Nursery World - The Great Outdoors (2)

One of the joys of helping to run a pre-school is seeing the children connect with the natural world, says Sue Cowley

One of the joys of helping to run a pre-school is seeing the children connect with the natural world. We run a forest school session once a week, when the children spend the day in a wooded area close to our setting. We also operate a ‘free-flow’ system during sessions, and children can spend time in the garden, or playing in the outdoor space, whenever they want.

Study after study has shown that children are spending less and less time outdoors; recent figures tell us that a shocking 30 per cent of children are overweight or obese. The World Health Organisation regards childhood obesity as one of the most serious global public health challenges of the 21st century. Clearly there is a vital need for children to be more physically active, and outdoors is the place where this is most likely to happen. Being outside can help to restore a sense of calm in a busy world, and it is beneficial for children’s levels of vitamin D.

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