Over the first 4 weeks of the summer holiday’s children attending Pathhead and Gallatown Nurseries put on their waterproofs and wellies and headed out to the forests with staff from the nurseries, family workers from integrated community schools and active school co-ordinators.
For 3 days each week the children enjoyed climbing, discovering, playing, running, sliding and having fun in the natural environment of local forest areas. The programme is similar to those run in Scandinavian nurseries and schools especially Norway where children learn about, appreciate and respect the natural environment.
There are now in Fife over 55 nurseries that on a daily basis across the 4 seasons regardless of the weather are using forest areas as a means of an appropriate learning environment to teach children about the wonders of nature. It also allows them to appreciate the elements, rain, wind, sunshine and snow and the need to be appropriately dressed for such changeable weather. The Norwegians have got it absolutely right when they say there is no such thing as bad weather just wrong clothing.” Within the first week the only weather we didn’t have was snow and the children have loved being out in the fresh air having fun regardless of whether it’s raining or not and so have the adults” said graham milne integration manager with Team Kirkcaldy Integrated Community Schools and co-ordinator of the programme.
“The lack of opportunities for the under 5 age group in parts of the town over the holidays was something of a concern for many of the services and we felt we needed to address this issue particularly when many of our schools and nurseries are unoccupied during this period. “We are really grateful to our main sponsors the Kirkcaldy Lions and Raith Rotary for their financial donations that have allowed us to purchase outdoor clothing, wellies and other equipment to ensure that the initiative could take place. We are also indebted to the Early Years Officers from the nurseries who in some cases have given up most of their school holidays to take part. Unfortunately we couldn’t provide places for all children attending the nurseries so places were limited but the good news is that both nurseries are looking at the possibility of developing the initiative in the new school term ” Public Health Nurses in the catchment area also offered sessions to parents at the nursery whilst the children are out enjoying themselves as did the Community Food Project Worker.
It means that for 4 hours each day children had the opportunity to be active and had a healthy alternative to being inside perhaps in front of a TV or computer and bored. The school holidays can be a time of great stress for many families so it was hoped that the parents too would benefit from the initiative and the respite.
The initiative was run in partnership between Integrated Community Schools, Active Schools (Primary), Public Health Nurses, Community Food Project with input also from the forester at one of the estates used. Children and parents have been fully involved in the evaluation of the programme. Feedback to date has been so positive that plans are already underway to develop the initiative further both in term time and future school holidays.