Nursery World - Outdoors

Moving more provision outdoors makes even more sense than ever against the background of coronavirus, writes Julie Mountain in the first of a two-part series

There can be very few families unaffected by the Covid-19 pandemic. For those fortunate enough not to have been taken ill, the stress and uncertainty nevertheless takes its toll, and for some of our very youngest children, routines disrupted, friendships paused and lack of exercise have led to low mood, anger and loneliness.

Among older children, mental health charity Young Minds reports that 80 per cent of survey respondents believed their mental health had worsened1, and Unicef notes that increases in anxiety, poor nutrition and higher levels of domestic abuse are also likely to impact disproportionately on young children, especially those in disadvantaged areas of the UK2. Addressing children’s well-being as they return to their familiar settings will be paramount.

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