The play diary is an observation of what kind of play takes place during a session. As much as possible we use the words the children have used to describe their own play. We use it to reflect on our own practice and also to give to children bi-monthly to reflect on their play sessions and share with their parents.
July Play Diary
Wednesday 20th July
11 children, 3 children. Indra picked flowers. Her favourite bit was eating ice-cream. She was also the official photographer of the afternoon. Matilda liked doing handstands and discovered a new way of doing them. Zinny made fairy pictures with flowers and leaves. Tobias made a spaceship out of stones and wood. Alfie and Luc made a secret den - no-one could get in without a password. They made a great team. William was in charge of making a new treehouse - Oscar and Josh helped and Lydia and Hanna did some sawing of dead branches to make room on top. They used a pulley to haul up the wood they needed. Written by Margaret.
Tuesday 19th July
11 children. 4 adults. Edward took Auguy and Robbie on a canoe trip on the river Avon for a treat as it is Auguy and Robbie's last session. Matilda whittled. Emerson recorded our voices on a dictaphone. Matilda and Margaret practised a jewish dance called a 'Hora'. Xavier poured oil out of the cannister. Beth, Rachel and Tobias went for a walk in the village and met Jill who invited us in to meet her dog and see her garden. Luca, George and William and Matilda did ball catching games - throwing the ball up really high by hitting it with a tennis racket and then trying to catch it - medium, high, super high, super duper, super super duper. Arthur amused George, Will and Luca in his car trying to make it go. Rachel made bread with Luca. At 5 o'clock we all had ice creams to celebrate the end of term. Beth, Tobias, Thea did some clay with Louise. Written by Rachel.
Thursday 14th July
11 children, 3 adults. Lovely hot weather. Some children helped whittle the hazel poles of the geodesic dome which is up in the courtyard. Some did sliddy sliding and some had a tennis tournament. Oscar - whittling sticks, using the drill to fix up the dome - made this little wheel thing; Luca - just playing tennis; Auguy - tennis, whittling, nothing (discovered) - just had fun; William M - playing tennis; Will K - I played tennis, (discovered) 'Nutmeg' - (which is) a ball going through someone's legs; Matilda - whittling; Mia - Edward making his dome, watersliding because it is very slippy and slidy; Robbie - I played tennis - I beat William M in the semi-finals and Luca in the finals.
Wednesday 13th July
8 children, 3 adults. Sliddy slide on a super hot day! Josh, Tobias, Hannah making a pool at the end by folding the plastic over. SPLASH. SWIMMING! We all went to the secret garden for a swim but had to keep quiet so that the troll did not come and eat us! VERY COLD! to begin with. Then back on the sliddy slide. Josh is the 'Pen Gwing', Oscar is 'Evil Doctor spikey quills' or 'Quills' for short! Slow burst tyres on the quill mobile. Best bits: Josie - eating and swimming; Hannah - swimming; Oscar - being a human bling basically - Everything!; George - swimming; Josh - all of it. Written by Charlotte.
Tuesday 12th July
10 children, 4 adults. We have been making jam tarts and doing pastry (Matilda, Xavier with Louise). We made some vegetarian ones (with butter in the pastry) and some non-veggie (using dripping). Matilda, Beth, Mia and Arthur had porridge and golden syrup. Mia and Beth did slippy sliding. Xavier has been doing experiments with wood- he has been practising drilling into wood. Will and Luca and George played tennis after putting up the net and marking out the court with cones. They took turns to be umpire, which meant sitting in the wheelbarrow! Tobias played on the sliddy slide and collected water at the bottom to make ponds. Then he played tennis. Emerson was in charge of the hose for the sliddy slide. He "just enjoyed it" today. Mia and Beth watered the flowers with Rachel's mum. Emerson finished off by playing space invaders with Tobias and George. Question: "What did you discover?" - I discovered the light with no bulb in the Black Hole (woodworking room) and I discovered the brick wall behind the door; Xavier - wood and oil - oil gets the wood mushy, it's easier to drill; Matilda - I discovered a new way of making jam tarts; Luca - playing tennis; Beth - I discovered how porridge is really nice how Rachel and Edward do it; Mia - I discovered porridge!; Tobias - I made ponds at the end of the sliddy slide. Written by Margaret.
Thursday 7th
8 children, 4 adults. We all went to Warleigh Weir with a canoe on top of the Landrover. We carried the canoe to the water and Edward took 2 children out at a time on the canoe. Some children waded into the water to explore. Josh, Oscar, Hanna and Will climbed up the weir and paddled in the water above.
Wednesday 6th July
We played kick the can. Luc was caught by a rosebush and became Spiderman the brave! Indra became 'Doris' with her walking stick, straw hat and old fashioned attire. The top shed became Doris' house and the girls had tea. Oscar and Josh are doing a 'tribe game' antomia tribe. They are practising their warrior fighting skills. William has climbed high up the tree as well as Will K. Fun with beanbags - Tobias and luc are making Josh into a beanbag pancake. George and Margaret are playing badminton. Bestest bits: Matilda - playing with Indra, Lydia, Hannah; Will K - playing 40/40 in; Oscar - annoying the girls; Mia - my favourite bit is whey you played chicks with us; Zinny - nothing; Luc - jumping in the beanbags; Hannah - playing with Indra, Lydia and Matilda; Josh - climbing up the teepee frame; Charlie - playing on the lika bike; Josie - I don't have one; Indra (Doris) - I've enjoyed everything. Written by Charlotte.
Tuesday 5th July
Xavier is making a house from clay. Beth and Matilda are playing hide and seek in the house with the walkie-talkies. Robbie, Auguy, Tobias, Luca, Will K and George are playing tennis in the garden. Auguy - was Roger Federer 1st; Robbie was Andy Rodderick 2nd; Luca - Leighton Hewitt 3rd; George is Andy Murray 4th and Will Tim Henman 6th. Auguy and Will vs. Robbie and Luca for the first doubles match (12-4). Margaret as umpire. Xavier helped Rachel to make garlic baguettes and a garlic donut. 'I will remember....': Will - getting my first match point; Matilda - doing the hide and seek in the house and out of the house; Beth - I just liked all of it; Xavier - drawing my picture; Emmerson - I like making Beth's walky-talky beep; Auguy - being number one seed; Luca - tennis; Robbie - nothing; George - getting wet! Written by Charlotte.