Big Playdate Playtimes
23rd January 23
This term the Lower School has launched Big Playdate Playtimes!
Lower School students who make up the Student Council, noticed that every play time, “people were playing the same games with the same people”. We visited a Pupil Council meeting to find out more about the initiative.
Pupil Council members had researched what students were getting up to at playtime without telling their fellow students that they were working undercover! Molly told us: “We found out that the girls mainly stay under the covered areas and just talked while lots of the boys just play football.”
Concerned about the patterns developing at breaktimes Pupil Council wanted to do something to shift everyone out of their comfort zones. Reflecting on their findings, Freddie told us “It didn’t feel very nice because we’re a whole school together and it would be nice if we played together.”
They came up with the idea of Big Playtime Playdates which will take place each Monday and Wednesday lunchtime. Head Karen explained, “The Playtime Playdates are designed to allow space for new friendships to grow and to encourage children try new games and activities.”
Each year group will be trying out a different programme which they’re working on with their class teacher.
In Kit’s class he explained how it will work, “Two children will pick a game, and everyone will have a go at it. If they don’t like it, they don’t have to play, but it’s good to have a try. The teachers will put us into groups and the whole class will play together.”
Molly’s year are doing things a bit differently, “We’re going to do groups of four picked at random. Each group will have two boys and two girls.”
Poppy told us that normally Year 2 students stay in their own playground, but now they can go into the main playground to try out new activities supervised by Year 4 and 5 students.
Pupil Council organised boxes of craft activities, board games, puzzles and soft toys to be used during the Playtimes and they supervised the signing in and out of the games to make sure they don’t go missing.
Students will take part in Big Playtime Playdates on Mondays and Wednesdays every week. Pupil Council are trialing this for six weeks and will report back with their findings.
