Possibilities for being active, noisy, multi-sensory and messy support the way young children like to play creatively and there is room for movement and large-scale working.
Resources
3Rainwear as protective clothing 3Trolleys, tool boxes and tubs 3Pegs, tape and string 3Fences, mesh, trellis 3Plastic sheeting, shower curtains, cotton sheets 3Large cardboard boxes, wallpaper lining rolls 3Chalks, charcoal, pencils, crayons, big felt pens, clipboards 3Thick and thin paint in bottles for squirting and spraying 3A wide range of brushes, sponges, kitchen utensils 3Ribbons, rope, strips of colourful carrier bags 3Lengths of colourful and shiny fabrics 3Tinsel and garlands 3Old CDs, beads, shells and shiny or attractive items 3Cameras by Frederick Leo Leonni (Hodder and Stoughton) 3Angel pavement by Quentin Blake (Red Fox)
Children can
- Chalk on the ground, walls and other surfaces
- Make elaborate and extensive chalk drawings in groups
- Be inspired to draw by something from the outdoor world
- Work with both hands on a large-scale painting
- Paint with a friend on either side of a hanging plastic sheet
- Explore the use of large brushes and other application tools
- Work with just one or two colours reflecting the natural world
- Spray water on to a painting observing how the colours run, spread and merge
- Paint and chalk in the rain and on wet surfaces
- Experiment with the behaviour of runny paint
- Hand-print on walls with thick paint
- Squish thick paint between two layers of clear plastic sheet, making the colours mingle
- Put paint into a puddle and watch it mix with the water, then ride or walk through it with bikes and wellies
- Walk along lining paper with muddy or painty feet
- Splash, spray, squirt and drip runny paint on a large canvas or the ground
- Wash paint off surfaces with a hose or soapy water and brushes
- Weave and tie materials into fences around the outdoor space
- Explore the concepts of 'in and out', 'going through' and 'connecting'
- Decorate bushes, dens and the climbing frame with attractive and colourful items
- Use natural materials, fabrics and construction resources to make big 2D and 3D temporary sculptures.
