Nursery World - Enabling Environments: Around the nursery - Construction Area

Build up your setting's construction area carefully, with attention to the movement around it and materials with the most potential, says Jane Drake.

The construction area is an important part of any basic provision and, when well resourced, can offer learning opportunities across the curriculum. It will be particularly rich in opportunities for designing and making within the area of 'Knowledge and understanding of the world'.

RESOURCES

Aim to provide:

- Commercially produced kits - select these carefully, according to the skills and concepts that they are likely to promote. Sets may include interlocking bricks, cogs and wheels, nuts and bolts, connectors. Components should be of good quality and durable and should be plentiful enough to avoid frustration

- Wooden blocks - a set of maple wood unit blocks, although a substantial financial investment, will be a valuable addition to provision. Hollow blocks and small-scale planks also offer great play opportunities

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