A 14-month-old is confidently climbing up a wooden structure with a slight incline at Rowland Hill Nursery School and Children’s Centre in north London. Using his hands to steady himself, he places his feet between the slats and co-ordinates his movements as he rises to the top. He looks over his shoulder to his educator and celebrates with a beaming smile.
The climbing structure is just one of the pieces of outdoor equipment in the nursery garden that provides the right amount of challenge for children under two.
‘Our outdoor climbing and balancing equipment provides challenge on a larger scale [than indoors], allowing babies to develop gross motor skills while supporting them to take measured risks that build upon their self-awareness, personal safety and the intrinsic drive to develop new skills,’ explains daycare co-ordinator Sarah Flory.
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