Nursery World - Outdoors: STEM – From the ground up

May, when trees and flowers are at their most active, is the perfect time to get outdoors.

quick wins

continuous provision– plants every day

It’s not just access to elements of the natural world that children need – they also need the freedom and time to interact with nature.

in the moment – nature walk

If the trick with ‘in the moment’ planning is having the knowledge and confidence and creativity to riff on spontaneous events, then the planning needed for in-the-moment plant play is to truly know your outdoor space. Take the time to make an inventory of the plants in the garden, learning their common and Latin names, their key characteristics (such as when they flower, whether they have fruit, if they are edible, which insects or animals rely on them) and take photographs all year round. Remember to include grasses and weeds – you probably have quite a few of them! That way, time spent in the garden can become a nature trail, allowing you to share information about different types of plants as children notice them or comment on seasonal changes.

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