At Tops Day Nurseries we believe outdoor play is an essential part of a child’s development. We encourage children to play outside as often as possible and in all weathers, it’s certainly fun in the sun but great when we can splash in puddles!
Not only does playing outside help children develop the sense of wonder, which is an important motivation for lifelong learning, it will also help develop self-confidence and self-regulation. Children that play outside will have reduced anxiety and stress levels and the fresh air has been proven to improve moods.
We have seen the increase in happier moods during our football Friday sessions. Children at Tops Parkstone particularly enjoy going to the local park to show off their teamwork skills. One child said “I love playing football with my friends at nursery. I’m on the green team, but the pink team is good to.” This quote alone stands to prove how positive the children are towards team members, and just being outside helps to develop this quality.
Not only is playing outside great fun for children, its healthy for them too! It has been recognised that children that play outside have an increase in the vitamin D levels, helping them to build strong bones. It will also support children to gain mastery of their bodies, strength and co-ordination as well as build their resilience. At Tops Day Nurseries we understand that children need and want to take some risks when they play. We aim to respond to these needs and interests by offering the children a stimulating and challenging environment where they can explore and learn.
To support this, we offer Tops Forest School at a number of our settings across the Tops Family. We believe in the importance of adding to the rich tapestry of opportunities for children within nursery as the broader and more diverse their experiences, the wider their appetite for learning.
We strive to support practitioners in being inspirational and create moments infused with that same quality, because we can show our children just how beautiful the world really is. Our Tops Forest Schools have provided us with an opportunity for children to learn to recognise and assess risk for themselves, under the supervision and care of nursery practitioners.
“Play is essential for children’s wellbeing and development. When planning and providing play opportunities, the goal is not to eliminate risk, but to weigh up the risks and benefits. No child will learn about risk if they are wrapped in cotton wool” HSE
Providing happy, nurturing childcare for the hours you need, across over 30 nursery settings in: Babbacombe, Plymouth, Bournemouth, Charminster, Copnor, Fawley, Gillingham, Corfe Mullen, Havant, Lakeside, Lymington, Taunton, Newport, Poole, Portsmouth, Salisbury,
Southsea, Wareham, Wimborne, Winchester, and Yeovil.
