Kids Love Nature page By focusing on these key attributes, the Kids Love Nature Approach sets children on a journey for life.
THE KIDS LOVE NATURE APPROACH...
We all want our children to be confident, have great language and communication skills, be emotionally secure, sociable, happy, resilient, be willing to try new things and take risks, be caring and develop a love for learning and the natural world. We do this through being completely child centred in everything we do. The beautiful nursery spaces are designed and
organised so children can be independent and lead their own learning, making choices about the resources they want to use, whether to be inside or outside and when to stop for a snack. Through observation, considered and sensitive adults decide when it is best to support children, when to teach them a new skill or when it is best to stand back. No adult ever dominates the learning environment and as a result, children are continuously engaged and following their interests. We allow children the time and space to become absorbed into their learning. Time and space to think, to be and to grow. THE CREATION OF KIDS LOVE NATURE…
Alex and Ben met in 2009 while on a study trip to Denmark to visit the Forest Kindergartens. They both new that the traditional view of nursery education was falling far short of the experiences children should be receiving during their informative years. How could small rooms with limited access to uninspiring outdoor spaces be right? Together, drawing on their inspiration from the Danish Forest Kindergartens, Montessori and Reggio Emilia, plus their belief that children should learn in beautifully considered indoor and outdoor spaces, the Kids Love Nature Approach was born. Their experience in Denmark showed how daily nature based experiences greatly enhanced children’s development through taking risk, exploring, investigating, being physical, respecting and being fascinated in the natural world. Alex brought his extensive knowledge of Montessori, a child-centred pedagogy that promotes independence, self-development, and a love of learning. Montessori is a method that is applied all over the world using specialised didactic materials and is guided by Montessori-trained practitioners. The Reggio Emilia influence was brought by Ben. In Reggio, they recognise each child to be wonderfully creative with flourishing imaginations. They foster and nurture this through the use of artists to teach children artistic skills. They also use children’s interests and fascinations as the starting point for projects that encourage children to think critically, solve problems, share their understanding of concepts, all captured through children’s words and art work. The Kids Love Nature Approach brings together the best elements from each of these approaches, creating a unique and high quality experience for children. Ben and Alex’s shared vision for what early years practice could be was conceptualised over three and a half years and first put into practice following the opening of the first Children’s Nature Nursery at Avon Heath Country Park in 2012. Since its opening, they have received unprecedented attention from practitioners, early years experts and university professors.
15/12/2023
Sow, Grow, Let's go!🌾
In episode Donna is talking to us all about bulbs?
Even our youngest children .lytchett have been learning how to plant them according to size.
Are you planting any bulbs this year?
Let us know in the comments...
14/12/2023
"What a child can do today with assistance, she will be able to do by herself tomorrow" 💚 - Vygotsky
#📷 .wickham
13/12/2023
First fire of the season .avonheath. We enjoyed hot chocolate and toast to warm us up!
01/12/2023
There are so many tools we can use to mark make... and our hands are one of them!
Our caterpillars .lytchett have been noticing patterns and colours in our environments this week. What is your favourite type of mark making?
30/11/2023
Watching the magic of autumn as the seasons change .avonheath. Thank you to our artist for bringing ideas like these to life with the children.
29/11/2023
We encourage the children to use their own ideas, giving them freedom when it comes to their art work. This helps with their creativity, independence and focus. 🖼️🖌️🎨
📷 .avonheath
28/11/2023
We have been exploring a beehive .lytchett! Look at the detail!
Fun fact:
Did you know that one ounce of honey would fuel a bees flight around the world 🐝
connectto
27/11/2023
Looking back at the day .avonheath when we met a hairy friend called Aragog. We learnt about how to look after spiders and the beauty of them.
Are you a fan of big spiders?
24/11/2023
Recently .avonheath, some of our children dug up geraniums to make room to plant some daffodil bulbs. We then replanted the geraniums into some pots to take home.
We spoke about the soil and how it needs to be healthy in order for things to grow and the direct link between soil microbes and the nutritional content of our food.
Research has shown that the microbes in the soil also help to regulate our emotions and immune response (Jenny Kao-Kniffin 2019)
Scientists have also found that soil contributes to the human gut microbiome and is a provider of beneficial gut microorganisms. Did you know that the soil microbiome and our gut microbiome contain approximately the same number of microorganisms?!
23/11/2023
After finding the variety of of mushrooms .avonheath, we have created a mushroom forest, made from clay. We re-invented the ranger walk rules of 'no touching mushrooms', where the puppets couldn't touch them, whilst going on mushrooms hunts.
21/11/2023
We are growing onions next .lytchett! Our children have been busy planting the bulbs over the last couple of weeks, and we can't wait to see how they turn out! 🌰
connectiontonature
20/11/2023
The wonders and finds at .avonheath! 🍄 Whilst on a ranger walk with the children, we are able to explain the rules, risks and boundaries as they explore the natural world around them.
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