Situated at the very southern tip of Lake Windermere, Fell Foot is a great, family friendly location to play, explore and relax. Sweeping lawns offer plenty of space for games, picnics and gentle walks, while easy lake access makes the park perfect for paddling, swimming and boating.
Early Years (2-4)
Early Years (2-4)
In recent years there has been a cultural shift in our society that has reduced the access and use of outdoors for many young children.
A number of factors are blamed, including increased fear amongst adults in relation to children’s safety, anxieties about the threat of abduction, and technological advances leading to an overwhelming prominence of more sedentary indoor activities, such as television and computer games. However, the developmental needs of young children have remained constant and the outdoor environment continues to be essential to their health, development and well-being. Therefore, regular opportunities for sustained periods of play in a rich and stimulating outdoor environment offer a wide range of benefits to babies, toddlers and young children.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Curriculum, which covers children aged birth to the end of the Reception year, became statutory in September 2008 and places strong emphasis on the importance and value of daily outdoor experiences for children’s learning and development.
Learning outside the classroom supports the development of healthy and active lifestyles by offering children opportunities for physical activity, freedom and movement, and promoting a sense of well-being. It gives them contact with the natural world and offers them experiences that are unique to outdoors, such as direct contact with the weather and the seasons. Outdoor play also supports children’s problem-solving skills and nurtures their creativity, as well as providing rich opportunities for their developing imagination, inventiveness and resourcefulness.
And, of course, the outdoor environment offers more space than indoors and therefore is particularly important to those children who learn best through active movement. For many children, playing outdoors at their early years setting may be the only opportunity they have to play safely and freely while they learn to assess risk and develop the skills to manage new situations.
While many of these experiences will take place on-site, outdoor learning may also take place within the local community, for example a walk to the bakery, or past the building site on the way to the park. These off-site ‘expeditions’ offer both children and adults a catalyst for play and conversations. Ultimately, play and learning that flow seamlessly between indoors and outdoors make the most efficient use of resources and build on interests and enthusiasms. Forest Schools are growing in popularity across the UK and are increasingly offered as part of the early years curriculum in schools and settings.
Finally, parental involvement in children’s learning is particularly important in the early years as parents and carers are the child’s first educators. Early years settings, including children’s centres, are increasingly involving parents in developing and using their outdoor areas and in supporting other outdoor learning opportunities.
Suitable Venues
In the late 1800s Ludwig Messel bought the Nymans Estate in the Sussex High Weald to make a dream family house. Inspired by the wooded surroundings he created a garden with plants collected from around the world. Here this creative family entertained friends and family, enjoyed relaxing, playing and picnicking in the garden and woods.
Lose yourself in 214 acres of heath, gorse and coppice encompassing a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), ancient woodland and military defences designed to give Napoleon a run for his money.
The sheltered waterway of the Cleddau runs from the county town of Haverfordwest down to Milford Haven. Along the way it passes Little Milford Wood, the ancient oak woodland of Lawrenny and tidal mudflats at West Williamston.
Hembury and Holne contain two discreet woods on the south-eastern edge of Dartmoor National Park.
Perched at the top of Hembury Woods with far reaching views over Dartmoor, the iron-age Hembury Hill Fort gives you a real sense of what it would have been like to live in a protected palisade.
The mountains rest in the heart of the Belfast Hills, which provide the backdrop to the city's skyline. The rich, varied archaeological landscape is home to a host of wildlife. There are walking trails along a variety of terrain: through heath, on stone tracks, along boardwalks and road surface.
Explore the quaint village of Noss Mayo situated at the mouth of the river Yealm.
Rowing is fun and relaxing and a great way to spend a sunny afternoon on the river, pedalos and punts also available. You can hire the boat for an hour or if you want to make a day of it, just stay on the river as long as you like, simply returning the row boat to the boathouse before sunset.
We proudly care for some of the Llŷn Peninsula's best beaches and most stunning headland - from the sweeping beach and colourful beach huts of Llanbedrog to the whistling sands at Porthor.
