How to Play the UnderSky way
Are you sometimes a little worried about playing outside with your family and friends? What if someone gets lost? What if someone gets hurt? Perhaps you’ve planned an outdoor birthday party and want to ensure everyone stays safe and have a good time. The good news is that there’s some simple things you can do to make it a success. We’ve put together some handy hints to help you think about, organise and lead outdoor play activities. We hope you all have fun!
Assess the site before everyone arrives. Check for litter and dog poo and be prepared to pick this up and dispose of it safely. Ensure there is no nasty rubbish hiding in the undergrowth.
Introduce yourself to ensure all children/adults/siblings know who you are!
Introduce the base and use this area as your central meeting point – laying down your picnic blanket can help mark it if you are planning to stay nearby. The base is useful so that the children know and understand where to return to.
Introduce the site and point out any issues such as ditches, waterways, slippery paths etc. Remember that some families/children may have not explored this area before or be risk aware.
Set boundaries of where you expect to explore. Use obvious markers in the landscape to describe your play area.
Using Call and Response to gain attention and gather the group. Bring a noise-maker with you such as bells, maracas, whistle (or make one from small stones in a plastic bottle). Use this prop to call the group back when necessary.
Play a warm up game to ensure the families/children understand the boundaries and the call and response signal. Ask the children to run around the designated space without gong past the boundaries. When you use your percussion instrument the children all need to return back to base. This helps the children listen out for your signal and reminds them where they can explore safely.
When talking to your group always consider how the surroundings can affect how easily they hear and see you. If its a windy day, stand with the wind behind you so that your voice travels towards the group. If its a sunny, stand with the sun in front of you so that it is shining in your eyes rather than the group's.
