the
children’s interests
and emerging themes.
The Role of
the Adult
-To observe the children as they
play.
-To develop an in depth knowledge
of the different ways that the
children learn and develop.
-To encourage the children to use
their own ideas and to support them
in carrying them out.
-To record the children’s
development and learning as it takes
place.
Recording
Learning Journey Books
Individual books for each of
the children provided a rich
record of the ways that the
play had developed over
time. They also showed a
how, through this play, the
children were developing a
range of concepts and skills.
Planning
Planning Based on the Children’s Interests
The children
were observed
to be fascinated
by exploring a
range of slopes
and gradients.
Planning Based on the Children’s Interests
We talked about how slopes and
gradients are used in everyday life
and showed the children footage of
roller coasters. We discussed how
slopes meant that the roller coaster
went slower or faster at different
times during the ride and what that
felt like to the passengers. This led
to discussion and exploration of
forces.
Planning Based on the Children’s Interests
The children used
crates to build for a
variety of purposes.
We looked at these crate sculptures.
The children thought that they looked
funny and understood the challenges of
creating sculptures in this way and on
this scale.
Planning Based on the
Children’s Interests
We looked at, and talked about, this house made out of
crates. This prompted discussion about the design of the
house and what it would be like inside.
Planning Based on the
Children’s Interests
We were all amazed to find
that it looked like this!
What Does it Mean
for Our Children?
-Confident, well motivated
learners.
-Resourceful children who work
well collaboratively and are
skilled problem solvers.