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What is an Outdoor Nursery?
What is an Outdoor Nursery?
Our outdoor nursery is influenced by the forest school ethos, where learning through play and hands on experiences is promoted and encouraged. It offers children time and space to develop a range of skills through different activities in a natural environment. It helps to promote self-esteem, emotional well-being, independence, social skills and risk taking, which are all vital in creating successful lifelong learners.
Our exciting outdoor nursery has a large hut with a log burner, a fire area, den building area, small world area, mud kitchen, story telling area and plenty of space for playing and exploring. It provides children with opportunity to use real tools, learn how to light fires, build dens and observe changes to the natural environment throughout the seasons. In addition to this children are involved in planting and caring for our home grown produce and caring for Pasty the pony who visits us once a month. Every day regardless of the weather, morning sessions are spent exploring and creating awe and wonder in our wonderful outdoor nursery.
Our sessions begin underneath the tree canopy by completing our daily calendar board which prompts discussion about the days of the week, the weather, the season and the months of the year. This is followed by a story which often relates to the children’s current interests or links to the outdoor environment.
Although learning and development in our outdoor nursery is mainly child-led, activities are planned and linked to the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework (EYFS). For example, activities such as collecting sticks for the fire and sorting them in to piles according to their size can support mathematical development.
After a session of playing, exploring and learning, the children gather around the fire for snack time and singing. We make hot chocolate and often make food, such as bread, porridge, bagels and chocolate apples!
The Benefits of Outdoor Learning
The Benefits of Outdoor Learning
Many studies have shown that outdoor learning has many benefits for children. It can….
Help to reduce stress.
Help to boost concentration and increase engagement in learning.
Increase social skills; Children share, negotiate, lead and problem solve with their peers.
Increase confidence through small, manageable tasks.
Help children to gain knowledge and understanding of their natural environment, the plants and animals that live there and the change in seasons.
Help children to understand their own strengths, weaknesses and learning styles.
Increase emotional wellbeing. Just being in nature has been shown to have a real and positive effect to children’s mental wellbeing.
Develop new skills using tools and traditional crafts.
Have an opportunity to play and follow their own agenda.
Help to reduce illnesses such as colds. Being in the fresh air regardless of the weather conditions has been scientifically proven to reduce the transmission of illnesses.
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