Outdoor Play Party - Crate Fun!

 

I have done a previous post on the wonderful crates I have in the playground over here but I felt it was time to write another post on these amazing resources!

I can't get enough of crates: milk crates, bread crates, shopping crates, you name a crate & I will find a use for it!

Our milk crates, now referred to as 'H' crates by Cosy have been a firm playground favourite for over 8 years now, they provide seating outdoors & the fact they are plastic means they can stay outside all year round. When not being used as seats, they are great for allowing children to reach up build higher towers or to gain access to their wellies. Lined up they make brilliant walkways & they can be stacked up to a maximum of 3 to make thrones. 

We now have several bread crates in use too, some for storage under the shelves in the mud kitchen, some for use with the bread crate dolley, the latter provides hours of fun as the children take turns pulling each other around the playground.

We also have one as a 'trampoline' in the forest area.

Then we acquired some of those green shopping crates from a well known supermarket. They are brilliant for climbing over & around & balancing planks to make walkways. These are also used a lot in my setting as storage for resources.

The best thing about crates is that they provide drainage so sticks & resources can stay outside without becoming sodden on wet days. 

My favourite post from the last OPP was from Jessica over Growing Inch by Inch - her post Sometimes I just Ignore the Children resonated so much with me & my practice. It was one of the biggest things I took away from a week I spent in a kindergarten in Norway - to step back from the play outside & allow the children to take ownership. Now our role in the playground is one of observers rather than actively teaching.

"Now it’s time for this week’s Outdoor Play Party. We would appreciate it if you included a link back to this post (either in your post or sidebar) to help us spread the word about the importance (and fun!) of outdoor play! In return, we’ll gladly further share your post on Pinterest. Please feel free to grab the Outdoor Play Party button from the sidebar and/or include a text link back. Please note that by contributing you are giving permission for an image and link to your post to be republished if featured.(If you have been featured, please feel free to grab the ‘featured at’ button from the sidebar.) Share your ideas for outdoor play activities with us every other week!"

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