We are delighted to publish the 2019 Out to Play Report, which captures year 3 of our award-winning creative learning project Out to Play, currently running for a 4 year period 2017-2020.
Since the pilot project in 2015 which worked with primary schools across Glasgow, Out to Play has developed and expanded every year. The 2018 project included delivery in nurseries, and in 2019 we developed and tailored the project to include schools for children with complex learning needs. The project has also featured in Aberdeen’s Arts Across Learning Festival in both 2019 and 2020, with Out to Play sessions delivered to schools and nurseries across the city.
Out to Play has now reached 3,622 children and 522 teachers across greater Glasgow and Scotland, championing the role of the arts and creativity in outdoor learning and learning for sustainability. During 2019 we worked with a further 6 schools, bringing the total number of schools in Glasgow that have now participated in a 5 week residency to 22, plus 5 schools across Scotland have participated in one-off Out to Play sessions. During 2019 we also delivered 5 external CPD sessions for 105 teachers, early years practitioners and educators from across Scotland and the UK, sharing best practice and ideas from Out to Play and promoting and advancing the role of the arts in outdoor learning.
Out to Play 2019 was delivered by experienced Out to Play Drama Artists Sophie McCabe, Sarah Rankin and Ben Mali Macfadyen, and this year also saw the creation of our latest resource pack ‘Let’s Go…Out to Play!’ Early Years, written by Sarah Rankin. This pack is now available to purchase as a hard copy, and we are hosting an Early Years CPD Session later this year to officially launch it. To book a free place at this event, to be held at Westercraigs Nursery in Glasgow, please contact us.
The 2019 report is a testimonial to the positive impact which the Out to Play project is having on children, young people, teachers and practitioners in urban school settings, and the evaluation data demonstrates positive progression and impact in all key areas.
We hope you enjoy reading about our progress with the Out to Play project.
Read the Out to Play Report 2019 HERE
Pupil & Teacher Feedback Highlights
“Out to Play has inspired me to make a difference to the world.”
“I think of nature as more important and more fun now”
“I want to plant trees to help the planet.”
“I loved going on adventures and telling stories”
“I learned to use my imagination.”
“I learned to be more confident in myself.”
“You inspired me to go outside and play. Thank you”
- Teachers were asked if they utilised Drama and Storytelling as tools within their Outdoor Learning lessons before and after the project. This made a huge leap from 8% selecting YES in Round 1 to 70% selecting YES in Round 2
- 100% of teachers reported that they were very likely or likely to use arts-based learning with their class going forward.
- There was a significant rise in the value teachers placed on Outdoor Learning within the Curriculum for Excellence, with 92% saying it was very important and 8% stating important after participating in the project.
“A unique opportunity which allows pupils to grow in confidence and connect with nature through drama and storytelling…they grew in confidence and their outlook towards drama became much more positive.”
Teacher, St Joseph’s Primary School
“WOW! The sessions delivered by Out to Play are a must have for all schools. I have increased my knowledge and confidence to teaching and delivering drama/storytelling based on learning for sustainability. The children benefited immensely from the sessions and loved each one.”
Teacher, Riverbank Primary
“Very valuable and relevant. Sarah was a great leader and the children so looked forward to the Out to Play sessions. Before the session I wouldn’t have made the effort to learn a story from memory, but I will do that from now on. It means you can fully immerse yourself in the session.”
Teacher, St Vincent’s Primary
“Children had a great experience with Sophie and experienced the use of the sensory garden in a different way.”
Teacher, Langlands Primary
“Myself and the children grew in confidence…I learned how to deliver lessons outdoors in relation to storytelling and sustainability… Ben gave great ideas for how to teach lessons outdoors and through storytelling. My Out to Play lesson went well and opened up my eyes to how I could teach pupil’s lessons differently.”
Teacher, St Josephs Primary
Watch the 2018 Out to Play mini documentary on vimeo
Email us to get a copy of the Out to Play resource packs Let’s Go…Out to Play!’
Read comprehensive reports on previous Out to Play project years.
Eco Drama are grateful to all funders that have supported the Out to Play project since 2015.
