Opal - Outdoor Play and Learning

Playtime is changing at Christchurch Infant School!

Our vision is that every child in our school has amazing, high-quality play every day.

We believe that play is essential for physical, emotional, social, spiritual and intellectual development of each child. The school acknowledges the UN Charter on the Rights of the Child, especially Article 31, and supports the child’s right to play. Most of our best childhood memories are from playing outdoors, climbing trees and exploring the wide world around us. OPAL gives us the opportunity to give those memories to your children.

Childhood has changed and we can no longer assume that any child is able to experience full and rich play opportunities outside of school.

Through OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning), we believe that play teaches children all the things that need to be learnt but cannot be taught. There are clearly lots of benefits to children participating in lots of great play – here are some of them:

The children now have access to a range of activities including:

• Den building
• Small world
• Mud kitchen
• Role play, including dressing up, babies
• Dolls Houses
• Water Play
• Crates and Boxes
• Chalk
• Football / Tennis

We play outside in all weather, so it's important that your child brings wellies, coats and waterproofs to school every day.