Characteristics of effective learning – Playing and Exploring – Part 3
The playing and exploring characteristic of effective learning has been broken down into three sub-sections. We have already discussed the first two sections; finding out and exploring and playing with what they know which leaves be willing to ‘have a go’ left to be explored. All children under the foundation stage will at some point during the day display this particular characteristic of effective learning. This is a particularly important way children engage with learning and is an important skill to acquire and keep for lifelong learning. Keeping this characteristic of effective learning embedded in a child’s thoughts and actions is incredibly important for learning as without taking a risk and be willing to ‘have a go’ it can be difficult to learn and develop new skills. A positive attitude around learning is incredibly important for future success and achieving the best possible outcomes.
Top 4 activities to support and promote playing and exploring – be willing to ‘have a go.’
Many of the characteristics of effective learning in the are willing to ‘have a go’ section will be displayed during every day free play, activities, next step exercises. However, these are some activities to challenge and allow risk.
· Forest schools – Forest schools follow a philosophy of allowing children to show their interests and initiate the session’s activities. They also allow children to take risks and learn how to manage them; children are given the opportunity to climb, build dens, play in water and build their own fires many of which will be new experiences for children
· Real tools – Some settings choose to allow children access to real tools during their play, and this provides children with the opportunity to take risks as they explore them and learn how to use them. It challenges them to use the tools something which is often a new experience for children when they are first allowed to use real tools. Children often want to immediately have a go and show a can-do attitude to using the tools safely and managing the risks
· Obstacle courses – Great for providing a physical challenge and children love helping to create these and join in with them. Depending on how the course is created it can offer a certain level of risk and children can learn by trial and error the quickest and easiest way to navigate the course.
· Den building – Children love getting involved, engaging and sharing ideas during a den building session. Practitioners may choose to leave den building materials readily available to children can initiate when they engage in this activity. This can often provide significant challenges and allows the children to learn through a process of trial and error as they discover what works and doesn’t work as they use various materials and methods to build their dens.