In the summer term the outdoor sessions moved to Thursdays and were renamed (following a child's comment) to FUNtastic sessions. These are very popular, regularly attended by 20 children including several from Nursery. We will be going to the Allsorts Free Play Area regularly over the summer holidays, and weekly after school sessions will resume in August.

The last of four children's consultation sessions on Fun Fridays was booked to capacity (24) and a great time was had by all. Digging commenced on the vegetable plot, while tree climbing, pipe rolling, pond dipping, see-sawing and clay modelling went on in the background. The children's ideas wall has chalked up a Tree House, growing things, base building, wooden animals, slides and even a space rocket - so plenty of projects to develop next term when the outdoor sessions move to Thursdays (as many children go to golf and football on Friday). The cost is £5 a session or you can pre-pay and pre-book a four week Fun Thursday package for just £12. Call to text Pat Matheson on 07900 24 74 54 to reserve a place.

Free Play

Starting on Friday 12th February, Allsorts is starting “Free Play” sessions. This will be outdoor, child driven fun and adventure for the youngsters!

By free play we mean a more exciting play environment that has child ownership and is regularly based outdoors. Dornoch Academy has identified an area in their wildlife garden for Allsorts. This natural play area will have logs and pipes and stones that the children can choose to use in different ways. For example they might build shelters, cook outdoors, catch frogs, play in the mud, make a bird table, count butterflies... whatever they choose.

When children take control they develop their natural curiosity through experimentation and problem solving using the material around them. Free play sparks new interests and builds a child’s confidence in their own skills.

Children’s Consultation Sessions – Special Offer
To kick start the process, we are being helped by Highlands Children’s Forum which is a leader in the field of child consultation and will help the children to design the free play environment in Allsorts’ new natural play area.

Four consultation sessions are planned starting on Friday 12 February (half term) and then on Fun Fridays 19 February, 5 March and 19 March

Recording their Progress
The children will be encouraged to record their play by taking photos, creating pictures and models. Starting with the child consultation sessions, they will draw, tell, write and use clay models to convey how they feel about playing outdoors and think about what they can do as individuals to contribute to the plan. The action plan will be a visual display made and agreed by the children. As the plan progresses the children will record the changing landscape of the natural play area and the fun they have had using it!

Fun Friday Charges
In term time we aim to go outside for two hours per week on Fun Fridays when a new sessional charge of £5 will apply (saving parents 10%)! Children will be collected from school at 2:45 as usual and once the older children arrive at 3:15 we will put on the outdoor clothing (provided by Allsorts) and go out!

Children can be collected from 5:15. The £5 charge will cover a maximum of 2.5 hours and must be paid on the day. If you require additional childcare on Fridays then the usual hourly rate of £2.75 applies.

Who is helping us?
We have been offered lots of help for Fun Fridays – from the Forestry Commission who will provide logs and pipes and from the Countryside Ranger who will train the staff in environmental games and carry out sessions with the children on bush crafts and shelter building. Child driven and child led play mean that the staff’s role changes from being a leader to being a collaborator and facilitator – so training courses are being provided to help staff understand and develop the new approach. Staff will also have courses to learn how to develop children’s outdoor problem solving skills and on games and activities using natural materials.

Long term impacts of more Free and Outdoor play
* Better problem solving skills
* Increased self-confidence and self-reliance
* Improved social skills
* Positive attitude to nature (when developed as a child is carried into adulthood)
* Improved health and wellbeing

FAQs

What do we mean by free play?
Free play is freely chosen and child driven. It can be inside or outside, alone or with other children and includes exploring, experimenting, making up games, being creative. There is no right of wrong way to do it – and the activity evolves naturally because the children take the lead in what happens next.

What are the benefits of free play?
Children learn by trial and error, so they develop problem solving skills. They work with one another and improve their social and negotiating skills. Children learn to carry out their own “risk assessment” which is an essential life skill. Children gain self confidence.

What are the benefits of outdoor play?
Think back to your own childhood and pick a favourite activity – chances are it was outdoors, with other children, no adults present, with an element of risk and chosen by you and the other children (e.g. climbing trees, catching frogs, playing hopscotch). Nowadays it is more likely that children will remember playing computer games!

When children are outside there is just so much more room to play and run and climb without the boundaries of inside. For example creative art literally takes on new dimensions – the work can be much bigger, much messier and much more fun! Playing outdoors has been shown to have particular benefits for children with special needs such as autism and ADHD.

Natural materials can be used in play. For example sticks, stones, water, sand, mud. Also “loose items” can be moved and used as the children want – e.g. logs, pipes, stones. They need more imagination and creativity then conventional toys (e.g. try making a tower out of five bricks of Lego, then use five stones instead!). Cooking inside is fun, cooking outside is memorable! Being outside allows for a multi-sensory experience – seeing, smelling, touching, tasting, hearing.

Using the same natural play area weekly will let the children experience the changing seasons, each season bringing its own stimuli.

The buts!!

* What if the weather is bad? We have outdoor clothing for the children and adults so they will be warm and dry on the inside!
* But it gets dark so early for half the year. We will have lanterns and head torches – what fun!
* What about health and safety? Adults will be with the children, and perform dynamic risk assessment. We will also carry out Risk Benefit analysis to identify what the children gain from the experience.

Useful Links (click on the name to visit their web site)
Highland Children's Forum Consulting with children and staff training
Creative Star Learning Company Staff training on Problem Solving and Using Natural Materials
Learning through Landscapes Making the most of outdoor spaces
Free Play Network Better play opportunities for children
Mindstretchers Multi-sensory and real world educational environments
Muddy Faces Resources for outdoor play and forest schools
Centre for Confidence & Well-being Developing confidence and well being
Landscape & Human Health Laboratory Green Play Settings Reduce ADHD Symptoms
Forest Education Initiative Scotland Forest Schools – outdoor schools
Children in Scotland Northern Lights – experience of childhood services in Norway