Playtime Nursery - Our Outdoors

Our outdoors

The Garden

Our garden has been transformed in the last few years.  We talked to children, parents and went on courses about the outdoors to get ideas to create a garden that provides lots of learning experiences for all our children.  It includes:

Winding paths to ride and scoot along, with contrasting paving.

A willow den with log seats.  Children like to hide in here in the summer when the willow is green.  It’s also used for story time or just for a little sit down to recharge the batteries!

A covered sandpit with shade.

A logged circle for babies to play safely when the older children are whizzing about, with shade.

A Vegetable garden, which we plant and grow each year.  Our last harvest was potatoes, tomatoes, beans, beetroot, carrots,  and cucumber.  We also grew a pumpkin in our potting shed!

Stepping logs and poles.

Flower beds where we have planted interesting things such as bamboo which swishes in the

breeze, herbs to smell and use in our lunches, and plants with different colours and textures.

We also have a bird table and a nesting box to encourage birds into the garden. Last year a family of blue tits nested.

We also started a log pile to encourage mini beasts but the logs don’t stay in the pile long enough for any mini beasts to take up home there!  The children like to build with the logs or carry them around in their cars.

A beautiful play house with bed and kitchen and a garage.

An enormous bespoke wooden climbing centre with steps, bridges and a slide. It’s all enclosed so even the very young can use it.  A safe surface surrounds it.

A small climbing wall.

A large covered picnic table where children enjoy snacks and meals outdoors.

We also love to build dens, play in our tent or get out prop boxes such as our “windy day box”

Decking provides a level entrance to the nursery. 

Rectory Park

We are lucky to have Rectory Park almost opposite the nursery.

Here we can explore the wide open spaces and facilities on offer there.