Nursery World - Developing the outdoor area

The Forest School provides unrivalled opportunities to the young children at Bridgwater College's Early Excellence Centre, but any setting with access to the outdoors can provide high-quality experiences. Margaret Edgington, an early years consultant and author of The Nursery Teacher in Action, suggests that effective learning in the early years is developed by adults who: 1. Observe children's stage of development

Margaret Edgington, an early years consultant and author of The Nursery Teacher in Action, suggests that effective learning in the early years is developed by adults who: 1. Observe children's stage of development

2. Offer a carefully organised and structured curriculum to give children rich and challenging experiences

3. Understand how children think and learn.

Observation

The outdoors is where many children find it easiest to discover their abilities and experiment without fear of failure or criticism. Adults need to observe children outdoors to find out about their interests and what they actually do. To achieve this:

* Spend time outdoors tracking one child or the whole group. Think about how to extend their play. If children are standing at a fence engrossed by the roadworks, could they have wet sand and spades to recreate the work?

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included