Welcome to the Vale Play Forum newsletter
Vale Play Forum Newsletter Nov/Dec 09
IN TOUCH
Welcome to the 2nd edition of THE VALE PLAY FORUM e-mail newsletter:
In this issue:
1 Information on Firelighting and things to cook on your fire from the Cardiff Play Forum
2 2 Extracts from the email newsletter Children & Young People Now on play and schools
3 Play and sustainability: article by Play Wales
4 Info from KIDS on disability issues in play
Here is an extract from The Cardiff Play Forum newsletter with lots of handy tips on firelighting and yummy things to cook on it!
FIRE WORKSHOP
On Wednesday 23rd September we held a fire workshop for the Cardiff Play Forum at Re-create. Here are some ideas for fire pits & food etc to do your own fires with your groups.
Fire Pits:
• Old washing machine drums are ideal for fire pits, I had a stand made for it so its child height.
This was made by K Murdock’s ornamental wrought iron, at unit 4 Ely Brewery
Workshops, 2 doors up from Re-create.
Phone: 20562820
Mobile: 07737432642
Web site: www.murdock-wrought-iron.co.uk
I have also had a square fire pit made by Kev, which is shallow & ideal for cooking on.
His prices I think are quite reasonable.
• Baking Tins, make good little fire pits, I brought mine from supermarket for 99p, also ideal for cooking on. I nailed 2 blocks of wood in the bottom of the tin, for little legs just to get it off the ground.
These tins are ideal for fire porridge – which is a good way of making fire pictures.
Put a layer of sand to cover bottom of the tin, then get kids to write in sand with their finger their initial or simple pattern, then fill groves with paraffin soaked sawdust, then light one end. The picture then burns its way around the design.
• I also have a thin round BBQ on legs that’s quite good for cooking on too, which I picked up from Re-create, its very portable too. So you can get simple inexpensive fire pits, you don’t have to spend £50 + on a fire pit. My favourite by far is the washing machine drum & it has been in & out of my car, cools down quickly, quite easy to empty etc.
Fire accessories:
I have discovered a good supplier in Cardiff of fire accessories.
For more information & to see what’s on offer go to: http://www.forestschool.org.uk/fire.html
They sell Kelly kettles, which is an outdoor kettle, which has its own built in fire pit underneath.
They also sell fire lighting flints & kindling. Also tools, clothing etc, I do recommend you give this web site a look. Prices do include VAT on top.
Also if you quote “Re-create” when ordering you receive 10% off your first order.
FIRE WORKSHOP CONT
Food:
• Pancakes – use a small tin, like mini baked beans etc, turn over put little night light
underneath & pour small amount of pancake mix on the top. You can also fry pancakes in an old frying pan over the fire, but the handle of the pan will get hot, so an oven glove or gardening glove may come in handy.
• Marshmallows – make sure if you use sticks, or kebab skewers etc that you soak them in water first as this stops them burning as much. Also be aware that marshmallows get very hot, so allow to cool down before eating.
• Pop corn – use an old saucepan with a lid, pour in a small amount of sunflower oil, &
just cover bottom with popcorn put over fire & listen to it pop. Just to let you know that in
supermarkets, popping corn tends to be either in whole food with lentils etc or in the
multicultural foods, if you ask for popping corn in Tescos they’ll lead you to the microwavable pop corn!!
• Bread – make bread dough & twist on skewers, don’t make it too thick on skewers or it’ll be crispy on outside & all doughy inside, if you cook these on rim of washing machine drums & just keep turning them every now & again.
• You can also toast normal bread too, get a fork or something with a long handle to
toast on as hands get bit hot too close to the fire. Then with both breads you can have
jam, honey etc to spread on them.
Fire Lighting:
• The usual newspaper & matches
• Use fire flints, which are good fun & great for kids who have lite fires with matches loads of times before. Fire flints need something to ignite, the best thing is cotton wool, or you could make you own char cloth. They can be a bit difficult at first but with a bit of practise you get some good sparks.
• Char cloth, is easily ignited by a spark from a fire flint. Then blow on the char cloth to get embers going & put some straw or dry grass on it to get your fire going, then add small kindling. You make char cloth by cutting up a drinks can, use gloves as they can be very sharp & you end up with cuts all over your hands (I learnt through experience with this one!!) cut out an oblong shape from the can, place in it a small square of t-shirt fabric, 100% cotton. Then fold the piece of can like an envelope & make sure it’s all sealed. Place in a fire for about 15-20 minutes, when you take it out it will be black. Also let it cool down before getting out of the can! If you over cook it it’ll just falls apart, so don’t put it in full flames, just in embers ought to do it. Also a small boiled sweet tine is ideal, make a hole in the lid with a nail, and then pack it with T-shirt material & place in the fire for about 30-40 minutes.
If you would like any more information on fires, we have a more comprehensive worksheet available at Re-create or contact Tanya & I can email it out to you, also if you’d like me to come to your group & do a fire workshop, please get in touch.
Tanya Harrison Cardiff Play Forum tanya@re-create.co.uk 02920578100 07535640351
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Here are some extracts from the daily bulletin of “Children & Young People Now” 20 October 2009: What do you think? Do you agree with the articles?.
What are your views on the issues raised?. What if any effects do you think will changes make on play provision for children/young people?
EXTRACT 1
Rose calls for more play in primary schools
By Ross Watson
Children & Young People Now
1 May 2009
Schools should place more emphasis on play-based learning to ensure a smooth transition from early years settings, under proposals made in education expert Sir Jim Rose's review of primary education.
