Walton Pre-School

Outdoor Learning

Welcome to our outdoor learning environment – Walton Woods

The outdoor learning environment is an extension of the indoor environment. Learning in the outdoor space provides limitless options, a sense of freedom to explore, wonder, make decisions whilst enhancing children’s exploration of the natural resources and gaining an understanding of the world that they live in.

Children learn about independence, decision-making, self and social awareness, as well as key skills of keeping safe whilst around campfires.

While playing outdoors children investigate objects and materials using their senses, they are interested in finding out what things are, how they work, and where they belong.

Through observations and investigations children are able to identify key features of living things, discovering the similarities and differences between things through textures, colours, and shapes.

Also, within this beautiful space, the children have created their own allotment area, a place to grow and nurture their vegetables. Working together planting and growing provides children with a huge sense of pride and achievement alongside the excitement and miracle of watching their seeds become plants.

Developing our physical skills whilst in our Forest School garden

Children investigating insects

Picking fruit in our forest school garden

Examining what we have grown on our vegetable plot

RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch 2023

The children at Walton Pre School took part in the RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch.

The children made their own binoculars’ in class along with looking at different pictures of birds in readiness to enter Walton Woods and see what species of birds we could identify.

In Walton Woods the children and staff changed the little white house into a bird viewing station, for the children to stand/sit quietly and watch the birds from afar.

We discussed the different sounds the birds make, how they travel through the sky and also on the ground. We looked high and low with our binoculars’ and were very surprised that many birds came to see us in our large tree in the garden.

We hope when the weather is a little warmer to see our pheasant too, who enjoys exploring Walton Woods.

Caterpillar Class enjoyed time within Walton Woods

The children in Caterpillar Class have enjoyed their 1st Forest school session with Jane this week. The children looked high and low to locate some minibeasts. Look at the size of that spider!

Great find Caterpillar Class!

The children also learnt about mark making in a variety of ways, not only using pencils and pens, but more natural resources in the woodland area.

Butterfly Class enjoyed time within Walton Woods

Last week Butterfly Class enjoyed time within Walton Woods, exploring the surroundings and searching for treasure.

The children thoroughly enjoy collecting the apples that have fallen and finding feathers to try and identify the birds we have had in the garden

Bug House Building

Last week we began to create our boat shaped bug house, children had brought in twigs, pine cones and dry sticks all ready to include to provide a warm and welcoming habitat to bugs, insects and vertebrates. It is still work in progress !

A Visit from Terry Smithson

Recently, we had a visit from Terry Smithson, who is the Head of Nature Based Solution at Bioscapes. As part of our Climate Action Plan, we applied for and won a SuDs planter to aid surface water flooding.

Additionally, the SuDs planter contains a level for herb planting, an insect drinking area, a hedgehog house or other small mammal shelter, as well as a bee house. This was all funded by Essex County Council.

Terry taught us how and where some of the bugs lived, what they eat and how to care for them, we followed this with a bug hunt in our garden.

Thank you, Terry, for a very informative morning.