All work and no play make Jack a dull Boy. And Jill a dull girl. In times that are changing, there are dangers of the child getting the wrong exposures. And such avenues are many. Excessive Television for example could covert children into chronic couch potatoes. The growing up years are crucial times for most children. It's doubly important that they get to feel the world outside rather than be allowed to just saunter through life.
School provides kids with the biggest opportunity of change. It allows rekindling of their natural curiosity through purposeful pursuits and combined with outdoor play, their attentiveness increases through physical activity.
However, outdoor play at school isn't just restricted to physical activity. Teachers constantly interact with the children, quizzing them on their experiences of a recent outing and things like that. The teachers also help out those who have language barriers and work with them to express themselves. Notwithstanding the fact that many kids at 'Stepping Stones' are multilingual backgrounds, the skillful and well-trained teachers help these children express their ideas with emphasis on clarity.
At 'Stepping Stones' play is an important mantra in the school curriculum. Outdoor activity helps unite the body, mind and spirit and reduces tensions that often build up in children who need to achieve or learn. Children are often permitted to play freely (and that means no adult interference) and this in turn helps the child develop skills for seeing things through another person's point of view. It's a form of independence. They gain competence in moving through the larger world.
Stepping Stones outdoor play will form an important part of the school curriculum and a small area has been earmarked for children to play on slides, swings, toss a basketball into the basket, etc.
