Outdoor Game-Learning Pedagogy at Foundational Stage (3-8 Years Kids)
Teaching Tips for the Teachers
Walking, running, jumping, chasing, kicking, and throwing balls, playing in water or sand or mud, jumping into puddles, crawling through tunnels, climbing over fallen trees or
National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage-2022
climbing small trees help children develop gross motor skills. Going on a nature walk and naming different sounds they hear, looking for birds or insects or plants and naming them is also part of outdoor activity of a different kind.
Old tires can be used creatively to make play equipment. The Teacher can use bricks to make children balance themselves and walk, provide play materials like big balls, rings, hoola-hoop
and rope-jump. Local material such as bamboo can be used to make play structures. A short tree of manageable height can be a great source of outdoor play.
Younger children can play group games with no rules or simple rules (e.g., run and catch, throw and catch, throw the ball into the hole). As children grow older, they enjoy group games following
simple rules (e.g., pithoo, gitte, zanjeer, blind man’s buff, statue, look up and look down).
Fire in the Mountain! Run, Run, Run!
This is a very old and popular game. I begin by asking all my children to do a slow jog around me in a circle, while I sing “Fire in the mountain, run run run!” After saying this a few times, I would suddenly say a number, say, “Number 3”. All children must immediately stop and break from the circle to form groups of 3. In a short span of time, they must stop, follow instruction, understand which group has 3 or needs more and accordingly leave or join a group.
This requires adapting to the situation (changed number of participants in the group) and flexibility (finding different children every time to group with). This is one fun way to develop positive learning
habits such as applying various strategies to remember instructions, being attentive and patient, in the children.
Safety, Security During Out door Game at Foundational Stage
It is important to keep an eye out for safety while playing outdoors. The Teacher will have to watch children while they play and ensure that injuries do not happen. In case there is no safe outdoor space, children can play indoor physical games that promote gross motor development, but this is sub-optimal. Children at this age need to be out in the sun to help them develop and grow well.
National Curriculum Framework for Foundational Stage-2022
https://ncert.nic.in/pdf/NCF_for_Foundational_Stage_20_October_2022.pdf
https://ncf.ncert.gov.in/#/web/home