What do your ks1 children do at playtime?

[imsorryiasked]

DS likes to run around but games of tag/tig get out of hand.
They only have a fairly small odd shaped playground. No equipment. No room for ball games.
Any suggestions for active games would be really helpful.

My DS is in a spy ring at playtime. It's not a game! (He tells me) It's a real one, and playtime is when they plan their missions, make-up codes, spy on people etc (mostly teachers!)

There's a ringleader and everything...

Now you really are sorry you asked!

Yes ds was playing "police" and "army" but apparently catching / sorting out the baddies got out of hand too . . .

My mum used to teach reception in an infant school so only years R, 1 & 2, she introduced lots of playground games, the older children took it in turns to put out skipping ropes, hoops, mats with cars and train sets etc. Some (slightly tatty) reading books by a bench, My ds started reception in September and they have scooters and footballs after lunch but just 'free play' at break time. I think playtime must be awful in some schools if you aren't into running about.

Could they do a scavenger hunt, or tracking (teach him how to make patterans from stones/leaves/pine cones etc)?

I think they would work in the summer on the two days they get to use the playing field (shared with another school) but there really isn't anything to scavenge in the playground and any tracks would get wiped out by the other kids.

In our playground there's a rota of which year can play football.
All 3 of mine played running games like Tag and Bulldog.

Do they have any fun equipment?!?!?

We have basket ball nets attached to outside Walls, skipping, cup and ball French skipping, trim trail, football, gardening on the main infant playground.

Chalkboards and bubble mixture

DD reports that they have 'play leaders' from KS2 come to the KS1 playground and help to channel the play with the younger children. They do things like What's the time Mr Wolf, and stuck in the mud, for which you don't need any equipment.

DD's school does the play leaders thing, they call it sports crew. Had someone external come in to train yr 5 and 6 and they have badges, a whistle and a rota.

Basically a few older children play games with the infants, different each day. Sometimes with equipment sometimes games like you would play at brownies what time is it mr wolf type things.

DD likes it, says little ones ask when they are next doing it and most or all join in.

Thank you. I've suggested the play leader scheme and will keep my fingers crossed for a positive response.

Have you seen the play pod initiative?

My little girl likes playing clapping games with her best friend. She also plays mummy and babies and complains that she is always the baby because she is the smallest in the class. Occassionally she plays a game called "Paw Patrol" which I believe is some CBeebies programme. Dd rarely gets to watch CBeebies as her older brother has introduced her to programmes for older children.

Either extremely complicated made-up games involving magic serums, castles, Ninja Turtles, zombie mermaids and people turning into vampires, or British Bulldog.

I was relieved to see that the current version of British Bulldog is a running game we used to call Polo and not the very violent version I remember - it was in our local news at the time as a 'worrying trend'!

Our school has lots of toys out - sports equipment (most have it for pe), musical instruments (again hardly used but needed for music), an older book box, some fancy dress type things (tabard as and hats) a sandpit of construction. Skipping ropes and hoops. They also have ks2 children to organise games (only at lunch times) and rotate between 2 yards, one of which has outdoor play equipment. Ks1 often have much less free flow than eyfs so we try and make up for it at play times!

We have a rota of senior kids come to teach the infants playground games. We also have painted games on their yard - hopskotch etc.

Juniors are given play equipment on a rotating basis - hula hoops, soft footballs, skipping ropes.

Seniors have a rota that swaps between classes - two football areas, one basketball. They don't have to play.

All the classes have days where they don't have a set game/item, and then they play playground games.

Oh, and also seeing as they can now use the field, we've added a Gaelic football section.

Mine play games based on imagination eg pop stars, Star Wars, princesses, princes, super heroes.

Our school has lots of games painted on the ground - hopscotch, snakes and ladders, etc, and a path to follow with sections of balance, hop, run, jump, skip, etc. Dd is also into spying at the moment, and has ruined many pairs of tights in her quest to become an international girl of mystery

Play Bounty Hunter in the attached woods. Feed the hedgehogs (a pest here, but a cute one), build dens and defend them from girls. Climb trees. Sneak into the big kids playground and feel brave. Dig for treasure in the sand pit (treasure is when the sand is frozen). I guess if they were really bored they could play a ball game. Seems a little dull though.

Where are you with all the hedgehogs ?

New Zealand