Let’s Get Outdoors in Enfield

www.outdoormatters.co.uk

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‘spending time in nature is part of a ‘balanced diet’ of childhood experiences that promote children’s healthy development, well-being and positive environmental attitudes and values’.

This booklet has been compiled using information and photographs provided by childminders as part of the Outdoor Matters Course - Let’s Get Outdoors.

My thanks and acknowledgement goes to the childminders, their minded children, and the parents who gave permission for their child’s photograph to be shared, to inspire others to make better use of the outdoors for children’s play and learning.

Enfield is full of parks and open spaces – let’s get outdoors and enjoy them!

Gill: Children & Nature

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k We visited Town Park. It has a vast area of open green space with waterworks running through it as well has a stream. It has chopped down trees for children to climb over and play. It is very clean and also has a little cafe for refreshments. The children spent their time walking and splashing in the waterways, having fun climbing and walking along the logs and tree trunks and running around the green areas. There was also table tennis facilities, a playground and an area to play football. The children mostly enjoyed themselves when walking along the water and splashing in their wellington boots.

Marv, Childminder

Top Tip - Take wellies!

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• Huge –wide open spaces and hills

• Water

• Bridge

• Playground

Top Tips

Toilets available in the playground –but not easy to locate –so go

before you leave home!

Take wellies and/or a change of footwear

Take something to clean up with –e.g. an old towel for mud, and wet wipes.

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‘I went to Grovelands Park. I know the park well

but have never taken minded children there with

me. There is a big open grass space, a lake, a

stream, a wooded area, and adult gym and two

playgrounds. There is also a toilet and a café.

I hoped that the children would enjoy learning a

maths game using objects that we could find

outside. I hoped that they would enjoy running

around in the fresh air.

The children learnt to count in fives using sticks,

the older children learning their five times table

and the younger ones to count. Observing that

five objects no matter how grouped or comprised

still equal five. Looking at long and short sticks.

The learning went as expected.

When the stick game ended, the children used

the sticks as wands to make us freeze and

unfreeze, the sticks had different powers in

different hands. We ran lots and lots.

We also went to the adult gym and enjoyed

discovering how it all worked’

Jo, Childminder

Top Tips The cafe has toilets!

Take wellies and/or a change of footwear

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k • Three ponds including a boating

pond

• Memorial garden

• Logs and trees for climbing and imaginary games

• Crazy golf –good for older children

• Playground area

• Green space –for picnics

• Cafe

Top Tips Take bread to feed

the ducks and geese

Take tissues for the toilets

Gulnaz, Childminder

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We visited Trent Park for the first time. It is vast and there is so much to see and explore, a day could easily be spent here. We were here for a couple of hours and had lunch in the Cafe which serves lovely healthy vegetarian options. There is a public toilet with baby changing facilities close to the cafe near to the main entrance. The park is better suited for those travelling in cars, with lots of parking space on site. We travelled by bus and on foot and a buggy park would have been a great facility but sadly not one that is available, it was a workout navigating the buggy through mud and woodland! I took along a couple of buckets for foraging, collecting and transporting items as this is something my 2 yr old enjoys. The buckets were soon abandoned and the children (2yr old and 3 yr old) were off exploring the woodland. The park was rich in sensory stimuli, they enjoyed 'squelching' in the mud and exploring how they could bounce up and down on a fallen tree trunk and hang from the branches of a low level tree. They enjoyed exploring and hiding in the ready made dens and discovered and identified twigs, sticks and branches that had been used to make the den. Sabitri, Childminder

Top Tips If possible leave the buggy at home and drive or come on foot but travel lightly. There are so many natural resources for the children to explore you don't need to bring any equipment. Wellies are a must and waterproof suit would be handy to protect clothing for younger ones who might trip and fall in the mud as mine did!

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Park features

• Logs

• Trees

• Climbing frame

• Water park

• Sand play area

• Arched bridge

• Waterfalls

As you can see it has a stream running through with several water falls, a play area with swings, slides, sand and water pit, and climbing frame with rope bars. It’s a very therapeutic park.

Yvonne, Childminder

Top Tip – No toilets –go before you leave home!

www.outdoormatters.co.uk

Outdoor Matters can support you to improve your outdoor provision.

We offer a wide range of bespoke services including; Training/CPD

Curriculum Development Projects

Consultancy Advisory Visits

Parents Information Evenings

Do get in touch to discuss your requirements

gail@outdoormatters.co.uk Imp

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