Could spring be here at long last?
This morning I’m feeling upbeat that this could be the case, as the sun is shining, the daffodils are in bloom and the trees in the street where I live are looking very handsome with their swathes of white blossom.
And so thoughts increasingly turn to getting children outdoors – whether that is to the local park or moving learning outdoors into your outside space. While best practice dictates that children should access the outdoors throughout the year, there is no denying that when the weather improves there is a lot more motivation to make changes to this aspect of provision.
On page 47, this month’s special focus provides inspiration on how to turn even the smallest space into a place where children can stretch themselves and make exciting learning discoveries. One strategy is to regularly ask children themselves what they would like– getting down to ground level with them can help to bring their ideas to life.
On the subject of enabling environments, have you thought of entering this category – or any of the others – for this year’s Nursery World Awards? If you are looking for inspiration, turn to our ‘Award-winning outdoor spaces’ management guide on the NW website, where our regular contributor Julie Mountain visits past winners to highlight what makes them special.
In addition to this month’s fabulous seasonal practice coverage – plus our latest analysis of issues pertaining to the Government’s expanded childcare offer and all things newsworthy – I’m delighted to introduce you to our EYE supplement, which each month will provide eight pages of additional content. This section will keep you up to date with research, provide first-hand information on student journeys and review the latest professional and picture books. Turn to page 39 to find out more. Happy reading.
