Our Garden
Our Garden has many features that the children love:
Bug Hotel
Sand pit shaped like a boat
Mud kitchen
Potting, seeding and growing area with greenhouses
Climbing Wall
Climbing frame
Slide & fireman’s pole
Thomas the Tank Engine – life size
Log cabin
Bamboo grove
Cafeteria
Bikes, cars and scooters
Outdoor play shelter
Woodworking Shed
Sails for providing shade
Baby garden
Robins terrace
Garden room
We are very proud of our garden and in 2015 we were finalist in the category for Best Outdoor Learning Environment in the Nursery Management Times (NMT) awards. This put us in the top 5 in the country and although we were a little disappointed not to win it was a great achievement to become finalists for one of these prestigious awards.
Encouraging children to appreciate the natural world and the benefits of outdoor play is a key part of what we do each day. Next door to the nursery we are fortunate to have Withdean Park, with its own woodland walk, which is used for pushchair outings and nature trails. Most recently we have introduced Forest School, where the older children escape our garden and venture further afield into the woods and participate in different Forest School activities; such as den building and making camp. Come rain or shine, the outdoors always has something to offer. Here are the Owls children on the trail!