Tucked away on the Suffolk coast, Dunwich Heath offers you peace and quiet and a true sense of being at one with nature.
A rare and precious habitat, the Heath is home to special species such as the Dartford warbler, nightjar, woodlark, ant-lion, adders and much more.
With fantastic views of the Seven Sisters, Cuckmere Valley is a haven for wildlife, from over-wintering wildfowl to colourful wild flowers.
Cradle Valley is a wonderful example of this species-rich chalk grassland, attracting rare and colourful butterflies and plants in summer.
Wild and rugged with heart thumping walks, East Portlemouth to Prawle Point is a complete contrast to its busier neighbour Salcombe. Leave the crowds behind and discover unspoilt beaches and blustery cliffs where you might not meet a soul for miles.
Follow a clifftop walk with breathtaking views of the Jurassic coast with a night under the stars at Prattshayes caravan and campsite.
Bolberry Down has levelled circular trails through a breathtaking coastal landscape.
A circular walk around the flat plateau of Bolberry Down offers easy walking and far-reaching views of South Devon. Take your time and visit the viewpoints, take a seat and immerse yourself in this spectacular coastline.
Perfect for a walk or picnic, the tranquil, ancient parkland of Dunsland park once befitted the grand house that stood in its midst.
The park is home to a variety of trees, including 700-year-old Sweet Chestnuts and old fruit trees.
Wander around the remaining buildings of Tudor Dunsland House. All apart from the old stable and coach house were lost in a fire in the 1960s.
Situated in the picturesque Chiltern Hills, this group of popular beauty spots offers fabulous walking opportunities. Pleasant day long walks with a pub stop can take you through the intimate landscape of woods, farms and hamlets that make up much of the Chilterns.
This stretch of coast between Bude and Morwenstow is one of Cornwall's wild and dramatic corners with a character all of its own. You'll find beaches such as Sandymouth, perfect for rockpooling or surfing, and backdrops of sheer cliffs made of stony clay rock.
Whether you're looking for a short stroll or a more challenging walk there are many exhilarating coastal walks to enjoy.
Burton Bradstock is one of the main gateways to the Jurassic Coast and the South West Coast Path.
The estate is easy to access and offers spectacular cliff-top views along the many varied and picturesque coastal walks.
The Deep is one of the most spectacular aquariums in the world and is home to a whopping 3,500 fish including Europe’s only pair of green sawfish, spectacular sharks and rays and NEW FOR 2014 - a colony of Gentoo penguins.
The Mendip Hills run east-west across Somerset from Frome to Brean Down. Inside they are hiding fascinating secrets such as underground caves and rivers, making the hills a popular centre for caving.
From the outside they reveal centuries of history from the pre-historic at Cheddar to the Iron-Age at Brent Knoll and a Victorian fort at Brean Down.
What you can expect from a school excursion to WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo:
WILD LIFE Sydney Zoo lets you experience the animals and ecosystems of a range of Australian habitats, allowing your class to identify the different requirements of Australian flora and fauna.
Most of us think of “fish” when we hear the word aquarium, here in Dingle Oceanworld Aquarium we like to do things a little differently! We already have Penguins since 2011 and new for this year we have our new Creepy Crawly exhibit. Who knows what will come for our 20th year anniversary next year!!!
There's more to Boscastle than a picturesque natural harbour and village.
The Elizabethan quay sits in an impressive amphitheatre of steep cliffs and is home to quaint stone-built cottages, shops and tea-rooms.
Ragley Hall was first opened in 1958 and the State Rooms were gradually restored to their former glory. The 8th Marquess made his mark on Ragley by commissioning Graham Rust to create a modern mural, The Temptation, in the South Staircase Hall which took fourteen years to complete and features several family members and pets.
SEA LIFE Aquarium is designed to be a child’s first interactive guide to the life of the sea, combining active, hands-on learning with fascinating educational talks, and opportunities to have up close and personal encounters with a variety of sea creatures.
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