We may be outdoors and having fun but that doesn’t mean we’re not learning!
Our aim is to ensure children always get the best care and education possible and prepare them for their transition to school.
Like any Nursery, Forest Learners will follow the Early Years Foundation Curriculum and work closely with the children to ensure they are school ready. Examples of how we might do this include:
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Prime areas: Physical – climbing, jumping, running, tying knots, using different resources, Personal, social and emotional – working together, sharing resources, supporting each other, Communication and language – learning new vocab, asking new questions, listening, following instructions,
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Specific Areas: Expressing art and design – being creative, making, using different resources, Literacy – exploring marks in mud, on trees, Mathematics – counting, sorting, weighing, measuring, balancing, Understanding the world – learning about the environment, exploring, investigating.
Children love being outside in all conditions – whether it’s raining, snowy, or frosty there is still lots of fun and learning to be had as long as they are dressed appropriately. Learning outside also gives children the chance to exercise and let off steam. This time of year it definitely beats being cooped inside with lots of seasonal germs!
Some of the ways in Winter we might be learning and involving the natural environment around us include:
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measuring the length of Icicles and counting how many you can see
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experiencing frosted grass and thinking about why the ground might freeze and then melt
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scientific experiments to change the colour of puddles
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Looking for animals tracks in the ground and making bird feeders to help wildlife during the cold snap.
The list is endless …….
As well as the EYFS, Forest Learners also applies Forest school principals and practices. Forest school activities enables children to learn about the natural environment, understand how to handle risks and use their own initiatives to solve problems and work with others. Evidence shows that the variety of skills used enables children to develop more quickly than in the conventional learning environment. Being outdoors is also shown to help children’s general wellbeing
and confidence.
As a Nursery Group we also gain inspiration from the Italian childhood centre Reggio Emilia. This way of thinking is world famous for providing children with the very best care and learning environments. We pride ourselves on our natural resources which encourage the children to think creatively.
SENDCO
The Nursery has a highly qualified and experienced Special Educational Needs and disabilities Coordinator (SENDCO), who is able to speak with you regarding any queries or concerns you may have surrounding your child. Nursery manager Michelle is also a qualified SENDCO.