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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

School taking kids out of class to sledge.

119 replies

QueenArseClangers · 28/02/2018 14:18

AIBU to think this is bloody marvellous?

Our fantastic infant school took nearly all the kids out sledging/snowman building/playing outside on the school field that has a slope on yesterday.
Makeshift sledges were constructed from bin bags and the kids all have school provided waterproofs.

Reading today about some schools not allowing children to play in the snow has made me appreciate our little school all the more. The head said she wants the kids to look back on their time at Infants and have happy memories

OP posts:

Itchytights · 28/02/2018 15:53

Well that’s brilliant. How lovely

Too many killjoys these days.

GreenTulips · 28/02/2018 15:56

Last school wouldn't allow this and they were very disappointed!

New school let them out of suitable dresses and have hat and gloves etc (surprising how many kids don't take these basics to school)

spiderlight · 28/02/2018 15:57

Brilliant! I thought this was going to be a complaint about it - so glad it's not!!

headinhands · 28/02/2018 15:58

I'm a TA and if I'm covering the teacher and it starts snowing we all nip out for a run around for a few minutes whatever we're doing 😂

Goldenphoenix · 28/02/2018 15:58

Sounds excellent!

Evelynismycatsformerspyname · 28/02/2018 16:02

Our primary just tells the kids to being sledges sometimes anda teacher will take a class on a walk to the best sledging spot for the entire school day, but we are abroad.

CavoliRiscaldati · 28/02/2018 16:04

I think they should be learning

well, they are. They are learning about team work, about having fun, about keeping fit, building, balance, enjoying life. They are experiencing winter with snow. They are learning that a job should be like school: a mix of things that need to be done or learnt, and enjoying yourself.

I don't understand why parents chose to send their kids to school without appropriate clothing and footwear, so the school feels they have to be kept indoors. I understand even less why people moan about kids being kids.

juddyrockingcloggs · 28/02/2018 16:06

But I wouldn't complain to the school just inwardly roll my eyes.

The same as every normal person is rolling their eyes at your comment!

Do you disagree with physical education crunchy? Because fundamentally that's what the sledging is.

TheFallenMadonna · 28/02/2018 16:10

I work in a secondary PRU and the Head was out with the kids throwing snowballs.

SnowCats · 28/02/2018 16:13

How wonderful!

snewsname · 28/02/2018 16:13

I watched an interview with a head yesterday who was explaining about the danger of grit in a snowball and why everything had to be banned.

Health and Safety gone mad. There is risk in everything in life. Surely it's more dangerous actually getting to school on a normal non snow day. If we were to follow that logic shouldn't they be doing virtual learning to eliminate the risk of kids being injured in car accidents/being run over crossing the road etc to actual get to the bloody school?

countrybump · 28/02/2018 16:21

That's brilliant. My DC school did similar last time we had snow. Told everyone to make sure they had waterproof clothes and a change of clothes and then took them out on the field to make igloos and other 'buildings' and did experiments with snow and ice. Brilliant science lesson.

School field is totally flat, so no sledging possible!

I remember passing the field later that night as it got dark and it looked very eerie with all the silent snowmen and igloos everywhere!

raisedbyguineapigs · 28/02/2018 16:24

My kids school apparently had a 'kids v teachers snowball fight' yesterday. I suspect is was more that the teacher was the one that drew the playground duty short straw and was pelted until he succumbed to an avalanche of 4-7 year olds throwing snowballs at him

Topseyt · 28/02/2018 16:25

Crunchy, of course they were learning. They learned how to control a sledge. You never know, they might have discovered the potential to be the next Olympic gold medalist at luge or skeleton bob. Or two-man or four-man bob.

RustyBear · 28/02/2018 16:38

Last time we had snow at the junior school I worked at, the HT let each year group go out for about 3/4 hour, one year at a time (so there were enough staff to look after the ones who wanted to stay inside). She divided the playground & field into four areas, so each year group had a pristine area of snow, and there was a snowman building competition, won by Y4 if I remember. Sadly there were no slopes for sledding, but everyone had a great time and it came up time and again in the ‘memory’ books each leaving year group created.
As School IT person and official photographer, I was out there the whole time taking photos, I was totally frozen by the end of the morning!

blackteasplease · 28/02/2018 16:39

I think it's bloody marvellous too!

HSMMaCM · 28/02/2018 16:48

Our head did this when DD was there. Next newsletter there was an apology. Apparently a lot of parents complained! I emailed her saying how fantastic it was. DD is 18 and still remembers that day.

And for those of you who don't think they learned anything ... well ... apart from being killjoys, you have no idea how children learn.

Jobjobjob · 28/02/2018 16:59

I think learning matters. That is why they go to school. They could have done this at lunchtime. But I wouldn't complain to the school just inwardly roll my eyes.

You are a total mood hoover!

Willow2017 · 28/02/2018 17:06

Of course they are learning outside no different from any other outdoor activity.
Making learning fun is half the battle.

Topseyt · 28/02/2018 17:07

Just wanted to add, learning isn't simply about academic lessons, important though they are.

There is so much more to life than that so a change once in a while is harmless. Sensible head teacher to realise that.

Original poster

QueenArseClangers · 28/02/2018 17:15

Have you not heard of the educational philosophy of learning through play that has been implemented in Nursery, Receptions and Year 1&2 crunchymint?

OP posts:

Original poster

QueenArseClangers · 28/02/2018 17:16

Gawd, you’d probably have a fit crunchy if you see the amount of Forest Schools stuff they do and the annual sleepover for Y2 that involves hide and seek around the school!

OP posts:

SpringEquinox · 28/02/2018 17:23

What fun ! How lovely for them 😃Our street is a route for those walking to a primary school and normally we hear chattering from about 7.45 onwards for those heading to breakfast club ( childcare). Puzzled to hear squealing and giggles at about 7 this morning we looked out to see about four neighbouring families having a snowball fight in the road, with two determined little girls trying to build a quick snowman. My husband was muttering to me about early noise but I pointed out he was a miserable Grinch ( not Xmas but sort of appropriate) - they all looked as they were having such fun. A couple of the Dads who had got really into it trotted off to the morning commuter train covered in snow but looking wide awake and happy. Precious moments .

crunchymint · 28/02/2018 17:27

I have taught courses on learning through play. If this was part of PE fine, otherwise it is unlikely to be about learning that should happen in schools. Not all learning should happen in school.

2beesornot2beesthatisthehoney · 28/02/2018 17:29

This happened at a schoool I taught at about 15 years ago. I took photos too and they were still up when Ofsted inspectors attended . They made very favourable comments about it in their report along the lines of previous comments .

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