Thursday 11th February 2021 – Braidbar Nursery Blog

COMING UP

Blethers today:

Thursday 11.02 @11am	RED + YELLOW GROUPS (Apples)
Thursday 11.02 @1pm	GREEN + ORANGE GROUPS (Bananas)

Good morning! We are sure you’ve been making the most of the sunshine and snow and doing lots of outdoor play. We hope you also picked up further ideas from the play Scotland Snow Play leaflet we had recently shared- https://www.playscotland.org/resources/snow-and-ice-play/

Playing in snow and ice can be fun but also brings its risks. Today the blog encourages you to evaluate and manage different risks; stay safe and talk about who can help in a variety of situations.

The pandemic has led us all to rely on technology more for learning, work and communicating with family and friends. We can all readily list the many wonders and benefits of being online but we are equally aware of some of the risks. You may know that Tuesday was ‘Safer Internet Day’. Although your child is likely to be supervised by you when using the internet, you can already begin to discuss internet safety in an age appropriate way. This awareness will be helpful as they become more independent users of digital technology. Here is a link to a video (Episode 1) that might help to start the discussion:

https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/jessie-and-friends-videos/

What is risky play in the early years?

Risky play is thrilling and exciting. It has a risk of physical injury. It’s challenging, it tests limits and it helps children to establish boundaries. It could be climbing, sliding, balancing jumping and hanging, rolling or using potentially dangerous tools.

Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter, an expert in the area of risky play, breaks it down into six main areas:

Rapid speeds – This could be swinging or sliding, running or riding on something with wheels. Anything to get that thrill of high speed.
Dangerous tools – This might be knives and saws, drills and hammers or bigger electrical tools. It’s all about the control of something dangerous and the excitement your child feels in being trusted.
Dangerous elements – This covers things like fire pits or deep bodies of water.
Rough-and-tumble – This play might involve wrestling, fencing with sticks or play fighting.
Great heights – Going up high trees or buildings gives a huge feeling of achievement and some good views. Anything which involves climbing, jumping from still or flexible surfaces, balancing or swinging at height provides this kind of risk.
Disappearing or getting lost – Hide and seek gives children the temporary feeling of separation without any real danger of being forgotten. Any kind of independent exploration, especially in an unfamiliar environment can help them experience and assess this risk.

Each of these types of risky play are beneficial to your child when planned and supported by you. Before embarking on any of the experiences above – especially if it is the first time – it is important to assess the risks together with your child. Look for potential hazards and name them. What could the consequences be if your child fell/slipped/dropped a tool/couldn’t see you? What can you do together to mitigate these risks? e.g. wear a helmet/keep both hands on the tree trunk/say when it feels unstable or unsafe etc. Be prepared for your child to perceive risks differently from you and be ready to discuss any non-negotiables i.e. running near a busy road.

You can find out some more here: https://www.playscotland.org/resources/risky-play-leaflet/

In nursery we try to incorporate daily opportunities for the children to engage in supported risky play. This may include time at the workbench or using the tools safely on outdoor projects. As well as assessing and managing risks, this promotes concentration and perseverance, independence, fine motor skills and hand-to-eye coordination. Learning about the importance of staying safe when using tools and using correct safety equipment procedures. i.e. safety goggles and sitting at the correct height of a table or workbench is essential before trying any of the suggestions below.

Using safety goggles, a hammer, small nails/pegs, small sticks, a piece of wood/cardboard, practise tapping out letters or numbers (adult supervision at all times).
Maybe practise hammering nails/pegs/golf tees into playdough or vegetables. How many did you use? How many times do you need to hammer before the nail disappears inside? Do you think you could tap out your name or age? How could you remove them safely?

We are all trying to do lots of walking and being outdoors at the moment as it is important to try and get our daily exercise. This can mean being out on local streets which can be busy with traffic, and cars coming out of driveways can take you by surprise especially if you are going fast on your scooter or bike.

Road safety is very important, as they can be dangerous places to be if you are not careful. We all need to practise road safety to keep us and other people safe. Here are some ideas to help you think about this.

Talk about the colours on traffic lights and what they mean for drivers. Make a ‘traffic light’ snack or play a physical game with GREEN=RUN; AMBER=RUN ON THE SPOT; RED=STOP; SPEED BUMP=JUMP; ROUNDABOUT=SPIN ONCE.
Which signs and symbols to pedestrians need to look out for? What does each of them mean? Stop, look, listen and think!
Sing together:
- - - Twinkle twinkle traffic light
      (sung to “Twinkle Little Star”)
      Twinkle twinkle traffic light
      Standing on the corner bright
      When its green its time to go
      When its red its stop you know
      Twinkle twinkle traffic light
      Standing on the corner bright
    - Stop, Look and Listen
      Stop, Look and listen,
      Before you cross the street.
      First use your eyes and ears
      Then use your feet!

Early Years

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odL77zH42Vs

Walk around your house/garage/car together and count how many safety items you can find (first aid kit, fire extinguisher, etc.) On the reverse side, you could have the children point out all the unsafe items/hazards (open cupboard doors where someone could bump their heads, toys on the floor where they could trip,etc.)

If you can’t get out and about just now why not try creating an obstacle course in your garden or even indoors to help you think about hazards and how they can be avoided.

Children start their safety lessons by learning what an emergency is, then learn about different types of emergencies. They could practise simple skills like dialling 999, using play telephones, and telling the operator the information they need to be able to help.

In nursery we regularly practice fire drills to encourage children to respond appropriately should a fire alarm sound.

Help your child memorise the most important pieces of information they need to know in an emergency – their names and addresses.

In emergency situations, young child should be able to identify firefighters, police officers, nurses and other community helpers. Although little ones may be cautious, they should understand that these adults can be trusted and can offer help to them and their families an emergency.

Who are these people? Where do they usually work? Do you know anyone who does this job? Who might they work alongside? Which tools might they use? How can they help us?

Why don’t you do some role play around the emergency services, maybe dressing up or using some small world toys you have?

Parents, we have previously shared links to the Child accident Prevention Trust and you may find the following links helpful.

https://www.capt.org.uk/

https://www.capt.org.uk/Handlers/Download.ashx?IDMF=44e36e43-bd5e-4dd0-acae-e040f37fe2ef