Does this sound familiar?
I receive many emails for advice like this one from teachers who are feeling the pressure to justify their play-based outdoor programs to parents, administrators or colleagues.
Lisa Murphy aka The Ooey Gooey Lady refers to these folk as 'wolves':
Wolves ....desire to know the rationale for flubber, the developmentally appropriateness of ooblick, the reason for the hokey pokey...and seem to search incessantly for an overall justification of the importance of what we might call “play.” Wolves desire goals, objectives and activities that are aligned with standards, benchmarks and an assortment of desired results. - A Crash Course in the Language of the Wolves by Lisa Murphy
How do we deal with wolves? We learn to speak their language. Confidently explaining what children are learning when they play can work wonders to allay the fears of parents in a world where many feel pressured to hurry their children up and prepare them for the next level of their education.
Learning to speak the language of the wolves can be as simple as linking 'learning words' with play experiences when we speak to parents, says Murphy:
When we are squeezing playdough we are strengthening our hands and eventually, when our hands and fingers are strong enough, we are able to hold pencils.
So inspired, I've tweaked and added to Lisa Murphy's list of 'learning words' to make them applicable to outdoor play. You can use these words to help you explain what the children are doing when they play outside:
I have created this as an A4 sized document which you can download easily by clicking here. Print it out and pop it on your notice board, add it to your newsletter or use the words in everyday conversations with parents.
As Lisa Murphy says:
Great will be the day when we no longer have to defend what we do – but for now, we do. So we must be armed with an arsenal of information!
(I'd love you to let me know if you find handouts like this one useful.)