early years natural world

You might have noticed that last month we were focusing on the natural environment… and we called it Nature Month! Not only did we share some of our favourite natural case studies but we had some exciting new creepy crawly, scrabbly squirmy products to encourage every child outside, into nature!

But whilst the primary schools might be on summer holiday, we know that Early Years settings and nurseries carry on. And, as the sunny weather does the same, we wanted to share some of our best tips and resources for taking smaller children outside to experience their natural environment.

• If you’re seeking inspiration then you don’t need to look much further than the 169 minibeast resources for EYFS on the TES website and the whopping 2346 on nature in general.

• We’re really excited about the launch of our Scramble Bug, and Grasshopper. They’re great for helping smaller children develop risk taking and climbing skills, as they scramble over, under, up and down.

• How about having a look at some of the amazing resources available through our friends at Twinkl - including their summer activity booklet, Outdoor Learning for the Four Seasons Activity Pack, EYFS Woodland and Forests Discovery Sack Plan and Resource Pack or A Summer Walk EYFS Adult Input Plan and Resource Pack

• If you’re lucky enough to have (or have ordered) one of our award-winning, ready-to-play Upcycled Mud Kitchens then there are loads and loads of ideas on Twinkl for how you can use it with EYFS. 

• It might be a bit hot for most plants but it’s a really great time of year to work with little children and to help them understand the things plants need to grow and to thrive - a bit like us. Our wooden planters come with everything you need to start growing plants and teaching your smallest children about nature. 

• The same goes for mini-beasts and, in particular bees. Our Giant Minibeast Hotel and Mini-Beast Habitat are ready-to-play and to install in your setting - although it might take a year before the creepy, crawly, flying occupants arrive.
  
  

And don’t forget. We’re here to help. Here are three guides we’ve published recently, specifically tailored to those of you working in EYFS settings:

• If you’re planning your outdoor space it can be hard to work out where to start. Here are our tips for planning the very best outdoor space for early years. 

• Summer is a great time to get your outdoor space ready for Ofsted… Watch our short video or read our guide and we'll share our tips for getting outside Ofsted-ready!

• Before children go on to ‘big school’ there can be a pressure on Early Years settings to make sure they’re properly prepared. We’ve put together our recommendations for ways that Early Years settings can use outdoor time and play to prepare children for ‘moving up’ in September.
  
  

For more advice on this or any other area connected to taking early years children outdoors, please contact us today. And don’t forget… you don’t have to wait for installation… our Ready-to-Play range is exactly that and includes a wide range of products designed for little children.