How building a den can promote
children’s learning and development
By: Saima Yasin
Den building is a great way to encourage a child’s holistic development, physically,
mentally and socially. Children can make this activity their own accomplishment, with
little direction from an adult. Do you support den building in your setting?
Den building offers a range of advantages to children of all ages, from physical
development to problem solving skills. Children can build on their learning by thinking
creatively and turning their ideas into reality. Creating dens will give children the
opportunity to think outside of the box and problem solve to creating a structure.
Children will also develop communication and language skills as they work as a team
to create their den. They will need to take turns in a conversation, explain their ideas
and negotiate with others. Building dens permits children
to develop and strengthen their creative skills. Children
should be offered a range of materials and tools to support
their decision making and creative thinking. Resources such
as blankets, sheets, wooden pegs, boxes or ribbon can be
used to create dens. Building activities will support gross
and fine motor skills, whilst developing good hand-eye
coordination.
Imaginative play is central to children’s development,
which assists them to develop an understanding of the
world around them. Children can build scenarios or stories
around their dens, creating characters and plots to support
their play. Imaginative play supports children to rein-act past events or create new
ones. Children may use familiar characters in their play such as parents, friends or
characters from their favourite stories or television programmes. This allows them to test
boundaries and experiment with behaviour and feelings, without direct consequences.
Den building also supports children’s independent learning skills. Children can take on
a task and work alone to create a den without the
guidance or influence of a practitioner. The activity
can be taken outside to allow more space and
opportunities for the child to extend the den. As a
practitioner, you should be facilitating the child to
be in charge of directing their play and only
offering support or guidance when requested.
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