Our beautiful garden, a magical place

Today I received a phone call from a fellow early childhood teacher. She works at an early childhood centre in town and this centre is looking at changing their outdoor environment. She would like to observe our outdoor programme. I receive phone calls like this on a regular base. Our preschool is small with only one classroom, but big things do happen here.

At our preschool, the outdoor environment is not just a playground. We have a strong enviro-nature programme with a beautiful naturalised outdoor environment. Situated in suburban Wellington (NZ) with limited space, we put a lot of emphasize on our outdoor environment as for many of our children this is their outdoor world. For some children this may well be the first place where they have the opportunity to develop a relationship with the natural world, a place where they create their memories and their early childhood.

What is so special about our outdoor environment? Rather then a standard play environment made of rubber, steel, plastic and concrete we have used natural elements from our local beach and forest to create a magical space that incorporates gardening, animal care, nature discovery and physical activities. It is a child’s space, rather than an adult space, where the children can join in hands-on interaction and discovery and where their natural curiosity is met with sensory experiences. We have gathered driftwood from the local beach to use as balancing, climbing and sitting areas. Rocks and boulders from the local river bank are used as stepping stones, sitting or hideaways for insects and worms. We have planted local natives and we have collected leaves and seeds (pinecones, acorns) from the local forest and scattered these in our garden for fossicking. A simple tray with a magnifier glass and small garden spade provides hours of exploration and discovery fun. By using local elements, the children are exposed to their local natural environment. Our magical garden is used as a classroom and brings our children into contact with the natural world. It is a garden where children are given the time to see and feel and hear, to just be.