Remind me again why we explore the benefits of something only for the policy makers to crush initiative?
Yes good hygiene is essential but it can hardly be said that the nursery are ignoring hygiene!
Why promote Outdoor Access if we cannot teach outdoors?
The Secret Garden, in Fife, is an outdoor project for children aged 3 -5. We often hear about the benefits of the great outdoors and about the rise in childhood obesity rates and projects such as The Secret Garden are ideal in fostering both a love for the outdoors and an active lifestyle. Instead of giving into the Scottish weather the preschool children who attend The Secret Garden dress suitably and explore their local woods. They have shelters which are a combination of adult build and child build. The skills the children learn are valuable in encouraging independence, responsibility, creativity and learning. Perhaps these development areas sound familiar? They stem directly from the four capacities of Curriculum for Excellence.
The Secret Garden is not unique in the preschool provision that they provide. Based on research by Fjortoft and Sagerie (2000) Moyles (2007) states that
"there is an urgency to provide young children with wild environmental experiences and to let them know how beautiful the natural environment is to protect it for the future and for all the children of the earth"
Who could argue that the children who attend The Secret Garden, or any outdoor based education centre, are not exposed to the opportunity to experience nature? A feasibility study into Forest Kindergarten practice in Scotland 'Glasgow and Clyde Valley Forest and Kindergarten Feasibility Study' (2009) highlights an extract from The Early Years Framework (2008)
“Developing play spaces, and play opportunities for children and removing barriers to play is therefore a priority. This has wider implications for development planning and particularly provision of open space and green space." p9.
If children are to be restricted to areas with immediate access to running water then we are in effect imposing barriers upon their explorations and play experiences. Hand washing is indeed an essential skill for young children to learn but should that restrict what they can do? Is it right to teach our young children that they can no longer enjoy their outdoor nursery because there are no appropriate hand washing facilities? Or should we model alternative forms of outdoor hygiene in the forms of wipes and liquid hand gel backed up by hand washing before and after the nursery session? Some priorities should take second place and measured decisions should reflect this.
For more information on the benefits of outdoor education see The Forestry Commission website.
Well posted! I can't believe that this has come up at anytime but particularly now. It is not only nursery aged children who use the outdoors for experiences. Is the same rule going to apply to all the other outdoor edcuation opportunities that are available? I wonder if the next step will be to make sure they wash their hands when they are a t home!! Cameras in toilets maybe!! (aka TheHeadsOffice)
ReplyDeleteMy son was a secret gardener until starting primary school a couple of weeks ago and never had any episodes of D&V, headlice, scabies, etc etc all of which circulate indoor nursery constantly! Parental choice has to be given a voice to equal the bleatings of the ticky boxers of the nanny state surely! As a teacher myself I think its madness to expect a child to go and wash their hands every time they cough! Madness I tell you!
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