Mindstretchers Nature Kindergartens

I posted a couple of days ago about the Engaging boys and men in education conference. I should have said that it’s being organised by Mindstretchers, a very interesting company that has an enthusiasm for the Laevers approach to experiential learning and which believes that all children should be educated within multi sensory and naturally creative environments.

With this in mind they have opened two Nature Kindergartens in Scotland where children as young as 2 spend most of the day outdoors in all weathers following a curriculum which is centred around nature. These centres aim to provide a smooth transition between outdoor and indoor learning offering “a secure natural space inside, a gently challenging outdoor investigative zone which supports young children to develop emotional confidence and skills, and then the wild wood where they can feel the freedom of a fully natural environment”.

As well as providing a range of outdoor experiences for children and adults and early years training they also design and produce a range of innovative resources which you can purchase from their online shop. We have picked out a few products we think are particularly interesting:

Fire bowls
Used in conjunction with the Swedish Fire Steel,  the mindstretchers Fire Bowls are a great way of teaching children about fire in a safe and controlled way. The Fire Steel works in all weather and is a much safer than familiarising children with the process of lighting a match (something they could then repeat should they find a match on the floor etc). The fire bowls can provide the basis for many adult led learning opportunities and are an exciting addition to any early years setting that will no doubt captivate children and may prove to be particularly useful for engaging boys.

Whittling Peeler
A very useful accessory which can help children with the process of whittling wood for the purpose of cooking or creating bows and arrows etc.

We-Go’ Outside ™ System

Innovative storage system consisting of 6 small bags attached using Velcro to a waterproof base which can be hung on to a fence and which folds in to its own bag for convenient storage. An excellent way of arranging cross curricular resources.

Water Barrel
Sturdy, lightweight barrel with a tap and a pressure valve. Enables children of all ages to help themselves to water and to easily transport it to different parts of the setting. Can be placed on a table, work surface, builders tray etc. Excellent for mixing water with mud and sand as it gives small children more control over the amount of water they use.

These are just a few of many great resources. I would highly recommend you check out their site.