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Getting outdoors with Cosy

Blog
Cosy Direct
28 Feb 2024

We value the outdoors as a space where children can be free of the confines of the classroom, somewhere for making noise, mess, running, jumping & exploring. Outdoor play and learning offer a different perspective, inspiring awe and wonder, which appeal to children's natural curiosity.

Here are five fabulous outdoor learning ideas you might like to use in your early years setting:

1. Loose parts learning

Stimulate imagination and provide opportunities for sensory exploration by using upcycled resources for loose parts play. Ask your learners to create a large vehicle by combining crates, tiny tyres, and steering wheels and see how long they can make it!

What you’ll need:

Tyre Tastic - D49444
Cosy H Crates - D57812

Tyres and wheels

2. Can you build it?

Building is an essential element to your continuous outdoor provision. Let your adventurous builders team up together and construct whatever they have in mind whilst working on practising gross motor and problem solving skills.

What you’ll need:

Deckciting Blocks - D47193
Eco Building Logs - D49352

Children playing outdoors

3. Nature nook

Encourage learners to read books or have a general chit-chat outdoors by creating your very own communication space. Reading and spending time in nature have proven to improve mental health and reduce anxiety and stress. As a starting point for your outdoor space, you could place wooden containers within the arch for children to use as seats.

What you’ll need:

Umbu Group Arch - D49421
Wooden Crate Seats - D57838

Girl reading outdoors

4. Thread it!

Encourage children to use logic and mathematical skills with the Cosy Playground Counting Rings. The stumps help children practice counting and number recognition while allowing them to get involved in an interactive activity designed to fixate the lesson. It's also a great way for young learners to practice fine motor skills as they carefully thread rings onto each stump.

What you'll need:

Giant Playground Counting Rings - D43794

Getting outdoors with Cosy activity 4

5. Let's get physical

Physical activity is essential to help children build strength through exercising muscles within the body. Learning to move, climb, catch, throw and coordinate in a controlled outdoor environment is especially useful for development. Monkey bars are a fantastic way for older children to practice gross and fine motor skills as they grip their hands on each bar and use their muscles to get to the other end.

What you'll need:

Monkey Bars - D57783

Getting outdoors with Cosy activity 5

These activities have been taken from Little Learners, a FREE magazine full of early years resources and activities. Click here to read our latest issue!

Author

Cosy Direct

Cosy promote a natural, engaged and active childhood by supplying sustainable nursery and educational equipment worldwide. As a home of new ideas, they’re continually innovating and developing their product range with teacher-led research and play in mind. Champions of rural and real-life childhoods, where children are encouraged to play and take part in adventurous activities that enable them to learn and develop whilst having fun.