The Lighthouse Slide
I love surprises. The Frank Kitts Playground on the waterfront in Wellington gave me a brilliant one. I was walking along, minding my own business, when out of nowhere rose this wonderful play structure. If you look carefully you can see the albatross weather vane...Kate Greenaway Nursery – A Special Place for Special People
Many years ago, I had the privilege of participating in the London Open for Play event thanks to Tim Gill. The first place we visited was the Kate Greenaway Nursery. Of all the outdoor spaces I have visited, this one remains memorable owing to the thought and effort...A Naturalised Outdoor Space for Babies
Whilst there is a trend towards naturalising outdoor spaces, as a general rule, there are less good examples around that have been developed for babies. This post is about an area specifically designed for children under the age of 2. Ideally, outdoor play spaces...10+ inspirational mirror placements in outdoor spaces
I love being able to visit to Highway Farm Little Explorers Outdoor Nursery. Each time I have been, the place continues to involve in creative ways which are well worth sharing. The placement and quantities of mirrors around the site really caught my attention one...The Joy of a Slide
Slides really mattered to me as a child. When I visited a playground, testing out the slide was always par for the course. A good slide was sublime. A poor slide affected my perception of the whole play park. Factors which affected my judgement included: Length of the...Wooden Cable Drums – Developing Physical and Literacy Skills Outside
One repurposed resource which withstands a lot of wear and tear is the cable reel or drum that is used to store electrical wires. They are very flexible pieces of outdoor “furniture” which are worth seeking out in your local area. With sanding and...Pallets & Pre-school Outdoor Play
Many years ago when working in Australia, I had the privilege of visiting Glendale Early Education Centre. The establishment had just opened after a 2-week closure owning to flooding. As the Chinese proverb states, “Rather light a candle than complain about...Real Boats in School Grounds
In recent years, several schools and settings with whom I’ve worked, have managed to acquire a boat which quickly becomes a much-loved and well-used feature. So here’s some reasons why I think boats are brilliant… 1) Boats are often treasured by...Big Outdoor Musical Instruments
Big outdoor musical instruments are a lot of fun. It’s possible to buy or make tunes and untuned percussion instruments. If you are buying an instrument, ask to hear a recording of the sound it makes when played. Do not purchase instruments that have an...Valentine’s Day: Love Your Grounds & Green Your Heart
This is an incredibly simply activity to kickstart a whole school approach to developing your school grounds or simply for one class to think about their outdoor space. It also makes a refreshing, purposeful addition to other Valentine’s Day happenings. 1....The “Sensori” Water Station
Children love water play. I have always loved the work of Tom “Sensori” Bedard who writes the blog Sand and Water Tables. It’s very niche and all about engaging children through well-thought out apparatus and creations at the sand and water trays....The Interactive Pallet Play Station
Pallets are “in” in the world of outdoor play. And Stramash outdoor nurseries are up there in terms of the creative constructions which are appearing in nurseries across the world. In 2016 at Fort William this amazing play station was developed. In...Portable Water Walls
Some practitioners work in settings and schools where they cannot leave equipment out overnight. Usually storage space is pretty tight too. Thus I wanted to look at ways of creating simple, portable water walls which children could create themselves. Many years ago I...Developing a water play area
It’s easy to browse Pinterest and “ooh” and “ah” over the amazing photos that you see of outdoor features in early years settings which seem so with- it compared to yours. This post is from a lovely nursery that I worked with several...Willow Lattice Arches and Panels
One of the big surprises many years ago was the versatile way in which children chose to play with a pair of Cosy willow lattice arches. When I first saw these in a Derby nursery, I could see they were very open-ended. I was not surprised that the children used them...Wonderful Willow Ideas from The Coombes School
I’m a big fan of willow structures in school grounds and outdoor spaces. In a previous post Clare Revera explained the benefits of these living sculptures. So you can imagine my excitement and delight when visiting The Coombes School, many years ago, I found...Art, Design, Maths and Playground Markings
Several years ago, I came across this photo on the Playscapes blog which blew my mind. It had so much to it, that I’m still trying to take stock of its potential, fun and relevance to schools everywhere. It is the work of Simon and Tom Bloor. It can be found at...Rio Tinto Naturescape
Whilst in Western Australia I had the privilege of meeting Alec Duncan, of Child’s Play Music. We met in one of Alec’s favourite places: Naturescape in Perth. In the words of the website, “…it is a place for children to connect with nature...The Children’s Garden – Morton Aboretum
Being able to visit a range of playgrounds and outdoor spaces has been one of the side benefits of working worldwide. It has also reminded me of a long overdue need to blog about the Children’s Garden at the Morton Aboretum just outside Chicago. The description...
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Recent Posts
Story Stones and Thinking SkillsA little stone can give a lot of empowerment in a funny sort of way.
Outdoor Toilets and ChildrenWhen children need to go they need to go!
Hand hygiene outdoorsRemoving one of the barriers to working outside with groups.
12 reasons to have stumps in your outdoor spaceStumped for ideas? Check out this blog post about why every school needs a stump or several!
Dunblane Nature Kindergarten – A transformation from traditional to nature-based practiceFantastic example of positive impact of nature-based practice.
Legacy and LossWhat’s your professional and personal impact?
Education Scotland Outdoor Learning Webinars FREE to viewLots of free outdoor learning webinars all in one place from Education Scotland
Out to Play 12: Caring for Our Outdoor SpacesJust published. Time-saving links and a download.
Compass Points – Outdoor Suggestions15+ ways to learn about compass directions – all in a download.
7 Conker Games and AdviceEvery school needs a conker tree
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