Outdoor Learning
Outdoor learning is vital for children. In April 2018, we were lucky enough to be granted funding by The National Lottery’s ‘Awards for All’ scheme, which was used to enhance our garden and provide new resources, helping to capture our children’s needs and interests.
We feel it is vital that we can provide a space at our Nursery where children can grow and develop new skills while also enjoying the fresh air, promoting positive health and wellbeing.
At First Steps, our outdoor learning area acts as an extension to our learning environment. Here, children can play freely and develop their physical skills with a range of activities such as caring for our plants, digging, being creative in our mud kitchen and water play, alongside natural resources for climbing and imaginative fun. Our intention is to capture children in more hands-on outdoor experiences, with our space feeling equally like a garden and not just a playground.
Babies and toddlers have a separate area in our outdoor learning space and can experience the same resources and opportunities as the older children, but in a more confined and safe space as necessary. Although they will have times where they can explore the main garden with their older friends to help enhance their learning.
Staff regularly encourage children to partake in outdoor play on a regular basis, regardless of the weather. As such, parents/carers must ensure that their child is provided with the correct clothing to suit the weather.
