Thursday 30 April 2015

Developing activities from the park workshops

  • Dogs workshop
The activity with each group is developed in the working timetable along a morning. The duration depends on the age of boys and girls and the sequence of routines. 
As a result, we dedicate two different mornings: one for the 3 years old room in the timetable between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.; the other mornings is reserved for the 5 and 6 years old pupils from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

In addition, this association makes easier having smaller groups and a suitable adaptation to the level of communication and exchange of information at those ages. 
Independently of the pupil´s age, the chosen groups and the duration, all the sessions are developed in a similar sequence of activities. 
The first phase: in the facilities of the school (classrooms…). Information about dogs, characteristics, behavior, way of understanding them and mixing with them. 
The second phase: in the park. Recognition of dogs. Our behavior. Interview with the owner and collecting information for our classroom file: name of the animal, age, breed, tastes and entertainment. 
In all the activities of this sequence, the educational proposal comes from the father who is in charge of the proper action. He selects and presents the information from the session, proposes questions, collects doubts from boys and girls, offers answers and proposes different ways to act according to the different situations we can face with dogs in the park.


  • Creation of frameworks to make recycled paper
Each activity developed by each group last 40 minutes. During that time, boys and girls build a rectangular wooden frame, paste it with glue, pin it with nails, cut out the hairnet by the same size than the frame and staple it. To make easy the autonomy and the safety of the whole actions, all children will use some wooden patterns designed by Javier at this carpenter´s workshop. These patterns consist of a frame size board fasten by some strips that allow pupils to use tools without harming their fingers. 


Activity report
Visual documentation

  • Making recycled paper
The activity is developed by 24 boys and girls who are 4 years old, and 16 pupils from the 5 years old group. It is realized in the working timetable. This activity is scheduled following a sequence. 

First phase, preparing recycled paper (basically, newspapers): tearing, cutting up and soaking. To hold this process we try not to alter the daily timetable. The time dedicated lasts 30 minutes approximately. There is also a person in charge of the activity who is the Outdoor Classroom teacher. 

Second phase, workshop activity: producing paper´s plaster and then use it to make recycled paper. The process must be easy and handy for everyone: choosing and getting ready the stretchers, selecting the color for the plaster, straining, pouring out and stretching to get dry. For these sessions in particular we dedicate 3 mornings, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Each session involved 8 boys and girls according to their classrooms: 3 groups who are 4; 2 groups who are 5. The maximum duration of every session consists of 1 hour and a half. 

All the activities are thought by the father that is an expert in the matter. He chooses and explains the information to carry out the activity, suggests certain questions, tries to response all the children´s enquires and proposes different ways to act while we are doing the activity. 

At last, we collect dry paper. Once again the Outdoor Classroom teacher is responsible for being controlling pupils´ tasks. As a result, this recycled paper will be used according to the teachers or the school schedule. 

Whereas the activity is in progress, we encourage children to take pictures of all the process. Anyway, there is an adult who is photographing each moment as well.
Visual documentation


  • Building a bird feeder
The activity is developed with the 16 pupils that belong to the 5 years old room. It is realized in the working timetable, along the morning, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

The activities take place according to a sequence: 

The first phase: in the facilities of the school (classrooms…). Building up feeding boxes for birds workshop. The pupils are divided in 4 groups of 4 students each one. We keep on using this division previously made for another activity always considering the 5 years old group, having a unique goal: being responsible and looking after one area of the park. Three different types of feeding boxes are proposed. Then, each group constructs one of them. While we are building up the feeding boxes, we listen to a recorded audio focused on birds ‘warble. The approximate duration of the whole activity is from 11´30 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

The second phase: in the park. The installation of feeding boxes in the trees from each area of the park we have been using with the groups. All together, we get around all the areas and chose the most suitable trees to place our finished feeding boxes helping us with a ladder. This process lasts from 11´30 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Whereas the action is in progress, we permit children, who have interest, to take photos of the activity. In all the activities of this sequence, the educational proposal comes from the father who is in charge of the proper action. He selects and presents the information from the session, proposes questions, collects doubts from boys and girls, offers answers and proposes different ways to act according to the different situations we can face at the workshop or in the park.

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