Rose published his findings after spending the past year consulting with schools, teachers and parents on the request of children's secretary Ed Balls, to propose a more inspirational and less prescriptive curriculum.
"I believe that Sir Jim's new curriculum will set a new standard in primary education in this country, which is central to us achieving the ambitions we set out in the Children's Plan," said Balls.
A number of recommendations were made in the final report which were all accepted by the government and will inform new curriculum from 2011. These include plans to give teachers additional training in ICT, and bring ICT alongside literacy, numeracy, and personal development as a core part of the curriculum.
Rose has also recommended that summer-born children begin school the September after their fourth birthday rather than wait until January. However, the government has only accepted this on the proviso that parents are consulted to ensure the child is ready to step up. Rose also called for more emphasis on play-based learning for year one pupils to ensure a smooth transition from early years settings.
Other recommendations included an increased focus on speech and communication development among primary school pupils; more advice for parents on play-based learning and a parent's guide to the curriculum.
The new curriculum will be broken up into six "areas of learning", allowing teachers to link various subjects in one lesson.
Mick Brookes, general secretary for the National Association of Headteachers, said the recommendations were broadly welcomed, but expressed his disappointment that tests were not part of Rose's review.
"We believe it is reprehensible that the review remit specifically excluded assessment. The way any curriculum is assessed will affect its delivery," he said.
EXTRACT 2:
Primary curriculum at odds with early years learning
By Lauren Higgs
Children & Young People Now
20 February 2009
The national curriculum is at odds with the Early Years Foundation Stage, according to the most extensive review of primary education for 40 years.
In a report released today, researchers from the Cambridge Primary Review claim that the national curriculum should be brought into line with the more developmentally-focused Early Years Foundation Stage.
The report also found that children are being deprived of a balanced curriculum because of testing. Subjects that suffered most were the arts and humanities.
The review, which is led by Professor Robin Alexander, recommends that the government dispense with core curriculum subjects in favour of 12 educational aims and eight areas of knowledge, skills and enquiry.
Educational aims would include wellbeing, engagement, empowerment and autonomy and the broad knowledge areas would include arts and creativity and science and technology.
Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), praised the review and accused the government of spending too much time repackaging what schools do.
She said: "Rather than continue to tinker around the edges of primary education we would like the government to heed the proposals in the Cambridge Primary Review and re-open the debate about the purposes of primary education."
Christine Blower, acting general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said the government should implement Alexander's proposals.
She said: "His proposals for the primary curriculum have depth, credibility and, above all, respond to the realities of the primary classroom."
But a spokeswoman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families, said that the government's own review into primary education, which is being led by Sir Jim Rose, would be the most fundamental review of primary education for a decade.
She said: "We thank Professor Alexander for his contribution and Sir Jim Rose will no doubt read it with interest as part of his extensive, independent consultation into the primary curriculum."
If you have been interested in these articles and would like to know more and keep up to date, sign up to receive Children & Young People Now on line and get your free daily bulletin. You can also join their discussion groups.
Extract 3:
Play and sustainability:
In their latest issue Play for Wales: Autumn/Winter 2009 Play Wales discuss the issue of how to sustain play provision in this economic climate. A key point is the involvement of local people in your play provision both by gaining support from your local community and employing local people in your play provision. For play to keep working in your community the key is local involvement.
By getting local support your provision is more likely to continue when the economic climate provides obstacles. To read the whole article join other play workers and become part of Play Wales.
You can become a member of Play Wales for a small annual fee and receive their bulletins, access their website and their well stocked library and contact them for advice and support. Contact Play Wales, at the following address:
Ffôn / Telephone: 029 20486050 Ffacs / Fax: 029 20489359
Chwarae Cymru, Tŷ Baltig, Sgwâr Mount Stuart, Caerdydd CF10 5FH
Play Wales, Baltic House, Mount Stuart Square, Cardiff CF10 5FH
INFO ON DISABILITY ISSUES IN PLAY FROM KIDS
The National Inclusive Play Network (NIP) E-bulletin
November 2009
Welcome to the November edition of the NIP Network bi-monthly E-bulletin compiled by KIDS National Development Department (NDD). The NIP Network is part of the Playwork Inclusion Project (PIP), a KIDS project funded by the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF). Please feel free to forward this E-bulletin to friends and colleagues with an interest in inclusive play, leisure and childcare. To subscribe or to include information & events in the next issue, please email the Editor, Rachel Scott:Rachel.scott@kids.org.uk.
The deadline for the January 2010 issue is 16th December 2009.
PIP Conference 2010 – SPECIAL OFFER IF YOU BOOK NOW!
After the success of the PIP conference in 2008, we can now confirm that our next conference will take place in central London next year. As a special offer we are freezing the conference prices at 2008 rates for all those who book places before Friday 11th December 2009. (£100 voluntary / £175 statutory).
Themes include:
Celebrating the successes of the Play Strategy.
Where now for Aiming High for Disabled Children?
The future from here - in times of economic uncertainty and change.
How can we ensure disabled children and young people are prioritised at a local and national level.
Workshops will include:
Freely chosen play
Managing risk and inclusion
Sustainability and the change agenda beyond 2011
Reframing Playwork / Playwork Principles
Aiming High (Every Disabled Child Matters/DCATCH)
For more information and a booking form, please email pip@kids.org.uk or visit www.kids.org.uk/pipconference
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO OUR FORUM NEWS PLEASE EMAIL: artexhouse@yahoo.com
Next IN TOUCH will be in January 2010 : Happy Christmas/ New Year everyone.
Please note Wednesdays opening times are now 10.00am - 7.00pm
