Outdoor Play and Learning (OPAL)

Amazing play, every day, for every child

What is OPAL? 

The Importance of Play 
UN Rights of the Child: Article 31 (leisure, play and culture) Every child has the right to relax, play and take part in a wide range of cultural and artistic activities. Research has shown that children spend 20% of their time in school playing. This equates to 1.4 years of their school attendance. To ensure that this time is used to its full potential, our school has adopted an OPAL philosophy that allows the children freedom to explore play in their own imaginative ways, often using found and gathered resources in the natural outdoor environment as well as made-made items. With screen time increasing and activity levels decreasing, we believe that play is essential for physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual development of each child. An OPAL approach promotes a more inclusive play environment in which all children can feel comfortable to express themselves. Play has a vital role in children’s happiness and wellbeing and promotes independence, confidence, imagination, adaptability and the ability to self-assess risks.

1. Children learn through their play.
We don’t underestimate the value of play. Children learn and develop:
• cognitive skills – like maths and problem solving in a pretend grocery store
• physical abilities – like balancing blocks and running on the playground
• new vocabulary – like the words they need to play with toy dinosaurs
• social skills – like playing together in a pretend car wash
• literacy skills – like creating a menu for a pretend restaurant

2. Play is healthy.
Play helps children grow strong and healthy. It also counteracts obesity issues facing many children today.

3. Play reduces stress.
Play helps your children grow emotionally. It is joyful and provides an outlet for anxiety and stress.

4. Play is more than meets the eye.
Play is simple and complex. There are many types of play: symbolic, sociodramatic, functional, and games with rules-–to name just a few. Researchers study play’s many aspects: how children learn through play, how outdoor play impacts children’s health, the effects of screen time on play, to the need for play in the school day.

5. Play and learning go hand-in-hand.
They are not separate activities. They are intertwined. Think about them as a science lecture with a lab. Play is the child’s lab.

6. Play is a child’s context for learning.
Children practice and reinforce their learning in multiple areas during play. It gives them a place and a time for learning that cannot be achieved through completing a worksheet. For example, in playing restaurant, children write and draw menus, set prices, take orders, and make out checks. Play provides rich learning opportunities and leads to children’s success and self-esteem.

 You can read more on the OPAL website here: 
https://outdoorplayandlearning.org.uk/the-opal-primary-programme/

Why OPAL?

Since starting our journey to enrich playtimes in 2024, with the support of our OPAL Mentor Bethan and the OPAL Programme, we have transformed our vision of play across the school. The children love the new outdoor opportunities that OPAL offers with so much more for them to do: from playing with tyres to dressing up and role play! Alongside this, we have created zones for the children to enjoy sporting activities and more traditional playground games.

Through this approach to play, children are not only more active at playtimes, but they are also having the opportunity to further develop life skills such as cooperation, teamwork and problem solving. They are becoming motivated and enthusiastic builders, engineers, explorers and designers.

Where next?

The OPAL Team are always thinking about our next steps. Projects in the pipeline are:
• Mud kitchens
• Den building with tyres/crates/tyres and tarpaulin
• Water play
• Digging area
• Designated quiet/sensory zones

We are in the process of creating welly storage for all our children so these plans can come to life!

CHILDREN’S PLAY AND LEISURE – PROMOTING A BALANCED APPROACH (click here to read the document)

• Athan Y5 – St Joan of Arc- ‘Opal is super fun. It helps us build our imagination. We can use Lego to make cool structures and we can dress up as superheroes too!’
• Ethan Y5 – St Joan of Arc – ‘I think Opal is better than playtime because we have more equipment and we can play in more areas.’
• Pola Y6 St Faustina – Since Opal, breaks have been more fun and enjoyable. Before, breaks were only paying tag and sitting with friends but now, we can roll with tyres, stack cups, dress up, play tennis and play connect 4.’
• Egypt Y6 St Faustina – ‘Since Opal, playtime has been more fun and way more organised. Before OPAL, all we really were able to do was run around and play football but now it has opened up more creativity and imagination. There are so many cool things to do. I LOVE OPAL!’

How can we help?

Useful reads for parents: