NEWTONS PRIMARY SCHOOL
Outdoor Play and Learning
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Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL) is an award-winning, mentor-supported programme designed to enhance the quality of play in schools. At Newton’s, we are committed to providing enriching outdoor play experiences that support the emotional, mental, and physical well-being of our children. Playtime makes up 20% of a child’s school day, and we believe this time should be valued and celebrated. Through OPAL, we create opportunities for children to develop essential life skills such as resilience, creativity, cooperation, and problem-solving. By fostering a play-rich environment, we empower our pupils to flourish, not only in their academic learning but also in their personal growth and development.
Our school vision is to inspire every child to be a lifelong learner, empowered to succeed and reach their full potential. OPAL aligns with our core values by encouraging generosity, resilience, enthusiasm, aspiration, thoughtfulness, and greatness. We strive to create a school environment where children feel confident to take risks, explore new ideas, and build positive relationships with their peers. By embedding OPAL into our daily routine, we ensure that play is not just a break from learning but an integral part of it, helping every child to develop the skills and qualities they need to thrive. Together, we reach for our personal best, making every play experience meaningful and rewarding. |
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The Benefits of Play
Children learn through their play
Don’t underestimate the value of play. Children learn and develop:
· cognitive skills – like math and problem solving in a pretend grocery store
· physical abilities – like balancing blocks and running on the playground
· new vocabulary – like the words they need to play with toy dinosaurs
· social skills – like playing together in a pretend car wash
· literacy skills – like creating a menu for a pretend restaurant
Play is healthy
Play helps children grow strong and healthy. It also counteracts obesity issues facing many children today.
Play reduces stress
Play helps your children grow emotionally. It is joyful and provides an outlet for anxiety and stress.
Play is more than meets the eye
Play is simple and complex. There are many types of play: symbolic, sociodramatic, functional, and games with rules-–to name just a few. Researchers study play’s many aspects: how children learn through play, how outdoor play impacts children’s health, the effects of screen time on play, to the need for recess in the school day.
Make time for play
As parents, you are the biggest supporters of your children’s learning. You can make sure they have as much time to play as possible during the day to promote cognitive, language, physical, social, and emotional development.
Play and learning go hand-in-hand
They are not separate activities. They are intertwined. Think about them as a science lecture with a lab. Play is the child’s lab.
Play outside
Remember your own outdoor experiences of building forts, playing on the beach, sledding in the winter, or playing with other children in the neighbourhood. Make sure your children create outdoor memories too.
Trust your own playful instincts
Remember as a child how play just came naturally? Give your children time for play and see all that they are capable of when given the opportunity.
Play is a child’s context for learning
Children practice and reinforce their learning in multiple areas during play. It gives them a place and a time for learning that cannot be achieved through completing a worksheet. For example, in playing restaurant, children write and draw menus, set prices, take orders, and make out checks. Play provides rich learning opportunities and leads to children’s success and self-esteem.
