It Not "Just Recess" Anymore!

Teachers often heave a sigh of relief when they take their students out to recess. Finally! The children can burn off the pent up energy they had been accruing for the past few hours indoors. But what if we change our outlook on outdoor play time? What if we create an outdoor environment that offered all of the learning opportunities that one would typically find indoors? What if children could run out to a well-planned play yard to find experiences in math, science, nature, dramatic play, water, building and construction, sensory activities, physical development, art and music? What if they play yard developed critical thinking, discovery, problem solving, and cooperative skills? The result would be that we wouldn't have "just recess" anymore. We would have The Outdoor Classroom!

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Bike "Parking" Solution!

I was visiting a preschool the other day and I absolutely LOVED their creative idea for 'parking' their 2-wheel bikes. Currently, we battle the parking solution every day. Our creative Outdoor Curriculum Specialist marked off 'parking spaces' in red duct tape for the 3-wheelers. But the 2-wheelers tend to get dropped, flopped, and abandoned without much thought from our pint-sized riders.

I must say, we will be creating this parking solution at our next site work day. The racks are simply a large round of PVC, painted red, and held down with curved PVC joints that were cemented to the concrete. Large slits were cut into the PVC to accomodate several front tires from the bikes.


Marvelous!!
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7 comments:

  1. Kierna CMarch 26, 2013 at 9:04 AM

    Love the simplicity of this idea, so good to see you back posting again, missed you!

    ReplyDelete
  2. KristinMarch 27, 2013 at 7:21 PM

    Thanks, Kierna! I've missed the blogging scene...it is good to be back!

    ReplyDelete
  3. reginagMay 10, 2013 at 7:33 AM

    Students will be happy happy having it.

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    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownMay 17, 2013 at 3:02 AM

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  5. CosypeteJune 4, 2013 at 1:43 PM

    Hi Kristin,
    I'd really like to contact the folk who created that idea, could I ask for the school name. I'm interested in creating the product here in the uk.
    Pete e cosy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. KristinJune 12, 2013 at 8:20 PM

      I don't think I can give the name, however, this was so simply made by a large PVC pipe, painted red, and cut to make the wheel slots. They used PVC corner joints to stand it up on each edge, the filled the joints with concrete. They had some parents put it together for them.

      Delete

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