The Out to Play residencies wound down last week, with pupils of 4 participating Glasgow schools finishing their journey with Drama Artist Ben Mali, amidst a rare glimmer of sunshine!
Over 14 weeks the pupils were taken on Outdoor Learning adventures, with Drama and Storytelling acting as the catalyst for Ben’s superbly imaginative and inspiring sessions.
We worked with 283 pupils and ran 150 outdoor sessions!
Their paths crossed water-worlds and treasure maps, story trees and animal tales, magic beans and living plants, mythical narrative and cherished songs. The wonderful world below and above our feet was minutely explored, from Enchanted Lochs and Mystical Mountains, to Deserts of Dreams and Forgotten Forests. Fresh connections to our natural world were grown and nurtured through imaginative play, adventurous learning and storytelling.
Come rain or shine the Out to Play pupils and class teachers explored outdoors every week, connecting with their unique school grounds and celebrating the diversity and beauty of our living planet, under the encouraging eye of Ben, their friendly guide for the natural world.
“I loved it because nature is what is inside me. Thank you for everything. It has been a delight.” P4 Pupil, Balornock Primary
“Dear Ben, thank you for teaching us. This program has made me aware of nature and more confident and happy.” P6 Pupil, St Vincent’s Primary
“I loved it all! It was MEGA fun!!!!” P6/5 Pupil, Balornock Primary
“I like it! Its a fun positive way to explore nature and life.” Pupil, St Vincent’s Primary
“I really enjoyed the adventures” P2 Pupil, Aultmore Park Primary
“I enjoyed the fresh air. Enjoying the earth and enjoying life!” Pupil St Vincent’s
“Nature is important because we are nature. If we didn’t have nature we wouldn’t be able to live.” Pupil, Balornock Primary
“Ben has inspired me with lots of activities and stories – he has planted a seed and I look forward to implementing projects next season… I have loved being a part of Out to Play and the children have absolutely loved it also!” Jilly Moffat, Teacher Aultmore Park Primary
“I think regular time outdoors encourages children to be creative and explore. I will definitely keep the routine going next year. Really enjoyed the experience. Loved the stories. Ben was great!” Patricia O’Keefe, Teacher St Vincent’s Primary
“It made me realise that a lot of what I do inside I can take outside.” Fiona Harris, Teacher Balornock Primary
“The project introduced the children to some very important messages and I think that it did this in an accessible and natural way. I particularly enjoyed the use of storytelling and think that this is something I can use.” Sam Harte, Teacher Balornock Primary
For more information on Out to Play and access to Ben’s Blogs on the project:
