OPAL

At Eversholt Lower School, we deeply value the importance of play. It's not just a pleasant pastime; it's a fundamental necessity for children's development. Play enriches their social and cognitive skills, fosters resilience, promotes physical activity, enhances wellness, and brings them joy.

During playtime and lunchtime, children have the freedom to explore a wide array of play activities. They engage in locomotor play, enjoying games like dodgeball, tennis, football, tag, hide and seek, and skipping. Social play thrives as they collaboratively establish game rules, utilise LEGO and building blocks, and immerse themselves in imaginative play at the mud kitchen and digging area.

Our playground stage and lunchtime dance clubs offer avenues for dramatic play, sparking children's creativity and self-expression. Dressing up and role-playing further enrich their imaginative experiences.

We are fortunate to possess an abundance of "loose parts" such as tyres, tubes, pallets, and planks alongside our digging area, which provides ample opportunities for exploratory, creative, and mastery-focused play.

We have plenty of ideas that will be added to our current offer to enhance and sustainably improve the quality of play at Eversholt.

We prioritise outdoor play whenever feasible, ensuring that each playtime unfolds amidst the fresh air. To support this, all children keep wellington boots readily available at school. Additionally, we are in the process of acquiring waterproof trousers to facilitate puddle play and spare the inconvenience of wet socks.