This includes Forest Fun sessions, being active in the community, cooking activities, emotional support and a love of nature.
Above and beyond experiences allow the children to receive care and education which is not only age and stage appropriate, but reflective of the world around us and that the children are experiencing. The term ‘cultural capital’ better reflects this, and aims to allow all children to have the same, or similar experiences, develop knowledge and understanding, regardless of their background, and to prepare them for life after nursery.
Forest School is an inspirational approach that focuses on offering unique experiences for children outdoors run by a qualified Forest School leader. Forest School takes place in our woodland and our forest garden to support the development of a relationship between the child and the natural world. Forest School aims to promote the holistic development of all those involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative offering children the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.
Forest School is an inspirational approach that focuses on offering unique experiences for children outdoors, run by a qualified Forest School leader. Without a Forest School leader, we use a similar approach to Forest School, known as Forest Fun. Forest Fun supports the development of a relationship between the child and the natural world. It aims to promote the holistic development of all those involved, fostering resilient, confident, independent and creative offering children the opportunity to take supported risks appropriate to the environment and to themselves.
With the availability of our Forest Garden, the Pre-school and Toddler children can access Forest Fun sessions weekly. In this garden, the children are able to develop confidence, resilience, and explore a truly natural environment. In this garden, the children get involved building dens, exploring a forest kitchen, bug hunting and much more!
The activities in the Forest Garden are risk-assessed for the age and stage of the children using it, allowing for safe, risky play to take place. At the start of the session, the group discuss the Forest Garden rules, including using their walking feet and asking a friend to help carry or move objects. Forest Fun sessions aim to develop the physical, social, cognitive, linguistic, emotional, social and spiritual aspects of each child.
Our Forest Fun sessions can also take our children to a local woodland, at the back of the field next to the nursery. In the woods, a boundary rope is placed around and the children learn that they can explore inside of the rope, not any further. Similar activities take place in the woodland area, helping to enhance a child’s sense of self further.
As we are nestled in a small village, with many green spaces and small businesses, we try to be seen and be engaged in the community as much as we can.
In the springtime, the children go on a trip to Hall Farm. The Pre-school and Toddler children walk to the farm, with the babies in double buggies. Once there, the children have a chance to walk around, view the animals, explore the play park. If one of the farmers is available to walk with us, he is able to teach the children about the animals in more detail; what they like to eat, how to care for them. This is an experience that the children talk about year-round!
Some Decembers, we fill our calendars with Christmas activities. One year, we visited the church to view the Christmas trees for the Christmas Tree Festival. We also have yearly trip to the local primary school to watch their Nativity performance. Creating these traditions around times of the year keeps the children’s excitement for special events that are to come.
Another way we are active in the community is via walks. The children and staff in all rooms take the children for walks around the local area. The babies sit in double buggies, the Toddlers and Pre-school children use walk-o-diles, appropriate for their age, to keep them safe and give them some independence at the same time. Our walks can take us around the field and woods next to the nursery, or around the quiet roads of the village. we say hello to neighbours and people from the village. having this positive interaction helps the children to learn how to safely interact with other people while out and about.
Cooking in the Early Years exposes children to an experience where specific skills need to be learned and creativity, imagination and independence are fostered. Our weekly cooking sessions take place in each room, and help our chef, Maria, to ensure we have some delicious and nutritious food for each meal! This helps to enrich a child’s day with real-life experiences.
Not only does cooking help provide children with real-life experiences, but it also ensures that all seven areas of learning and development are being met in a fun and engaging way. To develop a child’s understanding further, it helps them learn where our food comes from, what ingredients are used to make food and how food can be healthy and delicious too.
Twice a year (May and October), we have a photographer come into the nursery and capture pictures of the children. These professional photos can be tailored to our school leavers, with a sign that says ‘Orchard Barns *year*, or Christmas.
The opportunity to have professional photos taken allows children to develop a sense of confidence as they meet a new person and get to know him, as he comes twice a year.
Siblings and family members are also welcome to join for the photos, creating family memories to keep for years to come.
