The EYFS puts a great deal of emphasis on outdoor play. Its key messages are;

• Providing an outdoor environment with unique characteristics and features
• Outdoor learning is given an equal value to indoor learning
• Outdoor learning has a positive impact on the children’s well-being and development
• Children have the support of attentive and engaged adults who are enthusiastic and understand the importance of outdoor learning
• Outdoor learning is enhanced by an environment richly resourced with play materials that can be adapted and used in different ways
• An approach to outdoor learning is undertaken that gives more importance to experiences over equipment and places children at the centre of this provision

Today we received a digital layout of how our new outdoor area will look. The designers at Lazy Lawn have created a fantastic space that will give us an ideal mixture of shock resistant artificial surfacing and a natural grass area.

The soft surface area will include a road way design to help us teach road safety as well as allowing the children to have fun on their trikes. There will be a hop scotch board to help teach numbers by way of playing games and also a climbing frame to help develop motor skills and coordination.

The natural grass area will contain amongst other items a mud kitchen and a sand pit as well as give us the opportunity to bed plants and grow our own vegetables.

Children are naturally drawn to active play outdoors: it allows them to explore their environment, be creative and imaginative, develop muscle strength and coordination, and gain self-confidence. Therefore, at Monkey Puzzle we want to ensure that we can maximise the time spent outside to promote their well-being and physical development whilst providing a great learning environment.