As we head into summer, there are many simple and joyful ways to create movement opportunities for your child(ren) outdoors and close to home. If you have a backyard or nearby green space, setting up an obstacle course might be just the thing.
In Salmonberry Kindergarten, we use simple, open-ended materials—objects whose uses are not fixed but left to the imagination. In Waldorf education, we value open-ended toys and materials because they invite creativity and flexibility. A doll without a fixed facial expression, for instance, can be happy, sad, or deep in thought—whatever the child imagines. A silk can become a cape, a crown, a dress, a mermaid tail, an apron, a baby carrier, a gust of wind, or a frozen pond.
Our obstacle course materials are just as open-ended: wooden boards, benches, sticks, stumps, jump ropes, rocks—and most importantly, cooperation and imagination. Through this kind of play, children develop balance, gross motor skills, communication, patience, impulse control, perseverance, teamwork, and a sense of mastery.
You can bring this kind of joyful play into your own summer days by offering your child(ren) a few materials and the spark of inspiration to begin. Let them build and experiment on their own—children rarely need suggestions from us.
What kinds of materials might you have around your backyard or neighborhood to support this kind of play? Step back, and watch the magic unfold.