Swap places if you….(parachute game)

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6. Swap places if you….(parachute game)

'What I'm good at' photos

Learning Outcomes

• to understand that other people like some of the same things, and do the same things as they themselves do.
• form positive relationships with other children and adults.
• develop confidence, self-esteem and a sense of security.

We will know we have been successful if we

• understand that lots of people at nursery like the same things to do as we do, and that we could all have lots of fun playing together.
• understand that we are all good at different things.

Purposes of the curriculum 3-18

To enable all young people to become:

• confident individuals with self respect and a sense of physical, mental and emotional wellbeing
• responsible citizens with respect for others

• Parachute (if you don't have a parachute, a circle of seats or mats on the floor would work just as well).
• Photos of each child playing at something they know they're good at, or their favourite nursery activity.

Taking photos of the children at their favourite activity will have given you the opportunity to talk to each child about what they're good at and to give them lots of specific praise about what they do so well at their favourite activity. Building children's belief in themselves and their own abilities is important in relation to educating about equality as Kendall explains:

'Education that is multicultural is built on nurturing a positive self concept for all children from the earliest years. These strong, positive feelings about themselves should prepare children to be less threatened by change and diversity' (Kendall 1983; 31)

Time required
Anything from 10 - 15 minutes.

Method
Holding the parachute (or sitting in a circle) together explain that we are going to change places when you say something that's about them or when you say something they like. Start with easy things like 'Change places if you are wearing a jumper.' If you are using a parachute, inflate the parachute together by counting to three, and the children who are changing places run under when the parachute is in the air.

End this part of the activity with a few turns of 'change places if you like ... (a specific activity at the nursery.)'

Settle down again in a circle. If you are using a parachute, everyone can sit on the edge of the parachute. Bring out the photos of each child doing something they're good at. Show the children each picture and make an individual comment on how well that child is doing, being sensitive towards shy children. Each time you talk about a different activity ask if anyone else likes doing that too. When activities are repeated comment that it is the same.

Highlight that everyone is good at different things, and that we all have different favourites, but we are all good at being friends and we all like playing.

Links to Free-Play Activities
Make a book of all of the photos and keep it in your story area. If you have a camera that children are allowed to take photos with, children could be encouraged to take photos of each other doing things they're proud of. Display the photos in the area they were taken - this would help promote discussion, and give opportunities for adults to point out that the children playing there like the same as the child in the photograph.

Read Clever sticks (Bernard, A, HarperCollins) in which a Chinese boy teaches all of the children and adults at his nursery how to use chopsticks and each child teaches him to do things he'd been struggling with.

Reference
Kendall, F (1983) Diversity in the Classroom - A Multicultural Approach to the Education of Young Children, Teachers College Press, New York and London