A well-planned outdoor environment will become an essential part of your setting and can be used across the curriculum and in every season.
The benefits of outdoor play
All children benefit from access to outdoor play and learning opportunities. In addition to the educational value of nature-based programming are the health benefits of getting outdoors. Some of the other benefits include:
- Improved mood
- Enhanced appreciation for the outdoors through interaction
- Improved learning experience for tactile and experiential learners
- Better social skills
- Incorporation of physical activity across various subject areas
- The opportunity to get out of the indoor classroom if the school does not have the budget to go on field trips
Ideas for your outdoor space
- Take your music and art activities outdoors! Inspire a new generation of artists by allowing them to draw plants, insects, the sun, or whatever it is they wish to draw! Art easels, mark-making stations and chalkboards are also a fantastic addition to your space to encourage cooperative and collaborative drawing.
- Study a mini-beast activity through every season! Our Crittacabin consists of a single unit with multi-habitats, which allows children to monitor the habits of different insects, hedgehogs and mammals. Locate in a sunny position, preferably close to flowering plants, and observe the wildlife. You could also monitor your results with the Recordable Magnifier.
- A mud kitchen in the heart of your setting provides children with a beautiful array of learning opportunities. From encouraging creativity and influencing language development to supporting STEAM learning, messy play has educational relevance across all age groups and curriculum areas. Children will love to mix, mash, blend and sieve materials, whilst developing mathematical, scientific, and communication skills.
- Potions and Concoctions! Let imaginations soar, investigations begin, and concoctions be mixed, stirred, and conjured up in your mud kitchens. Experimenting with messy materials is a vital part of a child’s outdoor learning experience. Mixing, pouring and stirring ingredients is not only great fun but helps the children to make connections and develop their understanding of how things work.
- Sand and water activities provide children with an enriched learning experience. Children can extend their mathematical and scientific knowledge by making discoveries through cause and effect, using utensils, and exploring different materials.
