Outdoor learning

Here at Carden, we fully embrace all opportunities for children in the Early Years to engage in open-ended learning using our extensive outdoor spaces, including; fire circle, bug hotel, mud kitchen, willow den, digging areas and our veggie patch which we will be introducing in the spring. Nothing that can be taught within the classroom cannot be accessed in the outdoors.

Together, they provide a unique educational experience and process that offers children the opportunity to succeed and develop confidence and self-esteem through hands-on learning experiences.
Children engage in motivating and achievable tasks and activities throughout the year, and in almost all weathers. Children will work with tools, play, learn boundaries of behaviour both physical and social. The goal is to support them to grow in confidence, self-esteem and motivation, while developing an understanding of the natural world.
The Forest School concept originates in Denmark, originally aimed at pre-school children, where it was found that children who had attended Forest School then arrived at school with strong social and communication skills, having the ability to work in groups effectively, generally had high self-esteem and a confidence in their own abilities.
Young Carden pupils engrossed in a mud kitchen