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Preschool education

Get advice from other Mumsnetters to find the best nursery for your child on our Preschool forum.

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Original poster

Outdoor preschool

11 replies

mintymellons · 20/10/2016 09:50

May I ask a quick question?

Would any of you use a outdoor preschool? By this I mean a preschool based in wood or parkland where everything takes place outdoors except for in extreme weather conditions. There would be a high adult:child ratio and the emphasis would be on developing confidence, independence and a love of the outdoors (based around the EYFS framework).

Thank you!

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AlbusPercival · 20/10/2016 09:51

Yrs, have just signed up my little one for a similar sounding place

ChanandlerBongsNeighbour · 20/10/2016 09:52

Yes, I'm an early years teacher and I would love that for my kids!

RatOnnaStick · 20/10/2016 09:54

Both my boys would be in heaven. I would sign ds2 up in a second if it were close to me.

Ds1's favourite day at school is Forest School day but it's only once a fortnight. I'm sure he would have liked an outdoor nursery.

ChanandlerBongsNeighbour · 20/10/2016 09:54

I read a great quote once (which I regularly wheel out in my own setting to reluctant (adult) outdoor users; 'there is no bad weather, only unsuitable clothing'. Use that as your strap line for people concerned about the cold etc! 😉

Amithenormalone · 20/10/2016 09:57

My son attends a nursery that has a forest school which they all attend a few times a week he loves it much preferso it over the nursery itself and he has issues and they use it as a calming activity when he is melting down its brilliant.

Original poster

mintymellons · 20/10/2016 09:58

Thank you.

It's good to hear that people would be interested. There's nothing like it here in York right now (apart from some forest school weekly groups for parents and children).

I need to get my head around the practicalities but I'm really keen on setting something up!

OP posts:

ceara · 20/10/2016 23:22

Yes, my almost 3 year old attends a setting like this and thrives on it. Good luck with your plans!

TiggyD · 21/10/2016 10:06

I think an all outdoor nursery is as bad as an all indoor nursery. And I say that as a nursery Nurse, walker, camper, gardener and general outdoor person. The security, snugness and just literal warmth of a permanent building is just so important. Sessions of outdoors could work, but not daycare.

What hours are you thinking of doing? How many days per week? What ages?

BonusNewt · 21/10/2016 10:10

I like the idea of it but in practice I would have concerns. DS had "forest school" every Wednesday in reception class, which was as you describe. I sometimes found myself agonising over whether to send him in or not when he had a cough for example, or was just getting over an illness, in a way that I wouldn't if he had been indoors. I know people say oh the outdoors is better for them when they have a cough but I just felt bad about poor little coughy or sniffly four year old outside in pouring rain all day, even covered in waterproofs.

BackforGood · 21/10/2016 17:06

This, this, and this again.
If you get a week of long, dark, freezing cold, wet days in Dec / Jan / Feb it would be a nightmare for the dc and staff
I say this as someone who has to go outside every day, whose dc had to get outside every day; who likes nothing better than a long walk in a cold wind; whose dc have been on hundreds of camps with Scouts etc. I'm not afraid of the outdoors, but I wouldn't expect my littlies to be out in it for 6 - 10 hours a day, relentlessly, without the chance to sit and snuggle over a book in the dry and warm.

Emsicle24 · 29/01/2017 08:45

Just come across this thread but you may have already made your decision. My DS started at a forest nursery in August and it's taken awhile for him to settle but I think that's due to going to the other nursery 5 days a week for 3 years so his first major change. DS now loves it and wants to go 2 days a week not just 1 day. In my opinion he has come on leaps and bounds and his imaginative play has really developed. I'm really glad he is getting this experience. He now says I love forest nursery as I get to play outside ALL day.

We are now in the depths of winter and it's fine. He's wrapped up with masses of layers and we send him with a warm lunch in a small flask. If the weather is too windy they go to a local park instead of staying in the woods. Also on a really cold/wet day they go back to their base camp to have lunch and then go back out again.

If we lived closer (it's a 45 min journey there and back not in the right direction of work) then I would send him 2-3 days. I think it's fantastic experience but does depend on the people that run it obviously.

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