Our new, exciting, amazing EYFS outdoor learning area!
Date: 14th Mar 2023 @ 9:18pm
We have recently had a fantastic, brand new outdoor learning area designed and constructed for our EYFS children. Previously, the area was concrete with minimal equipment for us to work with, making the area uninviting, restrictive and unsightly. Outdoor education is a key area for our early years children, ensuring they have regular access to resources that help them to develop physically, mentally and socially. It should be an area where children are able to problem solve, collaborate, explore and imagine and this was prohibited with the past area. However, due to securing some funding through Dorset Council, we were able to design a well resourced, rich learning area, that allows children to achieve in these key areas.
We have installed artificial grass flooring, ensuring the ground is now softer, quieter and safer for the children, we have also had a large mud kitchen with serving hatch installed, equipped with a range of containers, cutlery, pots, pans and potion bottles enabling the children to create their own food and drink and a pulley system to allow the children to get the mud across from the mud box. Opposite the mud kitchen there is a brand new, huge water wall, with funnels, slides, buckets, wheels and jugs to allow children to move the water in different directions. A playhouse allows for role plays or reading areas and next to this is a buddy bench and wooden logs for children to sit quietly and read, draw or rest. On the other side of the area a planter and bug house is situated ready for spring planting and bug observation and next to this is a rainbow coloured xylophone for the children to create their very own music. A large sand pit with a wooden top allows children to either explore with the sand or play with small world resources, creating bridges to their new small world house or use the weighing scales to measure and compare the weight of objects or sand. Around the area are flower blackboards ensuring children have the opportunity to mark make and finally a set of moveable climbing blocks that enable children to develop their climbing, jumping, balance and coordination.
This project has been a hugely successful transformation and one of which the children and staff are extremely excited about. It is now a well resourced, safe, happy learning environment where the children will thrive in their learning. The staff and children would like to thank all that took part in creating a very exciting, beautiful area for our children.
