OUR CHILDREN'S GARDEN
The Children's Garden provides a beautiful, natural space full of amazing opportunities for exploration, learning and play. This rich, multi-sensory environment enhances our daily program in an endless variety of ways to support holistic nurturing of mind, body and soul. Each day we offer new and diverse experiences based around physical movement, reflection, creativity and sensory exploration, using nature as our biggest inspiration.
When children come into contact with nature, they reveal their strength.
- Maria Montessori
THE VEGETABLE GARDEN
The Vegetable Garden provides an opportunity to bring science, maths, social studies, language and visual arts to life through hands on learning. Tending to new plants teaches children responsibility and teamwork. Vegetable gardens let children taste the wonders of fresh food and enjoy the feeling of community that comes from sharing a new adventure as well as caring for the environment and sustainability.
THE MUD KITCHEN
The Mud Kitchen is rich in learning experiences including Care of Self through learning the rules of good hygiene, science through exploring the properties of mud, fine motor development through manipulating mud and tools, maths through measuring and creativity using imaginative play building on the children's own experiences. It also fosters community through problem solving, co-operating and sharing. Mud play is therapeutic and most of all, a lot of fun!
THE SANDPIT
The Sandpit provides numerous learning opportunities including sensory play through enjoying different textures, learning to use toys and utensils for a purpose and understanding concepts such as empty/full, heavy/light, wet/dry. Physically, sand play develops gross motor skills, strengthening muscles and developing co-ordination as well as fine motor skill development. Sand play improves concentration, attention and imagination and builds community by learning how to play alongside and with other children.
THE FORT
The Fort both serves as a gathering place for dreaming and discoveries. Here the children share conversation, dig for precious treasures and head off on magical adventures through stories and song. Gross motor development occurs through climbing, reaching and balancing as well as spacial awareness and co-ordination - offering children an opportunity to develop confidence in their physical abilities. Kinship is fostered as the older children exercise consideration and care for their younger friends as they try new challenges alongside one another.
THE BIRDHOUSE
The Birdhouse teaches our children responsibility, provides a shared interest and brings them closer to nature while providing many varied science lessons surrounding bird studies. Intelligent and beautiful, birds bring many benefits to the environment and the children caring for them. Pets fulfil a human need to nurture and pet birds are particularly good for this because they require a lot of personal attention and interaction in order to be healthy.
THE MUSIC WALL
The music wall offers cognitive, emotional and physical play opportunities. Outdoor musical instruments encourage cooperation, harmony and creative thinking, as well as confidence and patience. The music wall allows educators to incorporate outdoor education into the day-to-day curriculum, stimulating parts of the brain that are related to reading, math, memory and emotional development. Large and small scale musical instruments develop gross and fine motor skills and the sound of music fosters a peaceful, soothing environment.