Learning intentions: The benefits of the game are to heighten confidence through success in movement, develop balancing skills, and develop spatial awareness and understanding of the body in space.
Don't be prescriptive about the youngest children starting and finishing, or starting at the beginning - this is an alien concept to them.
The equipment can be arranged to suit any age of child. The one-year-old can be held as they are swung across the 'high jump'. The 20-month-old can have both hands held as they balance on the rope laid on the ground. Two-year-olds will need lower equipment, with much hand-holding from adults. The material on the ground can simply be for the youngest to crawl across. Three-year-olds will need a watchful adult, who may need to be a hand-holder. Four-year-olds will be able to achieve much on their own, especially if they have had similar opportunities before. A child at this age can stand on milk crates, if they have been taught how to stand on them so they don't tip over.
Resources
Just about anything! Boxes, cubes, tunnels, milk crates, carpet squares, ropes, hoops, blankets, A-frames, ladders, skittles, canes
Step by step
1. With the children (either one or more), arrange the equipment in a line or two parallel lines, circle, or randomly. For example, lay out a box, then have a gap, then a rope laid straight on the ground, a gap, then skittles in a line a little apart, a gap, then carpet squares set apart, a gap, then material laid out, and so on.
2. Let the children move about the equipment as they want. Older children may want to compete against a clock or each other, but this really is not compulsory. Younger children may only wish to try one piece of equipment, or they may simply want to do something different with the material - for example, knock the skittles down!
3. Use boxes to step on to, cardboard boxes to get into and out of, ropes to skip with or laid on the ground to walk along or, when arranged in a circle, to jump in and out of. Hollow cubes or tunnels can be used to go through or over. Material can be used to crawl/roll/bunny hop/walk across or crawl under. Arrange a cane across two milk crates to jump/step across or go under. Arrange a stack of two lots of three crates with a cane across the top for one-year-olds to go under - they feel so proud!
Adult role
The adult needs to be available and close by to support the children. Their simple presence will help the children feel confident to have a go, and they can help children by holding their hands or physically lifting them to cross some obstacles. Adults can demonstrate how to do something, or actually take part in a game. They need to give encouraging words, make suggestions as to how to complete an obstacle, and praise children in their attempts.
Helen Bilton is the author of several books on outdoor play for the early years and PGCE programme director at the University of Reading
