Nursery World - Outdoor area

* A two- or three-drawer plastic trolley can house a wide selection of equipment to support children's investigations and explorations in the outdoor area, such as bug boxes, magnifying glasses, binoculars and information books. The trolley can be wheeled in and out of storage and moved over to the site of the children's interest. * A 'digging' or 'gardening' box, containing trowels, spades, rakes, sieves, plant pots and watering cans, is a useful resource to keep permanently in the outdoor area. This, too, could have wheels or castors attached to its base so that children can manoeuvre it independently.

* A 'digging' or 'gardening' box, containing trowels, spades, rakes, sieves, plant pots and watering cans, is a useful resource to keep permanently in the outdoor area. This, too, could have wheels or castors attached to its base so that children can manoeuvre it independently.

* Use garden refuse bags or buckets with handles to store equipment such as balls, quoits, hoops and beanbags. The bags will also help provide hours of fun in the autumn as children gather up leaves together.

* Small plastic 'carry' boxes are ideal for storing mark-making equipment and their rigid handles make it easy for children to transport them. Pens, pencils, clipboards, paper and card fit neatly into the compartments and, if there is a central base for the boxes, children can turn spontaneously to writing during any outdoor play activity. These boxes take up little space and empty ones can be stacked.

Register now to continue reading

Thank you for visiting Nursery World and making use of our archive of more than 35,000 expert features, subject guides, case studies and policy updates. Why not register today and enjoy the following great benefits:

What's included