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Spring into Action - support

Not sure if your school or child will be able to take part in the Spring into Action activities?

At My Journey Hampshire we acknowledge that events such as Spring into Action may need to be adapted to suit your pupils’, families’ and schools’ individual requirements.

For SEND and younger children, in particular, parents, carers and teachers may want to slightly change the toolkit to enable them to enjoy the activities. Below are some ideas of ways the activities can be used so all children can get outside and explore nature in a manner that is beneficial for them and their families. 

 

SEND school, parent and carers

  • Have to drive to school or your child travelling via school transport? These activities don’t necessarily need to be done on the journey to or from school. Children can explore nature and seasonal change within their school grounds, at home in the garden or at your local park or greenspace. Find a place and time that works for you and enjoy the Spring weather! 
  • Guided group activities at school: Members of staff at school maybe able to take groups out at break time to provide additional support with exploring our weather and using the toolkit.
  • For children who are not comfortable with going outside to learn, activities can take place at home or in the classroom;
    • Weather observations can be done from a window or sheltered outside space, especially if any weather station equipment can be set up in view of the window or sheltered area.
    • A weather journal or weather report can be created throughout the week. Children could then think about how this may affect people’s journeys and what they may need to consider when walking, wheeling, scooting, cycling or going by bus or train.
    • Pupils can learn about shadows using a torch or lamp, placing objects at different angles and distances to the light source.
    • An indoor fan could be used to replicate windy conditions and investigate the effects of wind on different objects and materials.
    • Using some of the facts from the toolkit, children could make a quiz to share with family or friends.
  • A supervised walk: school staff maybe able to take groups out into the local community to participate in the activities.
  • Pick and choose activities: If you’re concerned that certain activities may cause distress or prove to be overstimulating for a child, you could repeat a favourite activity or explore a particular type of weather in more depth. The most important thing is that your child enjoys the experience of discovering their local area so they can develop confidence when travelling and exploring. 
  • Use visual aids and sensory literature to support the specific needs of your pupils/child. For example, the multisensory poem resources listed in the resources section below. 
  • While using the toolkit, take the opportunity to include some road safety education. This could include finding safer places to cross, looking for supported sensory impairment places to cross, locating the cone on a road crossing, looking for tactile pavement crossing surfaces and practicing important road safety skills such as holding hands. When at school or home, road safety can be practiced using: tables as roundabouts, flash cards showing safe places to cross, a tuff tray to chalk draw a route, adding safer places to cross such as a zebra crossing, themed floor mats to decide on the safest routes from A to B. Small world figures can also be incorporated too. 

 

Early Years setting, parents and carers

Even if your child has not yet started school, you can still participate in Spring into Action with younger children. Perhaps you and your child can take part in the activities whilst travelling actively to nursery, preschool, playgroup or childminders, or whilst out on a local stroll with the pram.

Sensory walks are a great way for young children to promote their physical development, communication and language and to learn about the world around them. On your walk you can ask your child questions about what they are seeing, hearing, smelling and touching. You can also narrate what you are seeing for them, so they hear new vocabulary and language around the weather and their journey.

Please share with us any of your own ideas for us to include next time.

 

Weather resources:

The weather multisensory poem - this resource aims to address sensory challenges, related to the weather, through a fully resourced, step-by-step multisensory story.

Weather and seasons - SEND resources from Twinkl (note: required to create an account – free).

Weather activities for preschoolers - ideas for rain, wind and more.

Weather and seasons - a range of activities for early years as part of the BBC Bitesize ‘Understanding the World’ topic

 

Road safety resources:  

THINK! road safety resources for children - flexible content supporting different learning styles and a wide age range.  

Mrs Mactivity road safety tuff tray activity - encourage children to use the road safety map to help figures and toys cross the road in a safer way.

ROSPA teaching road safety skills to children with additional needs - advice on teaching road safety skills to help children keep themselves safe and develop awareness skills.

National Autistic Society road safety - a guide for parents and carers

Off to the Park! Tactile Book - illustrated by Stephen Cheetham, this is a sensory and involved experience book outlining a well-loved journey to the park, featuring using a signalised crossing. 

Some suggested resources on Twinkl (note: required to create an account – free).