A recent study conducted in the UK revealed that today’s children spend only half as much time outdoors as their parents did. Outdoor engagement is essential for a child's holistic development and learning. At Britannica, we provide numerous opportunities for our students to participate in outdoor play.
Our carefully maintained playgrounds and green spaces offer safe and stimulating environments that foster growth and exploration.
Research indicates that outdoor play contributes significantly to various learning outcomes, including enhanced spatial awareness and an understanding of environmental dynamics. Simple activities—such as observing the changing colours of leaves, splashing in puddles, or witnessing the blossoming of flowers in spring—can profoundly impact a child's development in today’s fast-paced world.
The benefits of outdoor play are extensive. It supports physical development, including coordination, gross motor skills, and overall physical health, while also bolstering the immune system and mental well-being. Through outdoor activities, children enhance their abilities to balance, jump, climb, throw, run, and skip. Moreover, outdoor play transcends simple physical activity; it cultivates creativity, problem-solving skills, and an appreciation for nature.
Outdoor play encourages the development of social skills as children interact, collaborate, and negotiate with one another. This engagement stimulates their imagination and creativity. For instance, children can explore their culinary skills in an outdoor kitchen, crafting delightful dishes from natural materials, or embark on imaginative adventures, such as a bear hunt through the trees.
Reception made Bird Nest Crispies this week, learning about the recipe and following step-by-step instructions, which also builds valuable life skills. They collaborated in pairs, discussing materials and structure. In Maths, they explored 2D shapes, learning their names and properties while practicing sequencing and creating larger shapes from smaller ones. In Phonics, we focused on the sound’s ‘g’ and ‘o,’ practicing letter formation and blending in simple words.
Nursery’s exploration of The Gruffalo continues to engage the children with its fun rhymes and adventures. They also started reading Owl Babies, which sparked delightful discussions about wildlife and family. Additionally, Nursery enjoyed a leaf-collecting walk, where the children gathered beautiful autumn leaves and used them to create art inspired by our stories.
This week, Pre-Nursery embraced the wet weather by joyfully jumping in puddles. They also explored the garden, digging in the mud and collecting sticks and leaves in a variety of colours. Additionally, Nurse Lyn visited us to discuss her role as a nurse and shared her special equipment that helps her care for others.
Ms. Claire O’Brien
