Designing the new outdoor play area

Dear X,

Today you contributed to planning our new outdoor learning environment. First, we discussed your favourite
spaces of the outdoor learning environment which you indicated by pointing to a picture I had taken of outside
and describing the parts we should keep. You commented on the fact that the slippery dip needed replacing
because it is ‘splintering’ and ‘see through’. You then contributed to some voting after we looked at some of
the photos you took of your favourite spaces outside. You placed a dot next to the pictures you wanted to
keep and explained why you liked them. You especially liked the fishing boat and the sand pit where you catch
your fish. Later on I invited you to plan your own design using a floor plan and some landscaping symbols. We
discussed how the floorplan looked similar to the floorplan you designed last week of the house, and you
remembered the term we used to describe a floorplan which was ‘birds eye view’. You carefully thought about
your design by comparing the pictures you took earlier and the votes from other children. You placed the
landscaping symbols onto the floorplan and confidently described their purpose.

“This for frogs”

“On top of the shed”
“This for tadpoles”
“Stones for stepping”
“Chair”
“Swimming pool for summer”

I think it would be a great idea to have a pond for tadpoles as well, our tadpoles at kindy will be frogs soon!
EYLF Outcomes:

X you have demonstrated dispositions for learning such as imagination and confidence. It was so great
to see you confidently design the outdoor learning environment floorplan and give reason to your
decisions (Outcome 4.1, Numeracy Process: reasoning).

You also effectively communicated your ideas which is demonstrating that you are becoming a
confident and involved learner. You communicated verbally and non-verbally for a range of purposes
such as expressing ideas and demonstrating your thinking (Outcome 5.1)

You used positional language such as “on top of” and “behind” which really demonstrates your
knowledge of the location of things in our outdoor learning environment (numeracy indicator 1.2).

Additionally, you participated in collecting and interpreting data for a purpose (numeracy indicators 3.3
& 3.1).

Where to next?

X will be given opportunities to re-visit his designs to improve or add new ideas

A display of X’s designs and other children’s designs will be visible, demonstrating the value of
children’s voices and opinions on issues which affect them

Begin looking at measurement and size of yard to help with future planning