🌿 Creating a Nature-Inspired Hygge Setting in the Early Years

This wonderful guest post is from my member Gemma Oliver who is also a fabulous Hygge in the Early Years Member

Over the past few years, I’ve been exploring the different areas of my setting and taking a deeper look at the learning opportunities we offer. A key focus has been how we incorporate Hygge into our everyday routines—creating calm, connection, and a sense of belonging for the children in our care.

A Shift Toward Nature-Based Learning

Our journey has led us to gradually adapt our outdoor provision to reflect a more nature-based way of learning. This ethos now sits at the heart of our setting. Hygge in the Early Years helped me to understand the importance of connecting with nature, and how vital this connection is to supporting children’s development and wellbeing.

We spend much of our time outdoors—whatever the weather—and often barefoot. There’s something truly special about children feeling the earth beneath their feet. It brings a beautiful sense of freedom and rootedness, helping them feel more at home in the natural world.

Outdoor Sensory Exploration

Two of our most loved spaces are the sand pit and water tray, which are part of our continuous provision. These areas provide incredibly rich sensory experiences. Children dig, scoop, pour, and create—developing motor skills and strengthening their imaginations as they play.

Whenever we can, we take activities outside and bring in natural resources to enrich them. A simple favourite is homemade playdough mixed with petals, herbs, and twigs. We also use mirrors to reflect the sky, the leaves, and the children’s own faces—encouraging curiosity and exploration.

The Joy of Slow Living

The children in our care find great joy in the simple things—bird watching, watering plants, collecting treasures from the garden. These quiet moments provide time for reflection and teach important values like empathy and responsibility.

As an educator, I’ve been learning to embrace a more mindful way of childminding. I try to foster a “slow pedagogy” that honours each child’s natural rhythm, prioritising wellbeing and unhurried discovery.

Creating Calm, Intentional Spaces Indoors

While our outdoors are full of life and movement, we’ve also crafted cosy, calming spaces inside. Our Home Corner is one such place—a setting for role play using authentic materials like wooden log slices, dried orange pieces, shells, and pinecones. These resources are open-ended and ever-changing: one day they’re ingredients for a pizza, the next they’re toast in the rack.

We rotate resources thoughtfully to avoid overstimulation and keep the environment calm and inviting.

Celebrating Imagination and Identity

The Dressing-Up Area is another much-loved space where children are free to transform themselves. From sparkly scarves to oversized coats, each outfit invites creative expression and allows children to explore identity, choice, and abstract thinking.

A Haven for Quiet Moments

Our Book Corner is a cosy retreat. With blankets, cushions, fairy lights, and lamps during the darker months, it becomes a gentle haven for storytelling and shared songs. Books are displayed to promote independence and choice, and we regularly rotate the collection to keep it fresh and engaging.

This quiet space gives children the opportunity to slow down, reflect, and enjoy stories in their own time—either alone or together.

A Setting that Grows with Us

Our setting is constantly evolving—just like the children within it. At its core is a commitment to Hygge, nature, and child-led learning. It’s not about perfection, but about presence. The moments of joy, creativity, connection, and calm that happen here each day remind me why this path feels so meaningful.

By embracing a slower, more mindful approach, I’ve seen how children thrive when they are given the time and space to truly be.

Discover more on Gemma's wonderfully slow early years practice by following her on Instagram here

Would you like to bring more nature and Hygge into your own setting? Then join us on the wonderful Hygge in the Early Years Training here