Free and Found fabulousness in Lancashire!

If you're in or around Lancashire, please join me on Friday 24th or Saturday 25th at a half day CPD session exploring the joy and rich variety of low cost and no cost outdoor play resources:

Never walk past a skip without peering into it.

This short CPD session takes place mostly outdoors and is lively, genuinely interactive and probably the only one you’ll go to that leaves you with dirty fingernails and a bruise on your knee…

We’ll revel in the sheer delight children take in playing with ‘real’ objects, found objects, natural objects and (ahem) forbidden objects – all of which are free or very, very cheap. The theory of loose parts is well known, but this session will help you take that to the next level, introducing ideas around tinkering, tool use, risk-taking, skip scavenging, playing out after dark and giving children opportunities to take responsibility and show you what physically competent, active problem solvers they really are.

We’ll look at established research around loose parts, affordance theory and ideas of generosity and abundance, as well as the practical aspects of developing and maintaining a Free and Found resource collection.

We’ll also be playing. Outdoors. With stuff. Scruffy stuff that wasn’t ever intended to be played with. Come along, why don’t you? I have plasters…

CPD objectives:

· Build confidence in enabling large and small scale scavenged loose parts play.

· Explore the benefits and hazards of introducing Free and Found resources.

· Identify opportunities for creating and sustaining a Free and Found ‘hoard’ of resources.

Find out more at www.lancashire.gov.uk/early-years-support-and-training

Or contact Annette Shepherd on 01772 539058