What a brilliant day we’ve had! Today we set aside as a mini DT project day, focusing on the theme of Shade and Shelter. This morning began with us going on a hunt around the school grounds for different types of shelter. We identified bike shelters, the outdoor classroom, sheds, garages, houses, porches and conservatories. As a class, we were able to draw on our learning from last week’s science and discuss the materials the shelters were made from and why this mattered. The children could offer ideas such as ‘it is strong’, ‘it would keep the rain off’, and ‘it lets the light in’.

We then went back into the classroom and began the task of designing our own shelters. The children were shown the materials they could use in the afternoon and they designed their shelters accordingly. We mainly used sticks of hazel, tarpaulins of various sizes, rope and some strong elastic bands.

Finally, it was time to build! Straight after lunch we put our wellies on and headed out onto the lower playground. The children worked brilliantly in small groups, displaying lots of reciprocity and resilience. Our helpers, Mr Richardson and Sue (Miss England’s Mum) were so impressed with the children’s ability to problem solve and try new ways of doing things when the first time didn’t work. There were some brilliant dens by the end of the afternoon. We enjoyed some warm blackcurrant and popcorn inside them. At home time, we invited our grown ups in to come and see what had been made.

Here are a few of the highlights: