What are the Benefits of Outdoor Learning?
At Muddy Boots, we prioritise outdoor learning for all children, whatever the weather! But what does this actually mean; what are the benefits of outdoor learning? In this blog, we’ll give you a quick rundown on why we focus on the outdoors, and why the Muddy Boots ethos is so crucial to our way of learning.
If you’re familiar with our nursery, you’ll probably know our three unique, core values:
We focus on developing the uniqueness of every child
We build strong relational bonds with our families, built on quality communication
And we focus on outdoor adventures, always!
To us, Muddy Boots is a way of life. We allow children to experience the outdoors, getting to know the world around them and getting messy while they’re at it! Through spending time outdoors, your little ones get the standard benefits like vitamin D, fresh air and exploration of their senses, but it’s also great for sparking creativity and bringing children closer to nature.
Physical and Mental Wellbeing
Spending time outdoors is a really important learning experience for children both in and out of nursery, as it improves their mental and physical wellbeing. Perhaps the biggest reason we spend so much time outside at muddy Boots is because it’s a great way for your little ones to regulate their emotions. When they have access to open spaces, they can run around to burn off excess energy, and are able to move freely without constraint during play. Not only that, but getting fresh air on a regular basis helps to boost their mood and improve sleep quality - which is an added bonus for parents too!
Building a Love of Nature
We believe it’s really important for all children to develop a love for nature, not only to benefit themselves, but also to benefit the planet! All people need the natural world; it looks after us and we should look after it. Children at Muddy Boots flourish when playing in the outdoors - feeling the wind, rain, sun and snow first hand is important as it connects us as human beings to the natural world. The different sensory experiences they get from being outdoors nurtures a sense of awe and wonder for everything in the world around them. We want children (and adults) to be excited about nature and the planet, taking on big adventures in the outdoors, and there’s no better way to do that than in a place where they feel safe and secure enough to do so. It’s in these safe spaces, like nursery, that nature can be the most powerful learning environment with great opportunities for child-lead development.
Child Centred Learning
At Muddy Boots, we understand how important child-lead learning is in allowing your little ones to develop their sense of self, and trust in their own instincts. Every child has their own unique development process, which we seek to encourage. Having the freedom to learn and grow in nature is what makes outdoor learning so special, and at nursery they are able to explore their own interests within a safe environment. When it comes to child-lead learning, the most important thing to establish is independence and a ‘can do’ attitude. Going on adventures outdoors and taking part in ‘risky play’ helps to reinforce this mentality in children, as they feel confident in both indoor and outdoor environments.
Everything Indoors can be Done Outdoors
While learning indoors is also effective for your little ones, anything that can be learned indoors can also be done outdoors. In early years, a lot of mathematical learning can be achieved through the kind of ‘risky play’ and problem solving children at Muddy Boots get to experience outside. The outdoors also offers an abundance of natural resources to be used in all kinds of play, helping to boost your child’s imagination and creativity. For young children, it’s important that their learning opportunities are meaningful to them - the ability to make their own play and use their imagination goes hand in hand with their learning process. Playing in nature means your little ones can discover what matters to them, through using their senses, asking questions and schematic play. Not only that, but playing in larger spaces outdoors provides plenty of opportunity for children to socialise and develop an understanding of others, as well as the world around them. It’s in these environments that they can care for themselves, others, and nature itself.
There are plenty of benefits to outdoor learning, more than we can list here in this blog! But we hope this has given you a quick insight into why we do what we do here at Muddy Boots.
To find out more about nursery life with us, and what outdoor learning has to offer, take a look at our website. Or, if you’re looking for a nursery for your little one, and you think we’re the perfect fit, book a showround.
