OPAL - Outdoor Play and Learning

At Rood End we offer OPAL play times.

Our playground does not look like the typical tarmac rectangle that you may imagine! Everywhere you look there are different opportunities for play.

 

You will find children:

 

  • Dancing to music
  • Dressing up in costumes
  • Working out in our gym zone
  • Building structures with cardboard or other items
  • Riding scooters or other wheeled toys
  • Role play with tents, suitcases
  • Going on imaginary adventures
  • Playing with water
  • Making magical potions
  • Cooking and serving meals in our messy café
  • Digging and building in the sand pit
  • Climbing, swinging and playing on our play equipment
  • Building with Lego
  • Playing with Tech Decks and ramps
  • Playing football, cricket, tennis, hockey or basketball

 

 

As you can see, our children have access to a wide range of creative play opportunities – there is something for everyone! We believe that this will help develop pupils in so many ways; developing their creativity, problem solving, interpersonal skills and resilience are some of the highlights. We also want children to take pride in their environment, appreciate the natural world and have a wonderful time every single day!

 

Children are expected to always demonstrate our We R RICH values:

 

Respectful

Resilient

Inclusive

Collaborative

Honest

 

Each week, the Golden Welly is awarded to a class and they receive an additional play time – this is usually for some very creative play, demonstrating our school values and keeping their ‘tidy zone’ look ship shape!

 

We will be outdoors in all weathers so please make sure your child brings a waterproof coat on rainy days, a warm coat on cold days and a sun hat on the hot and sunny days!

 

What can you do to support us?

We are ALWAYS in need of donations of items to keep our OPAL playtimes engaging. We are currently in need of the following:

 

  • Suitcases of any size and type
  • Anything on wheels/castors
  • Briefcases, especially hard cased ones
  • Road signs and cones
  • Tools like small spades/shovels, trowels and brooms
  • Tubes of various sizes and various materials
  • Buckets
  • Nets and thick ropes
  • Keyboards/torches/laptops/calculators/mobile phones/desk phones/webcams/cameras that are no longer working
  • Fabric (large sheets/brightly coloured fabric)
  • Foam sheets/bodyboards/camping roll mats/yoga mats
  • Metal frames
  • Cable drums
  • Guttering
  • Noodles (the type you use in the swimming pool!)
  • Hats/scarves/jazzy shirts/elasticated skirts/waistcoats/wedding dresses/character costumes

 

 

We are offering most of these different play types already and are striving to offer even more in the future. Which of these play types can you provide at home or out of school?