Outdoor Play and Learning

Something new and exciting has come to the field at St Lawrence! Over the summer holidays the staff and a team of amazing and dedicated parents have begun the transformation of the field to encompass our vision for our new outdoor play project. Play equates to about 20% of a child's school day - that's around 1.4 years of a child's life while they are at Primary School! For some children it could also be the only opportunity they get to play outside regularly. So we must commit to ensure our outdoor play space allows for rich, varied and inclusive play opportunities for all the children. And of course since we are so priviliged to have our incredible field and woodland, we need to make the most of this wonderful space.

We now have several play 'zones' including the mud kitchen, mark-making area, a digging area and loose-parts storage in the Iron Age hut! Our playtimes give the children the opportunity to explore, imagine, create, collaborate and take appropriate risks. Whether they are building with the loose parts, enjoying imaginative play, taking part in active games or choosing quieter activities, every child is encouraged to find play that is meaningful to them. We hope that the new opportunities will support children's wellbeing, independence, resilience, communication and problem solving skills, whilst also helping children to build friendships, show responsibility and develop a strong sense of belonging.

And this is just the start! We have plans for a ninja slackline and swing area in the pipeline so watch this space!