Outdoor Learning
We believe there is nothing that a child learns inside, that cannot be learned outside. With 40 acres of green space, we are home to one of the largest outdoor Nursery play spaces in Edinburgh, and our children spend much of their days exploring the great outdoors. The excitement that children feel outside, the wonder and curiosity, all serve to enhance and stimulate their learning.
Developing Skills for Life
Whilst it may look like ‘just play’, our children are not only learning but also developing their creativity and problem solving skills. They are also developing core strength and fine motor control skills to help them with the next stage of their education.
No two days are the same, and come rain or shine our children enjoy:
- Exploring with water, making puddles and jumping in them
- Digging and ‘cooking’ with mud and natural objects
- Mark making in a variety of ways
- Building and balancing, sliding and climbing using a wide range of loose parts
- Exploring our tunnels and bridges with their friends
Next
Forest Kindergarten
To allow our children to explore wilder areas, Nursery children all take part in Forest Kindergarten lessons. These are outdoors sessions, in specially developed wild areas of our extensive school grounds, and are supported and encouraged by one of our many trained Forest Kindergarten Leaders.
Through Forest Kindergarten, the children learn to explore nature, overcome physical challenges, test their commitment and their resolve, build their confidence and have fun with their friends in the great outdoors.
Activities include:
- Comparing, collecting, sorting and building with natural objects
- Creating ‘Art’ using natural materials and often lots of mud!
- Den and bridge building
- Tree climbing
- Learning to respect and appreciate the environment
Nature’s Classroom
At Erskine Stewart Melville Nursery, we believe Outdoor Learning is essential as it nurtures children’s physical, emotional, and social development through hands-on, nature-based learning, developing resilience, independence, and a lifelong connection to the natural world.
