Obstacle courses are one of the most common and new technology
equipment that we have in today’s society. It can also be referred to as the
jungle gym, I believe all schools have this technology equipment in their setting
that display as a huge play system that consist of different types of obstacle
features for children to play on. However, obstacle equipment’s are made up of
steel or wood most commonly steel which is much more stable, fun and challenging
for young children to play on. I believe that back in the day children did not
have any playground or obstacle equipment’s to play on. Therefore, the outdoors
and other natural resources was their material idea of playing on a playground.
This assisted children in the outdoors to develop their social skills,
intellectual and physical development of learning (Greenfield, 2007). Today, most children are lucky enough to have
their own sets of playground at their own homes. There are also playgrounds in
local parks where children can go and play on which is convenient and close
distance to their homes.
There have been concerns for parents in regards of their children’s
safety of playing on the obstacle equipment’s. Their concerns vary that their children’s
safety are to broad so they limit and restrict areas that are not suitable for
children to play in. for an example, some parents are concerned when their
children are playing in the outdoors on the jungle gym weather or not they will
get hurt or climb on high walls or take risky jumps off buildings. However, back
in the days children will go outside and play in the neighbourhood unsupervised
because they felt safe and trusted to leave their children to explore their
environment. Although, it’s amazing how today society is that new generations
are adapting more to technological obstacle equipment and are aware of how they
work. Nevertheless, I believe that it is great that parents are to be concerned
about their children safety but more importantly it is the experiences that
they gain that aids with their learning and awareness of the environment so
they cannot adapt or adjust to it unless they take risk because learning from
mistakes makes them learn from them and practice to become better and confident
learners (Barblett & Maloney, 2010). It also gives children the opportunity
to learn and play alongside others while building relationships (Ministry of
Education, 1996).
In my centre we have a big jungle gym and also play houses where
children can take risk of trying the monkey bars and climbing on the boxes and
jumping down from it. As stated in Greenfield, “The children’s favorite areas all
had common features of risk, speed, excitement, thrills, uncertainty and challenge”
(2007, pg. 26). I believe that this challenges children physically and more
importantly it assists with their health by providing them with regular exercises
that they do daily (Greenfield, 2007). This will help young children with the
muscles in their body as it flexes into shape as they continue to develop the
skills of playing on the jungle gym. Children
can also build relationships in the playground as they initiate turn taking
with other children. Teachers could also assist in this learning by role
modelling to children when needed assistance and guidance such as helping them
get across the monkey bars. The monkey bars assisted children to engage their
body’s in more complex configurations where it allows them to hang from there
and do all sorts of tricks on the equipment (Greenfield, 2007).
As Educators I believe that it is crucial to facilitate children
with a lot of experiences of their play in the outdoors on obstacle equipment’s.
This will assist them in areas where they will become socially competent in socializing
with other children. It will also enhance their physical development by exercising
the muscles in their body and taking risk to try out new daily obstacle
challenges that is fun and exciting (Barblett & Maloney, 2010).
References
Barblett,
L., & Maloney, C. (2010). Complexities of assessing social and emotional
competence and wellbeing in young children. Australasian Journal of Early
Childhood, 35(2), 13-18.
Greenfield,
C. (2007). Review of New Zealand Research on Outdoor Play in Early Childhood
Education. Early Education, (Autumn/Winter
2007), 24-29.
Greenfield,
C. (2007). What is it about the monkey bars? Early Childhood Folio, 11:2007, 31-35.
Ministry
of Education. (1996). Te Whāriki, he
whaariki mātauranga mo nga mokopuna o Aotearoa : Early childhood curriculum.Wellington: Learning Media.
Another great post Veronica. I highly value the importance of outdoor play therefore I really liked your blog. Outdoor learning is a vital part of children’s learning and development. It creates opportunities for children to develop fundamental skills such as locomotor, stability and manipulative skills that will allow them to actively engage in the outdoors (Ministry of Education, 1996). All this can be done in the outdoor environment as children are given the opportunity to run, jump, skip and do balancing.
ReplyDeletePlaying on the monkey bars provides children with opportunities for risk taking as they try to jump from one bar to the next. As teacher’s we need to provide children with the support and encouragement that their need in order to take risk. Children may hesitate to take risk however with encouragement by adults children feel more comfortable in trying risks that may arise in the playground (Gonzalez-Mena, 2008).
As ECE educators we should provide children with different learning environments, such as being indoors and outdoors (Ministry of Education, 1996). Playing outdoors enables children to experience a different climate such as; openness, different landscapes such as small hills and mud puddles (Bullard, 2010).
I like that you’ve used the obstacle course as a non digital resource because the children in my centre spend a lot of time outside so your reflection has contributed to my knowledge of the outdoors in providing an efficient learning environment. I like the link you’ve made with the outdoor play centre area to local parks and neighbourhood playground because it allows children to relate and compare similarities between the both, and share their experiences amongst themselves that initiate social interactions. I agree with your consideration of how the jungle gym/outdoor obstacle courses can affect parents concern with safety “Children develop confidence that they can participate and take risks without fear of harm” (Ministry of Education, 1996). Eventually children learn to be careful and watch out for their own safety and the safety of others. I like how you’ve made point about the skills developed from outdoor play, the strategising and risk taking contribution to a child’s overall physical development (Somerset, 2000).
ReplyDeleteI like how you choose the obstacle equipment as the technology tool. This reminds me when I was little, the first slide that I slid down was made up of concrete. But now a day, obstacle equipment made up of plastic, wood or steel. They are well designed to support children’s physical development, children learning what their body can do and what their body can not do through experience the obstacle equipment. I believe this is a great technology tool to support children’s large motor skills in outdoor environment, because it increasing children’s control over their body and it covers different levels of activity to meet children’s need and including challenge children. As children experience the challenge in the outdoor environment, it stimulate children‘s learning and promote children the disposition of perseverance (Carr, 2001).
ReplyDeleteAs you mention about the parents concerns about children’s safety of playing on the obstacle equipments, I think this is teacher’s responsibility to build the trust relationship with parents. As a teacher, first, you should position yourself in a place you can see all children , secondly, you should teach children what are the boundaries of using the obstacle equipment such as down the slide, up the ladder. Children need to learn take responsibility of their own safety.
It is great to see how you choose your obstacle course as new technology equiptment that we use in today's Society.I like the different shape and sises of the obstacle climbing that children enjoy and take risk everyday.Children will identify other different shapes or similar to this one will attract them to start. What I loved about this climbing resources that children increasing knowledge about how to keep themselves from harm ( Ministry of Education,1996.p.52).This generation are very lucky because they have to choose which park or monkey bar to use.This is the good exercise for young children with the muscles in their body and confidence that they can participate and take risks without fear of harm(Greenfield,2007).At my centre we had monkey bar too and the whare with a metal climbing bar on both sides of the whare.Accident do happen when we do not keep our eyes focus and supervision at the same time.We understood that this is our responsibilities to make sure parents will understand if there any accident.The relationship between teachers and parents will be supported to provide opportunity for interaction and to be active in the communities(Ministry of Education.1996.p.55).
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