Is it mean to send a sedentary child to an "outdoorsy" preschool?

[mrsgboring]

I am a bit in shock as I've just discovered our local school nursery won't (barring a miracle) have a place for DS this January, when he was due to start, so we are suddenly looking at other options.

There is a private preschool near us which is set in four acres of woodland, has chickens, loads of outdoor play space and activities and is generally an extremely outdoorsy place (though its indoor curriculum seems excellent on paper too). They sing every day to a guitar which DS will adore, there is art every day and their literacy programme is excellent according to Ofsted.

I'd really like to encourage DS to spend more time outside being active, so think this could be the motivation he needs. Once outside he generally enjoys it so long as there's enough to hold his attention and he has no problem with the cold (though he doesn't like the wind)

We are due to visit in a couple of weeks and I'll see how we both take to it then, but I feel like I might be hoping to "toughen him up" a bit, which seems rather mean. Anyone any experience of this? I feel like I'm the only mother in the world who's begging her child to come outside and get muddy.

I think it sounds lovely and if you can afford it I'd go for it if you like it when you look around

By the way your ds isn't unsual if he doesn't like splashing in muddy puddles etc. Loads of little kids don't like getting their hands, clothes etc wet.

my DT's have been going to an Outdoorsy nursery since they were about 1 - it's absolutely fab, they have at least an hour outside a day, come wind rain or shine, (but i think today will have been indoors for most of it tbh, it's foul!). They have nursery provided waterproofs, but we provide wellies and change of clothes. They go for woodland walks and the other week had a little 'go' on a farmers tractor who happened to be driving by while they were walking through a field.

I can't big it up enough, the only downside is that come the weekend and a slight drizzle - I want to cuddle up on sofa with a film and some popcorn, they wanna be outside getting wet and freezing!

Neerly that is practically music to my ears. While I'm not fantastically outdoorsy, I do like a little amble in a howling gale every so often.

I bought wellies in great excitement at going puddle jumping with DS. He likes it, but you can't persuade him out if it's a choice between puddles and lego.

Compo, DS doesn't mind wet or mud that much and has some really good protective clothing anyway - it seems to be something else; maybe just an advanced attachment to Lego.

I don't think it's mean at all, sounds like a good idea, especially as you say your ds enjoys it ouside when you get him there. A nursery which has so much outdoor space sounsd like a fab place.

It sounds like an excellent idea to me!

it sounds fantastic

i'm sure they won't make him do cross-country running

sounds great!

dd3 nursery doesnt have as much as yours does by the sounds of it, but has a massive playspace which is used in all weathers. huge sandpit, couple of rabbits/guinea pigs (i think, they were there when dd2 went), and is generally as much an outdoor nursery as an indoor one.