Eyes on Early Years Volume 17 | Page 18

Outdoor activities to beat the heat By Emma Jayne Morgan Some of us are lucky enough to have splash or pool areas that we can use with the children during the hot summer months, however some of us do not. Even if we do they are usually only timetabled for use once a week. Therefore, here are some fun water-based activities that you can set up in any outdoor space to beat the heat this summer. Ice Soup Freeze a large selection of different coloured ice in containers of different shapes and sizes. To make the ice different colours either add food colouring directly to the ice trays for a more intense colour or to a container of water that you then pour into ice containers to make paler, less intense colours. Colour could differ depending on the theme of your soup. If you do not have a large freezer or lots of containers, move the ice cubes into bags in the freezer whilst you freeze more. Once you have plenty to fill some smaller containers with ice and cold water, provide the children with a large container and a wide variety of utensils to mix and cook their soup.