Explain the features of an environment that supports creativity and creative learning.
Children need challenging places to jump, swing, climb, run and skip. The outdoor area offers major learning opportunities. In her book, Playing Outdoors: Spaces and Places, Risk and Challenge (2007), Helen Tovey lists the following features as important in creating a challenging and creative outdoor area:
designated spaces, but children should be allowed to rearrange them and use them in a different way connected spaces, which encourage children to join in such as sand and water areas elevated spaces- mounds, trees, ramps, steps, climbing frames wild spaces, so that children do not only experience neat and trim tarmac areas spaces for exploring and investigation spaces for mystery and enhancement natural spaces space for the imagination, providing children with open ended props spaces for movement and stillness, climbing, dragging, swinging on bars, jumping, balancing. As well as sitting in secluded, tucked away places in peace and calm social spaces- outdoor seats for chatting together
In my setting the resources are set out carefully to ensure the children have enough space, the dry sand is close to the wet sand area, the bikes are in a designated space set out using tyres as boundaries. The den is great for mystery and enhancement, inside is cushions and natural materials for the children to sit in peace and calm or explore the resources. The outdoor role play area has a variety of hats, shoes and tools; this is placed next to the wooden kitchen to encourage imagination. This is a popular area with the children who all take on different roles such as looking after the baby whilst mummy is cooking.
The doors which lead outside are open for the majority of the day to ensure the children have choice.
Indoors the space is limited, therefore needs to be planned carefully. The quiet area is in a separate room with