OPAL Play

Making Every Playtime Count

At our school, we believe that play is an essential part of a happy and healthy childhood. That’s why we are proud to be developing our approach to play through OPAL – Outdoor Play and Learning.

OPAL helps schools make the most of their outdoor spaces and gives children richer, more exciting opportunities to play every day. Rather than playtime simply being a break between lessons, we see it as an important part of school life where children can explore, create, imagine, socialise and have fun.

What Does OPAL Play Look Like?

OPAL is all about giving children more choice and more opportunities in their play.

Depending on the spaces, resources and weather, children might:

• build dens and create their own imaginative worlds;

• dig, explore and get muddy;

• construct using loose parts and everyday materials;

• enjoy active games, climbing and physical challenges;

• play with water, sand and natural materials;

• dress up and take part in imaginative and role play;

• enjoy quieter areas for talking, relaxing or creative play;

• invent their own games and activities with friends.

There is no single “right” way to play. Children are encouraged to use their imagination, make choices and develop their own ideas.

Why Is Play So Important?

High-quality play supports children’s development in many different ways. Through play, children have opportunities to develop confidence, creativity, independence, resilience and problem-solving skills.

Playing alongside others also helps children learn how to communicate, cooperate, negotiate, resolve disagreements and build friendships.

OPAL encourages children to encounter appropriate challenge and learn how to think about risk for themselves. With adults providing suitable support and supervision, children can gradually become more confident in making sensible decisions and understanding their own abilities.

Most importantly, we want our children to enjoy their playtimes and look forward to them every day.

Whatever the Weather!

Great play does not have to stop because the weather changes.

OPAL encourages children to experience outdoor play throughout the year. A rainy day can bring puddles and water play, while autumn leaves, frost, mud and even snow can create completely new opportunities for exploration.

This means that suitable clothing is really important. We encourage families to make sure children have appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear in school so that they can make the most of their playtimes without worrying about getting a little muddy!

Play, Challenge and Risk

An important part of childhood is learning what we can do, testing our abilities and gradually becoming more independent.

OPAL recognises the difference between risk and hazard. Rather than trying to remove every possible risk from play, we carefully manage our environment so that children can experience appropriate challenges while being supported by trained and attentive adults.

This might mean balancing, climbing, building, moving objects or experimenting with different materials. These experiences help children develop judgement, coordination, confidence and resilience.

Our OPAL Journey

Developing outstanding play is an ongoing journey.

We will continue to review our outdoor environment, introduce new resources and listen to the children about what makes their playtimes exciting and enjoyable. As our OPAL provision develops, families may notice our playground changing and new play opportunities appearing.

Some of the most exciting play resources do not look like traditional playground equipment! Loose parts such as crates, tubes, tyres, fabric, containers and other reusable materials can inspire incredible creativity when they are placed in the hands of children.

How Families Can Help

Our families are an important part of our OPAL journey.

From time to time, we may ask for donations of clean, safe items that can become part of our play provision. We will always let families know which particular resources we are looking for.

You can also support OPAL by embracing the fact that great play can sometimes be messy! Muddy clothes and tired children can be signs of a day filled with exploration, activity, friendship and fun.

Happy Children, Happy Playtimes

Our ambition is simple: we want every child to have an amazing playtime, every day.

Through OPAL, we are creating an environment where children have the freedom and opportunity to be curious, imaginative, adventurous and creative – making memories, building friendships and developing skills that will stay with them far beyond the playground.