The great outdoors – the importance of first-hand experiences
At Talbot, the nursery children are lucky to have a bright, open outdoor space, that includes a variety of different surface textures and experiences. The school’s outdoor provision features a small woodland area, hard surfaces for riding bikes and scooters and enclosed cosy spaces for reading (and keeping dry in the rain!).
Our outdoor space is a classroom and the activities and learning that happens there are, and should be, different to what the children do in the inside classrooms. Children have space to move in a big (and fast!) way, construct on a large scale with crates, planks and wheels and, importantly, have access to a range of climbing equipment such as the climbing frame and tree.
The free flow nature of the space means children can access the outdoor classroom whenever they wish during their session. The children enjoy going outside in all weathers, and the Autumn term often treated us to a whole range of conditions. Getting out in the rain and cold also allows the children to make decisions about how to dress appropriately for whatever the great British weather throws at them. At Talbot, the teaching team believe the best way to experience the changing seasons is to get outside and explore, and that’s exactly what was done during the term.
