ABSTRACT
Outside, all staff and children participate in sitting or standing in a circle,
surrounding and holding a large piece of fabric that they call ‘the parachute’.
They waft the parachute up and down. Some children go underneath and they
call ‘hello’ to them. When sitting, they lift the parachute and staff look under
and call hello to particular children on the opposite side to them. Later they
place a teddy bear on top and bounce him by moving the parachute up and
down either quickly or slowly. They make small movements, all whispering,
to get him to go to sleep. Then, with excitement, they shout and use big
movements to ‘wake teddy up’. J talks to the children throughout the activity,
encouraging, praising, enticing and instructing children as individuals and
as a whole group. Occasionally a child breaks away and is gently encouraged
to come back to the circle and rejoin the activities. The children all join in
enthusiastically, singing, shouting, whispering, sitting, standing, turning,
walking and running. The activity generates a sense of community, while
individuals are sensitively acknowledged and encouraged.
