Congratulations to the Bilton Grange Early Years Team on winning the Muddy Stilettos award for the Most Creative Learning Through Play.

The ‘Can we fix it?’, ‘Yes, we can!’ - Immersive Learning Through a Real Construction Site Visit project immersed children in real-world experiences and complemented these with a variety of playful, educational activities.

Read more about this wonderful project below:

‘Can we fix it?’, ‘Yes, we can!’ - Immersive Learning Through a Real Construction Site Visit

Nestled in the heart of our community, our pre-school, The Nest, is a beacon of innovation and creativity in early childhood education. Our approach to learning, particularly highlighted through our recent construction topic, encapsulates the essence of creativity, exploration, and experiential learning. This initiative was inspired by the construction of a new boarding house on our school's site – a multi-million-pound development showing our strength and ambition. This topic offered a prime opportunity for our children to engage with real-world applications of learning concepts through play.

Our aim through this project was to create unique, immersive learning opportunities through a real construction site visit and to use that visit to spark a raft of creative learning opportunities in the classroom and in the outdoors, developing and enhancing the teaching and learning across all seven areas of learning and creating excellent, high level opportunities to develop the Characteristics of Effective Learning.

Donning real hard hats and PPE, our Early Years embarked on a guided tour of the construction site. Stepnells, our construction partner, ceased operations for the morning, allowing the large construction vehicles to be brought forward, so they could be toured and accessed safely. This immersive experience allowed the children to explore with their senses the sounds of machines, the textures of materials, and the sights of architectural progress. The children were able to meet the Site Manager and some of the builders; these interactions provided real life role models and context. The children were fully engaged, asking questions and making observations, laying the groundwork for deep, play-based exploration back in the classroom, as well as utilising our extensive grounds - our ‘90 acre classroom’.

Large Scale Construction in the Playground

We then transformed our playground into a construction zone, complete with open-ended materials such as large cardboard boxes, wooden planks, and various building blocks. Children were encouraged to design and construct their own structures, from towering skyscrapers to intricate bridges. This hands-on activity not only supported their understanding of balance and spatial awareness but also highlighted the importance of collaboration and communication. The play experiences were revisited multiple times, allowing for deeper play built upon ideas from the last session.

Designing "Blue Prints" and Role Play

In order to encourage a deeper understanding of the planning phase in construction, children were guided to draw their own "blueprints" before building. This activity integrated literacy and numeracy, as they labelled parts of their designs and counted materials needed.

Role play became an integral part of our construction theme. Children wore costumes and used props to enact various roles on a construction site, from architects and engineers to construction workers. Through stories like the "Three Billy Goats Gruff," we incorporated bridge building, allowing children to reimagine the tale, enhancing their narrative skills and understanding of sequence and consequence.

Exploring Shapes and Enhancing Knowledge Through Books

A cornerstone of our construction topic was the exploration of shapes, both in isolation and how they combine to create complex structures. Using blocks, children identified and categorized shapes, later applying this knowledge to construct more elaborate designs.

Complementing our hands-on activities, a carefully curated selection of books related to construction and architecture was introduced. These books served not only as a source of information but also as inspiration for the children's creations. Storytime became a springboard for discussions about the construction process, safety on site, and the roles of different machines and workers, enriching the children's play and extending their learning. We got the whole community involved, and plan to showcase our creations and learning to the building site managers and workers, as well as receiving a kind gift set of books called ‘Molly in Construction’ from Stepnells the construction team, which allowed for discussion about gender stereotypes and encouraged though provoking conversations, role play and ideas from the children, especially relevant around International Women’s Day.

Impact on Pupil Progress and Broader Curriculum Integration

This construction topic is a prime example of how we integrate creative learning through play across our curriculum. The activities designed around the construction site visit have significantly contributed to the children's cognitive, social, and physical development. We observed marked improvements in problem-solving skills, teamwork, creativity, and fine motor skills. Furthermore, the children's engagement with the theme facilitated a deeper understanding of the world around them, nurturing their curiosity and fostering a love for lifelong learning.

Our philosophy champions the importance of messy, creative play as a vehicle for learning. Similar to our construction topic, themes like space exploration and art week involve activities such as paper mâché planet making and large-scale collaborative art projects. These initiatives underscore the importance of experiential and collaborative learning, providing children with the tools to explore, question, and understand their environment.

Conclusion

Our construction topic, inspired by the real-life boarding house build on our site, exemplifies the innovative and creative approach to learning through play in Early Years at Bilton Grange. By immersing children in real-world experiences and complementing these with a variety of playful, educational activities, we offer a holistic approach to early childhood education. This initiative not only supported the children's development across multiple domains but also instilled in them a sense of wonder and excitement for learning.

We believe that our dedication to creating meaningful, engaging, and playful learning experiences makes us a strong candidate for the Muddy Stilettos Award in 'Most Creative Learning Through Play'. Through this award, we hope to share our successes and inspire other educational settings to embrace creativity and exploration in their pedagogical practices.