A typical day

What to expect at Nature Nursery

“It was like exploring a place that you have seen in a dream, where everything is just where you expect it and yet everything is a surprise.” Arthur Ransome, Swallows and Amazons

Although there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ day at the Nature Nursery, structure is important.

Arrival

Children arrive dressed ready for a day in the outdoors. Children may be part of Breakfast club from 8am, or arrive for the core day from 8:30am. Children are welcomed by their key person who greets parents and supports children to settle in and engage within the endless opportunities with their natural environment. Our Ofsted inspection detailed “children access inspiring play spaces that develop their curiosity and wonder”.

Children have their own dry space for their belongings and special items. Badger’s Garden is a secure, enclosed outdoor area, so when your children arrive you can be happy in the knowledge that they’re safe and sound.

Morning

To start the day, children gather around the log circle in Badger’s Garden where staff introduce activities and skills, with singsongs and stories. Adults lead activities with children that follow the early years curriculum, using the natural world as a teaching tool. Children are gently encouraged to build their skills, confidence and knowledge.

Children can also access the enclosed Lamb Meadow and Orchard area to carry out the activities of the morning that may include digging and planting areas, celebrating cultural festivals, harvesting seeds, den making, story nook and painting. Adults observe, extend, support and enhance children’s experiences sensitively.

Lunchtime

Throughout the morning, children can prepare a simple lunchtime treat or meal cooked on the fire using produce harvested by children from the garden, when available. There will be warm drinks provided on cold days and fresh water available at all times. At lunchtime, children can eat their lunch within the shelter or within the forest setting when appropriate. Children are involved and supervised in the lighting of the fire when in use, preparation and cooking of food, composting of scraps, and clearing up after lunch.

Afternoon

Children continue to spend time exploring the orchard may be taken to Stable Wood, within the nursery grounds, accessed by a bridge for adventures in the forest.

Here, children continue to lead their own learning, developing physical skills through climbing trees, making dens, digging mud pits, and threading rope and hammering nails.

Increasing social and emotional skills by trying out risky play and succeeding, for example walking along a log and making it to the end with a sense of pride, developing relationships within a relaxed environment, caring for a wiggly worm, or working with a friend to create something wonderful.

Reading stories, crunching through leaves, making up rhymes and learning new words whilst collecting treasures found on the forest floor, not knowing they are in fact developing their language and communication skills.

During the afternoon, children who require a sleep are able to bed down in a cosy, warm sheltered ‘nest’ outside, in a hammock, within the bell tent or within the yurt. At the end of the day, children are all encouraged to care and look after their environment, by carefully putting things away and completing daily jobs such as watering the vegetable patch.

Once gathered round the log circle, children are able to share stories, songs and anything they have made or found, before heading home at the end of the core day. For those children staying with us for the extended day, Supper Club will provide a healthy, nutritious meal and some extra time to play and develop new skills within the Nursery site.