At Camperdown we strongly believe in the importance and value of outdoor play in a child’s learning and development. We operate a free flow indoor/outdoor policy which means that children always have access to the outdoor area. We have two great gardens, take regular walks and outings in the local community and are involved in the forest schools project.
The Garden
We have two gardens, one is specifically designed to provide the freedom to engage in noisy, exciting physical play and the other garden has our horticultural area with a bed for plants and a patch for vegetables. Camperdown is involved in eco-schools and this area also has our compost heap and water butt, as well as a mini beast hotel.
The doors in the nursery open out directly onto the gardens which gives the children easy access and means that the playroom curriculum flows from our indoor to our outdoor area.
Having these two great areas means there is plenty of space for us to support the children’s problem-solving skills and to nurture their creativity, as well as providing rich opportunities for their developing imagination, inventiveness and resourcefulness.
Walks, Outings and Forest Schools
Outdoor learning is really important to us and we often take the children out for daily walks in the community, for example a walk to the shops, or to the library. These ‘expeditions’ offer both the children and adults a catalyst for play and conversations and to extend learning. We participate in forest schools and take children to a woodland on a regular basis which gives them the opportunity to embrace the outdoors as an inspirational learning environment focused on the children’s learning needs rather than specific outcomes.
It is a wonderful and unique way of building confidence and self esteem in the children, in a hands-on environment and encourages the children to form a strong social group with their peers.
