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OPAL

Important Information

Autumn term weather can be quite changeable. Your child must have a change of shoes or wellies for outdoors and a waterproof jacket. We would also recommend waterproof trousers for those children who enjoy messy play.

News and Updates

The next OPAL Non-Uniform day is: Thursday 23rd October 2025.

We recommend a donation of £1 and the proceeds will be used to purchase new play equipment.

Fundraising- Thank You

A huge thank you to Eric who decided he wanted to raise money for OPAL to purchase more scooter boards. Eric did a 25 mile sponsored bike ride with his dad to Oxford, raising a massive £540 for our school. Absolutely amazing! 😊

Our last non-uniform day raised £180 for OPAL.

International Day of Play

The International Day of Play happens annually on June 11th. It is a day for people of all ages to play together and celebrate the power play has to erase divisions, build trust and connection, and inspire curiosity and creativity.

What is the aim of OPAL?

OPAL (Outdoor Play and Learning) is all about using natural and man made resources to allow children to be inspired and creative at playtime whilst learning and developing essential skills. Through OPAL we aim to: improve well-being and support self-regulation and increase physical activity.

What are the benefits of OPAL?

Children at OPAL schools rapidly develop creativity, imagination, cooperation, resilience, understanding risk, stamina and confidence. OPAL's approach makes play better for every child, every day... no exceptions! Play is a human need and a human right.

Play is the best way for children to learn, including social skills. Children learn so many skills when they play, like:

  • listening & following directions

  • taking turns

  • making decisions

  • working together

  • flexible thinking

  • understanding someone else’s perspective

  • problem solving

  • executive functioning

  • communication skills

  • self-regulation

16 PLAY TYPES

SYMBOLIC PLAY

Using objects, actions or ideas to represent other objects, actions, or ideas, e.g., using a cardboard tube as a telescope.

ROUGH AND TUMBLE PLAY

Close encounter play which is less to do with fighting and more to do with gauging relative strength. Discovering physical flexibility and the exhilaration of display and it’s friendly and positive. This type of play can burn up a lot of energy.

SOCIO-DRAMATIC PLAY

When children act out experiences, e.g., playing house, going to the shops or going to a restaurant.

SOCIAL PLAY

Any social or interactive situation where the expectation is that everyone will follow the set rules - like during a game or while making something together.

CREATIVE PLAY

Allows children to explore, try out new ideas and use their imagination. They can use lots of different items, altering something and making something new.

COMMUNICATION PLAY

Play using words, gestures, e.g., charades, telling jokes, play acting, etc.

DRAMATIC PLAY

Play where children figure out roles to play, assign them and then act them out.

LOCOMOTOR PLAY

Movement for movement’s sake, just because it’s fun. Things like chase, tag, hide and seek and tree climbing fall into this category.

DEEP PLAY

Play which allows the child to encounter risky experiences and conquer fears, like heights, snakes, and creepy crawlies. Some find strength they never knew they had to climb obstacles, lift large objects, etc.

EXPLORATORY PLAY

Using senses of smell, touch and even taste to explore and discover the texture and function of things around them. An example of this would be a baby mouthing an object.

FANTASY PLAY

This is the make-believe world of children. This type of play is where the child’s imagination gets to run wild, and they get to play out things that are that are unlikely to occur, like being a pilot or driving a car.

IMAGINATIVE PLAY

Play where the conventional rules, which govern the physical world, do not apply, like imagining you are a bee or pretending you have wings.

MASTERY PLAY

Control of the physical and affective ingredients of the environments, like digging holes or constructing shelters.

OBJECT PLAY

Play which uses sequences of hand-eye manipulations and movements, like using a paintbrush.

ROLE PLAY

Play exploring ways of being, although not normally of an intensely personal, social, domestic or interpersonal nature. For example brushing with a broom, dialing with a telephone.

RECAPITULATIVE PLAY

Play that allows the child to explore ancestry, history, rituals, stories, rhymes, fire and darkness.

 

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