Life's a beach at Sleaford Day Nursery, Lincolnshire, now that its new themed play area has opened.
Children have free-flow access to a natural wonderland where they can hide, sit in the shade around the trees, build dens, play musical bamboo bars, plant flowers or dig in the mud pit.
A grant from Charity Children's Links provided the £13,000 needed to build this stimulating environment for children's play. Every activity in the area is designed to spark children's imagination and to encourage exploration and investigation.
Owner Rebecca Fraser says, 'Through a long process of research and feedback from children and parents, we decided the main focus would be on using recycled materials and natural resources.
'We have tried to develop the children's feel for adventure and ability to take a measured risk in problem-solving and exploration, all while building on their language and communication skills.
'We made a rock pool using sand and water to create a natural climbing area. The children climb up on the rock mounds, splash in the rock pool and play in the beach. The sand is raked every day. The kids enjoy all the areas, but the beach is definitely the most popular. Not all the children have been to a beach, so the sand and water area is really exciting for them.
'The staff favourite is the shipwrecked boat. In front of a landscape backdrop and the classroom buildings that are painted like beach huts there is a wooden boat where children go on imaginary journeys across the sea.'
Also within the area are musical chime bamboo bars, to be hit with a bamboo beater - 'They're better than the metal ones, as they won't disturb the neighbours,' says Ms Fraser.
There are also knotted ropes for climbing, a den area and a tepee - as she calls it, 'an old swing frame covered with tarpaulins with logs in the bottom for a pretend camp fire'.
With the new facilities in place, the nursery now has total free-flow between the indoor and outdoor areas. 'We have added covered areas to extend the times in which children can access the outside, providing sun shade and rain cover,' says Ms Fraser. 'And the big stripy building at the back is actually a classroom with cantilevered doors so the children can seek shelter there.'
