Wolverhampton toddlers have been exploring risky play

Over the past week, the Toddlers have been practising their climbing. We have been exploring the garden and finding different structures that we feel we could climb and balance on safely.

(Physical development: Moving and handling: Climbs confidently onto nursery play equipment: 22-36months)

We started by balancing on a line drawn with chalk along the floor. We followed straight, wavy and zig zag lines. We thought about how we could balance on the line.

One Toddler said ‘I put this foot first, then this one’.  Another child copied and soon they were walking in a line balancing, holding out their arms.

(Communication and language: Speaking: Beginning to use more complex sentences to link thoughts: 30-50months)

We developed this by seeking further risks. With support the children climbed onto a small beam with a fence in front of them. We held on tightly to the fence and moved sideways along the beam, checking that we had support from the carers behind us.

(Physical development: Health and self-care: Beginning to recognise danger and seeks support of a significant adults for help: 22-36months)

Some of the Toddlers then gained more confidence in their climbing and became more daring in the structures that they tried to climb. Using small holes in the tree trunk, they used their new found confidence in climbing the tree, still searching for support from the carers to climb back down.

(Personal, social and emotional development: Self-confidence and self-awareness: Shows confident in asking adults for help: 30-50months)

As the children gained more and more confidence throughout the week, we decided to add more resources for them to use to create their own structures. We provided crates, wooden planks and tyres. The children worked together to make a ‘bridge’ using the wooden planks and the crates. They used the tyres to climb in and out. The children helped each other when walking on the plank by holding each other’s hands as they walked along. ‘Can you help, I not sure’ said one child to another, and his peer went over to hold his hand.

(Personal, social and emotional development: Making relationships: Shows affection and concern for people who are special to them: 22-36months)

(Personal, social and emotional development: Making relationships: Demonstrates friendly behaviour, initiating conversations and forming good relationships with peers and familiar adults: 30-50months)