Enabling Environments: Birth to three - Logging on

Inspired by the improved confidence and desire for learning that our older children have gained from the Forest Schools Initiative, we have now developed an exciting outdoor area for our under-threes.

We are based at Knightlow C of E Primary School, which transformed its area with mature trees into a forest school. Our older children visit the area once a week with our two trained Forest School leaders.

The area for our youngest children is called 'Twiglets'. It is not huge, but it is stimulating and with the exception of the groundsman hired to remove the turf, we have created the area ourselves for just under £1,500.

We plan to continue developing our Twiglets area. It currently includes:

- a dry compost pit for touching, digging, mark-making and hiding and finding things

- a wet digging area for similar activities, but providing a totally different sensory experience. This area attracts worms and the children love to look for them and watch them. Some like to hold out their hand and have the worm on their palm - others are just building up to this!

- an area with large logs, which the children ride as pretend vehicles

- an area with two child-sized benches and a small table where the children can sit, chat, observe or engage in role play

- a raised bed planted with herbs, which the children are encouraged to touch, feel and smell

- a circle of small logs where the children can sit and chat, sing or listen to sounds or a story, or just observe the others at work.

- flat, wooden stepping stones to walk along, balance on, jump on, count, play follow-my-leader

- a bark mound which children love to climb up, stand on or roll down

- wicker baskets attached to the wall and filled with objects for the children to investigate. Items include stones (shiny or rough), shells, bark, seed heads, dried fruit, wicker/raffia balls, dried leaves and chopped herbs, which the children can sort, count, smell and touch

- a reflective area with a garden mirror attached to the wall at child height and a variety of shiny spheres and hand-held mirrors (curved, tinted, magnifying, etc)

- a small log area that attracts insects

- a painting area which provides children with the freedom to paint on a large scale using a variety of materials.

We have found that the area sparks in the children an enthusiasm to investigate, to explore and to experiment. Here, they can try and fail and try again, developing their motor skills, sight, listening skills, sense of smell, balance and co-ordination.

They can use their minds to think, consider and create, and can take the time to enjoy and not feel any pressure to perform or succeed.

The area boosts their self-esteem and gives them a zest for learning that carries on into the indoors, which they now view from a different perspective and explore much more than before.

As the months pass, the area will also allow the children to see the environment changing and experience the seasons, different temperatures and weather conditions.

A comprehensive risk assessment plan helps us to ensure that the area is safe and secure. We also pay great attention to detail - for example, the stones and shells provided are too big for the children to put into their mouths.

The learning opportunities provided by the Twiglets area are huge and span the whole EYFS. It plays a large part in our planning and provides an abundance of spontaneous opportunities.

Michelle Shaw and Ruth Thompson are co-owners and managers at Knightlow Children's Partnership, Stretton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire.