Below are the Key Areas of Learning that underpin everything in the Early Years (PRIME AREAS)
Physical Development - Outdoors is the perfect place to learn through movement, which is one of the four vehicles through which children can learn, the others being play, talk and sensory experiences. These happen more naturally outside, but with so much space and so many opportunities to move in different ways, the Nursery supports learning through movement particularly well.
There are also clear health benefits associated with outdoor learning. Children need daily exercise, vigorous enough to get them out of breath with their hearts and lungs working hard. NHS guidelines say that children under 5 need three hours exercise a day and that it should be with a mixture of bone strengthening, muscle building and cardiovascular. We ensure that through activities such as running, climbing, and digging.
Personal, Social and Emotional Development - Children learn through negotiating plans with their friends, maybe to build a shelter for a hedgehog or working out whose turn it is first on the rope swing. They learn to co-operate through group games and enjoy the company of others as they play and relax. Exercise also improves children's emotional health, allowing for relaxation and calmness and a heightened sense of wellbeing (Armstrong 1996).
Communication and language Development - Children are motivated to talk by stimulating experiences and a day exploring gives the children plenty to talk about! We understand the value of these experiences. We create a relaxed, supportive environment and at every opportunity throughout the day we promote high-quality conversation and discussion that develops the children's confidence, speaking and listening skills.
Below are Four SPECIFIC AREAS which help children to strengthen and apply the above PRIME AREAS:-
Expressive arts and design - The farm is full of open-ended resources that stimulate children's imaginations. For example, a stone could be buried pirate treasure, a plate for a pixie, food for bear, a wall for a castle, a car for a bug or many other things. Whereas resources such as a plastic car, are usually only used by children as a car. Rather than taking a whole array of resources and toys with us, the focus is on using what we find for imaginative, exploratory play, creation, and building.
Mathematics - Hands-on use of real objects is the cornerstone of developing mathematical understanding and as with all learning, engagement is the key. So, the farm is the perfect place to develop those early maths skills, whether it be through counting conkers, pacing out distances, or finding shapes we recognise in the world around. We also have a fantastic black and white Mathsabilities Area!
Literacy - Just like any nursery, we sing songs, and listen to and tell stories every day – with the bonus that much of the time we will be doing it under the trees or another exciting place! We ensure plenty of opportunities for the development of early literacy skills and support this with many resources such as story sacks, story maps, making up funny rhymes, using each other’s names in stories. The children look through their Learning Journey from time to time to help retain and recall events.
Understanding the world - Where do we begin with this area? Learning about flora and fauna, life cycles, the weather, the seasons, growth, habitats, light and dark, sound, forces - the list is endless. We are in nature's classroom and make the most of it.
"Pssst - Creativity is contagious – pass it on!"