Blog

Today we're joined on our blog by our wonderful guest Sam Goldsworthy. Sam is an experienced childminder (go and give her a follow at https://www.facebook.com/SamGoldsworthyChildminding/) with a passion for learning outdoors and today she shares her wisdom for supporting learning at home in the garden. 

The garden is such a rich learning space within our setting which we access daily.

We often spent time outdoors just lying on the grass together watching the clouds float by talking about the shapes that we can see in the clouds. We then shut our eyes and talk about what we can hear around us - usually this is birds cheeping, the wind blowing through the trees and maybe cars and helicopters too. This sometimes leads in to Yoga in the garden - flapping like a bird, standing tall like a tree, lying straight like a stick.

We use natural treasures such as leaves, pine cones, flower petals etc that we find to make potions in our mud kitchen which encourages many mathematical opportunit...

What a delightful afternoon I’ve had. Sometimes we just visit places where everything we know and believe in (to do with early years) just happens!

As I arrived the Reception children were putting their full waterproof suits and welly boots on. “Its Bush craft afternoon!” I was told by an excited voice. “Yeah Mr Hemingway (From Pennine Bush Craft) and Meg (the Sheepdog) come every Monday and we get to play in the woods!”
Josh Hemingway is a trained in NCFE Level 4 qualification in Bushcraft Leadership at the Woodcraft School in Sussex and founder of Pennine Bushcraft. He delivers regular sessions in settings and schools which are focused around children having time and space to think, solve problems and build up key survival and life long skills.