Sarah Blyth, Early Years and Education Director at Ashbourne Day Nurseries, discusses why parents should choose a nursery that focuses on natural resources and real objects in the learning opportunities that it offers the children in its care.

Thinking about choosing a nursery to kickstart your child’s learning journey?

Have you thought about choosing one that offers children access to range of natural resources and real objects in place of plastic toys?

Natural resources are not only more environmentally friendly and less toxic for children, but that they also offer more interesting learning opportunities for the early years age groups.

Here at Ashbourne Day Nurseries, our experience shows us that natural resources encourage creativity and imagination to thrive in young children.

Natural resources also do not restrict a child’s learning and development by only being able to be used for their predetermined purpose.

Real-life objects offer children real-life experiences

We find that natural resources and real-life objects can help our children to develop their fine motor skills and to express their thoughts and ideas as they explore the various items available to them.

Children learn best from real experiences and can gain a greater understanding of weight, shape, and space.

We always encourage our children to use their imagination when they are playing with the resources as this develops their creativity.

By having real-life items in our nursery settings, children can expand their imaginative play.

This encourages them to think about how the objects can be used or what they can represent rather than using them for set purposes.

Utilising a variety of materials within our nurseries provides different looks, textures and smells which helps to stimulate and develop all five senses.

More play and learning opportunities

A resource such as a cardboard box can hold unlimited opportunities for imaginative play, and children tend to gravitate towards these items for that very reason.

A toy telephone is just a telephone, but a cardboard box can be a house, a car, a rocket, or a tunnel!

Bringing the outside inside

The outside environment is a big contribution to learning and development, allowing children to experience the world around them through natural resources.

Bringing nature inside further supports children in using their senses and experiences to learn about the environment around them.

Natural materials are a great way for children to learn about time, change, investigation, and exploration.

Observing nature such as twigs and leaves that change throughout the seasons helps the children to feel and understand the world.

In the nursery gardens at Ashbourne Day Nurseries, children enjoy the outdoor play equipment as well as natural climbing opportunities.

These opportunities allow children, who are natural climbers, to challenge their increasing mobility and confidence.

This type of play allows the children to not only develop their physical skills, but to also discover what they can achieve independently, increasing their self-awareness and self-esteem.

Outdoor environments give children the opportunity to engage with others, developing their knowledge through play and interaction with other children and Early Years Practitioners.

Outside play also builds self-esteem, confidence, cooperation skills and gives children the opportunity to develop their imagination, creativity, mathematical and physical skills.

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Article by Ashbourne Nurseries