Igniting Curiosity Outside

🌱 Igniting Curiosity Outdoors 🌱

I’m currently working with an early years setting on transforming their outdoor area to maximise levels of intrigue, curiosity and engagement.

The area currently has many resources that are duplicated from inside like sand and water trays. Some of the areas are quite over stimulating with brightly coloured laminated signs and posters. Asking for instance if the bucket is full? When really this comes from high quality interaction with an adult and children often see these types of signs as wallpaper. 

The area is mainly concrete and we are working at bringing in more nature. Allowing children to have the opportunities to freely explore and have ideas yet also learn to self manage risk. 

I thought it might be useful to share our ideas and some of the inspiration from our discussions. 

-Constructing raised beds where children can grow their own plants, fruit and vegetables. 

-Zoning off a large beach area for sand play. Where children can work barefoot.

-Textured sensory path where children can walk barefoot. 

-Logs and wooden planks for balancing on.

-An outdoor seating and eating area

-A space to work with clay outdoors and investigate what happens to it with the rain, ice, sun. 

-We have created some weather boxes too. This will let children experience weather through all their senses. E.g transparent umbrellas to stand under and watch the rain drops. 

-Digging patches where children can use garden equipment.

-Using pallets to create a space to work on natural loose parts. 

-Setting up a shed with natural mathematical resources in. 

-Zoning off pits of pebbles, gravel, course sand and smooth river rocks for fine motor and imaginative play. Adding construction pipes and scoops. 

-A potted herb garden

-Adding plants that encourages birds, butterflies and other
insects

-Planting trees which provide shade

-Worm farms and compost areas for environmental education

-Water play areas for sensory play. 
With a dry river bed, boulders and piping. 

-Setting up a woodland kitchen.