As an outdoor nursery we work with the weather. While we strive to be out in all weather, there are times when we need to be based inside for safety reasons. Scotland is a beautiful country but we definitely have some days when all the seasons come out to say hello. Recently we have had some wild storms, with high winds which means playing near the woods and trees is a no go. Most of the time we can balance this with playing in the park but some days this year have been too stormy. So we have been playing in our playroom. What does an outdoor nursery's indoor play look like? We will show you.
Our play room is a beautiful bright space based in the extension of Burnhead church. In our room we have a range of natural resources, some are upcycled, donated or sourced from charity shops. Our resources are open ended, which enables the children's creativity and curiosity to have free reign. We can switch between den building to creating small worlds to exploring sensory play through play dough, natural elements or water. Sometimes the children want to alter the room to build devices like ball mazes and sometimes we like to chill in the teepee and read stories and sing songs.
Even on cold frosty days we need a warm space we can use to get a heat and a rest from the elements, although sometimes trying to convince the children to leave the garden is a challenge all in its own. The children are always bundled up and nice and toasty outside and they become so immersed in their outdoor play that the elements seem to become irrelevant. But we do utilise our indoor space when needed.
We are not always in our room, there are other ways we can keep sheltered from the wild Scottish elements that still allow us to share time in our community. On Thursday we visit the community cafe, we spend the afternoon eating some yummy soup and chatting to our community friends that use the cafe. We also visit the local library, which is always toasty warm and stocked with great books. We also do a lot of walking, so on windy stormy days we sometimes use public transport to get to the park. The children love getting the bus and we always meet the nicest bus drivers who chat away to the children.
Our room is a cosy, nurturing and inviting space, we try to make it as appealing as possible because when you are competing with our beautiful garden and woods, you have to make an effort. Our children do love exploring our indoor space, contributing greatly to how it looks and its function and rightly so as this nursery is theirs and we hold their voices in high esteem. Our room can move and adapt daily to suit the children's interests and needs and we wouldn't have it any other way.