Go Outside
"Teaching children about the natural world should be seen as one of the most important events in their lives" - Thomas Berry
Outdoor Play
"Anything you teach in a classroom can be taught outdoors, often in ways that are more enjoyable for children" - Cathy James
Outside play and exploration is an important part of childhood. When outdoors, children are given the chance to exercise, develop and strengthen their gross motor muscles, take risks, problem solve, socalise, appreciate nature, learn about the world around therm and so much more.
The possibilities are endless....
Rain or Shine
"There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing" - Alfred Wainwright
Our outside area is open all day, everyday no matter what the weather. We strongly believe in the importance of outdoor play to support not only children's physical development, but also their problem solving skills, as well as nurturing their creativity and providing opportunities for developing their imaginations, inventiveness and resourcefulness. It's exciting to see our children exploring their surroundings, being curious about what's around them and finding joy in discovering new things.
Being outside gives our children the opportunity to experience the natural world; offering them experiences unique to outdoors, such as direct contact with the weather and the seasons and teaches them to understand and respect the environment.
We have a large outside area including a vegetable garden where the children can plant and grow their own fruit and vegetables for snack, a mud kitchen, stone pit, water play, construction area, outside classroom, large play equipment, willow dome and also a forestry area where the children can take part in a range of outdoor activities.
Scroll down to take a closer look at our amazing outdoor provision...
Our Outdoor Areas
Mud Kitchen
Mud, mud glorious mud!
The open-ended nature of mud play encourages creative thinking and allows children to freely create and immerse themselves in a fully sensory experience.
Our mud kitchen also has a large mud pit that the children can climb into to dig, encouraging physical development and gross motor movements.
Construction
Playing with a variety of building and creative resources helps children build self-confidence and encourages their independent learning. By allowing children freedom in construction play it also makes them think independently, problem solve and make decisions based on what they are doing.
Our construction area contains lots of loose parts as well as bricks and blocks to provide endless opportunities for building and learning. There is also a large space for the children to ride bikes and scooters.
Water and Sand
Our sand and water play offers children many opportunities to use and develop their gross motor skills. For example; digging scooping and pouring the sand and water with their hands. Using tools like mini-shovels, rakes, buckets and more not only supports their fine motor skills but also helps to develop their hand-eye coordination.
Stone pit
We have a large stone pit where the children can explore filling and emptying, encouraging early maths and problem solving skills and aiding physical development. The children have plenty of opportunities to work together, share and take turns which encourages communication and social interactions.
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Outdoor Classroom
Our outdoor classroom provides a peaceful area where the children can curl up with a book, be creative or just chill out with their friends. We also hold outdoor yoga sessions here every week (weather permitting) with Carly from Calm Skies.
This space is an opportunity for the children to access the outside whatever the weather and is a calming space to unwind and watch the world go by.
Grass Area
Our extensive grass area includes a willow dome to provide shelter and a quiet space to reflect, large play equipment for the children to develop their climbing and balancing skills, a boat and beach area, dinosaur garden and a large space to run around in. We also have a potion station where the children can experiment with picking flowers and leaves to mix and make marvellous creations.
In the warmer weather the children have the opportunity to eat their lunch outside in the garden and enjoy the fresh air and beautiful surroundings.
Forestry area
The forestry area allows children to take risks and attempt new challenges. There are opportunities for children to try more risky activities such as tree climbing and building fires. This adds a sense of excitement, wonder and adventure for the children, who are free to explore and manipulate the environment around them using all of their senses. The area includes a bug hotel to explore and opportunities for building shelters, natural crafts, experiencing a fire pit and using real tools.
Vegetable Garden
In our vegetable garden children can learn new skills, have fun, play and develop self-confidence by spending time in the garden tending plants and growing and picking their own food for snack. Being outdoors, digging in the soil, getting dirty, creating things and watching plants grow are all an important part of our children learning about the natural world around them.
"The mud will wash off but the memories will last a lifetime"
