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Our Weekly Wanderings – Ideas for Play Based Learning at Home

by The Empowered Educator 1 Comment

I've decided to start up my ‘Weekly Wanderings' series again so I can share regularly some of the fun we get up to each week in my home based child care service and with my own 4 year old twins. There will hopefully be some inspiration and new ideas for parents and also those working with children.
I am a huge believer in play based learning, outdoor exploration and letting kids be kids while they can. I also believe that play and learning does not need to be expensive nor time consuming to set up and pack away. Above all it should be fun for both you and the children.
Let's take a wander through our days last week…..
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem
I added some wicker decorator balls and a tablecloth to the pallet kitchen area and Tara decided we were having ‘meatballs' for breakfast. She spent a lot of time getting everything ready too!
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem
A few ‘new' props added to outdoor play can spark the imagination and prompt communication and role play in a way that is entirely different to indoor play.
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem
Making meatballs in the kitchen for breakfast turned into a whole ‘outdoor cafe' experience as they bustled around setting up chairs and tables, teapots and saucers, baskets of goodies and the keyboard and phone to attend to customers……
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem
Toddlers made and investigated the prints made in the sand by new gumboots……
 
There was lots of just plain soaking up the sunshine on cold Winter's mornings….free play is just as important to a child's learning journey and if you watch closely and listen carefully you will often notice magical moments occurring….like the flying of an airplane to save your sister in the boat cause she might hit a rock soon…..on a seesaw.
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem

There were impromptu morning teas and lunches on the mats in the sun as the group decided how they wanted to proceed with their shop play…..meal times don't always need structure and routine or even a set time!

We incorporated many activities to support shape recognition, naming, counting and colour this week through the use of puzzles, books, craft and song….but not a stencil or worksheet was in sight…
The older children helped me to cut out the shapes and the toddlers had fun painting them and arranging patterns.
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem

There were activities to extend upon the current interest in tools and fixing things…..

And playdough Birthday cakes to be made with straw candles and then served on special red paper plates …I think the twins upcoming 4th Birthday might have prompted this particular play ๐Ÿ˜‰

There were mats set up in the sun ready for play….a different invitation was offered each morning even though I only used the same materials throughout the week.
There is always something new to explore with old materials when you  allow yourself to think outside the box.
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem
Coloured gems and pebbles were a huge hit last week. There was a treasure hunt using the trucks to collect them from around the yard, they were used to decorate cakes in the sandpit, They became money for the shop and they even served as baby food at the outdoor highchairs.
A simple resource that offered hours of fun and learning. The different activities provided opportunities for problem solving, exploration, communication, counting, sequencing and imaginary play.
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem

And best of all it even kept the toddlers busy for a whole morning!

Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem
There was an outdoor vet surgery set up to help all the soft animals…..
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem
Bandages were applied….
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem

Sores were washed with cotton balls and medicine was given by syringe….

Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem
Beds for the animals to sleep in were made in baskets, boxes and chairs with blankets and cloth nappies…..
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem

There was lots of opportunity to talk about the role of vets in our community, the animals being fixed and the noises they make, the injuries and illnesses, what the animals need to eat to feel better and lots of team work and role play to explore.

Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem
Invitations to Ruby and Tara's Fairy Princess Garden Party were finished and handed out to friends….
Our belonging tree had a makeover with activities from the previous week now added to the display through the use of photos…
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem
And a new display wall featuring collages of our favourite activities from the last month proved very popular with the children who proudly showed their ‘work' to interested parents. There's always time to look at photos!
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem
We looked at the pictures in my new story book for toddlers and talked about the fun we can have outside….You can purchase the Aussie edition of the book here and the American edition here if interested.
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem
We went on a little hunter gatherer walk around our vegetable garden and fruit trees….amazing the things a child's eye will see that an adult's does not!
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem
We picked and tasted mandarins, lemons and passionfruit….although lots of fun it was also an activity that challenged our senses and offered opportunities to practice fine and gross motor skills as well as opening discussion about the colours of the fruits and how we get inside each one.
Ideas and inspiration for outdoor play based learning - Mummy Musings and Mayhem
It was an adventure in sustainability as we pulled passionfruits off another tree to reveal new apples growing underneath and bananas beginning to turn yellow as they nestled in their bunch. Both would soon be ready to eat…but not yet it was decided after much chatting!
It also tired us out nicely before rest time!

 

And at the end of the week there were toys to wash and surfaces to clean…but we turned that into a learning activity too as the twins helped me wash in the tub and spread toys out in the sun to dry.
We talked about why we need to wash the toys, remembered how we had played with them and wondered what opportunities for play next week might hold….

What did you play with last week?

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for more early years play ideas and inspiration!


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Filed Under: Home daycare, outside play

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Comments

  1. Fiona says

    16/05/2017 at 8:45 pm

    love what you do in your practice, loads of inspiring ideas . thank you for sharing

    Reply

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Jodie
Hi, I'm Jode, Mum to twins and a teen, and an early childhood educator.
I love to share ideas & resources for play based learning
Find out more about me here...

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