As an alternative to the more conventional areas in your setting such as the role play area or book corner, use paddling pools to create interesting new sites around the room.
Key learning intentions
Knowledge and understanding of the world
Resources
An inflatable paddling pool and a variety of materials
Step by step
* Blow up an inflatable paddling pool.
* Fill the empty pool with interesting materials for the children to explore.
* Some suggested contents could be small cars, lorries, buses and other vehicles; books and cushions; pasta and pulses; Lego or Duplo blocks; rocks, shells and dried seaweed; leaves; jigsaw puzzles; finger puppets; musical instruments; Post-it notes and crayons; empty bottles and items to fill the bottles with, such as pasta, pulses and sequins.
* Explain to the children that a new area has been set up within the room.
* Let everyone know that only four or six children (depending on the size of the paddling pool) are allowed to play in the area at any given time.
* Invite the children to use the pool as they would use other areas in the room.
* Allow the children to explore the contents of the pool while they sit inside it.
* Change the contents of the pool on a regular basis.