Canvas in Playground Web makes it easy to create visually based planning documents to track, present and report on the achievement of learning outcomes and share this learning journey with parents!
To access Canvas, head to Playground Web and click on 'Canvas' in the left-hand menu.
Create a Canvas:
- Click 'New'
- You can choose to create a new blank Canvas or choose a Layout set up by Xplor, your Provider or your Centre.
- Start creating!
Want to customise your canvases further? Check out our guide below for tips and tricks to make your programming and planning cycle stand out!
You can edit, duplicate, archive or delete a Canvas created by any Educator by clicking the three dots on the right-hand side and selecting the action you wish to take.
Add shapes to your canvas by clicking 'Shapes' to the left of the page
- Click the "Shapes" section on the left hand side menu
- Select the shape you wish to add, click and drag into the document
- Use the corner to resize and move as needed.
- Use the paint palette in the menu bar to adjust the colour and transparency
Once the canvas is complete, select "Save" at the top right of the page to save the changes.
Add text to your canvas by clicking 'Content' to the left of the page
- Click and drag the "Text" option into your canvas.
- Type the text you wish to add
- Use the corner to resize and move as needed.
- Use the font, formatting, alignment and bulleting options in the toolbar to adjust
Once the canvas is complete, select "Save" at the top right of the page to save the changes.
Add images to your canvas by clicking 'Content' to the left of the page
- You can add a 'Collage' of images (add multiple images at once); you can add one image by clicking 'Image'; and you can add a 'Video'.
- Select from media that has previously been uploaded via an Observation or you can upload new images from your computer by clicking '+ Upload'. You can filter your media between 'Images' 'Videos' and 'Audio'. Add the media to the document by clicking it.
- Drag the 'Collage' button to the document. This will allow you to add 4 pieces of media at once, please drag the 'Image' button to the collage square and you will be able to upload or select a previous observation to add to the collage.
Once the canvas is complete, select "Save" at the top right of the page to save the changes.
You can now tag children in Canvas in three ways:
Individually
To tag a singular child, head to your canvas and use the left hand side menu to find 'Children'. Use the search bar or scroll to find the child then click and drag their name into the document. Hover over the "Children" icon to see how many are tagged.
In Bulk
To tag children in bulk, head to your canvas and use the left hand side menu to find 'Children'. Under Shortcuts, click and drag the icon which reads "Tag All Children" with a purple + button. This will tag all the children active at the centre. Hover over the "Children" icon to see how many are tagged. You can further filter this list by selecting a room, allowing you to bulk tag by room. This feature is especially helpful when completing group documents!
In Attendance
To tag children in bulk based on their daily attendance, head to your canvas and use the left hand side menu to find 'Children'. Under Shortcuts, click and drag the icon which reads "Tag Booked Children" with a blue + button. This will tag all the children with an active booking for that day at the centre. You can further filter this list by selecting a room, allowing you to bulk tag by room bookings. This feature is especially helpful when group documents for date specific learning experiences!
To remove a Child Tag, under Shortcuts click and drag the icon which reads "Untag All Children" with a red x button.
You can use Canvas as a place to link and present Observations, Tables, Documents and other Canvases you and your educators may have previously created. This features makes presenting the Planning Cycle in a visual format quick and easy!
Using the 'Documents" tab on the left hand side in Canvas, use the Date and Room filters to find the document/s you wish to add, click the desired content and drag into your document. This will then link the children and outcomes tagged in these, as well as display a count when hovered over!
Canvas lets you tag the Learning Outcomes you currently have switched on for your centre. This means you can tag the learning outcomes being worked towards or achieved during the experiences documents and then report on this using functions such as Learning Analysis.
Add stickers to your canvas by clicking 'Stickers' to the left of the page
- Click the "Stickers" section on the left hand side menu
- Select the Sticker you wish to add, click and drag into the document
- Use the corner to resize and move as needed.
You can directly tag in an Educator or Room into documents you create. This means the Educator/Room will be visible and when hovered over, a summary of stats will appear directly in the document.
This information pane can be really helpful during educator meetings, performance reviews and whole group/room planning!
If you're using multiple sources of content in Canvas, you may need to use layers to adjust the final view. Layers allows you to choose what order the content sits in and what is viewable in the final document.
If an item cannot be seen, select the content covering it and use the layer arrows in the toolbar to send this 'backwards' until the object can be seen. Repeat as necessary!
Canvas makes it easier to clone and delete items such as images, text, shapes and videos using the Clone and Delete tool in the toolbar.
Clone Mode
To enter clone mode, click the '+' button located on the toolbar. Hover over an item until the + button appears. Once clicked, the item will be cloned and available to move, recolour or resize as needed. This feature is extremely helpful when created layouts and templates for future use!
Delete an Item
To delete items, simply select the item you wish to remove then select the trash bin from the toolbar. This action will remove the item from the canvas.
To save your work in Canvas you have two options:
Save - This option, the blue button labelled 'Save Draft' located in the top right hand corner, allows you to save any changes made to the canvas you are editing without sharing it to the families of the children tagged. Use this option if you would like to save your work and go back at a later date/time to make changes.
Publish - This option, the blue button labelled 'Publish to Parents' located in the top right hand corner, allows you to save any changes made to the canvas you are editing whilst also sharing it to the families of the children tagged. If no children are tagged, this document will be available to view in Playground Web. Use this option if you would like to save your work and are happy with the final product to be shared with families.
Once shared, families can view the Canvas, save images, and leave comments on Home Web.