New nursery group opens with focus on outdoor learning
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
Children will spend up to 80 per cent of their time outdoors at a new nursery group that has opened its first setting in the East Midlands.
Small People in Cropwell Bishop is the first nursery to be opened under the brand, with two further launches planned this year.
Small People Cropwell Bishop, based on a Forest School approach, will offer 60 places to local children and employ up to 20 members of staff.
The setting will encourage children aged between six weeks and five years old to spend up to 80 per cent of the day outside in the nursery’s acre of grounds.
Formerly the Lime Kiln Inn, the £1.7m nursery has undergone a full redesign, with a variety of outdoor play equipment available, including a messy area, a treehouse, sand and water areas, a reading area with a willow den, grass mound tunnels, natural logs, log snakes and a bug city.
The setting’s outdoor space also features a mini-farm with dwarf goats, mini-pigs, chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs.
A garden kitchen and open-air cooking area will provide a wood burning stove and wooden seating, and children will learn how to plant and grow their own fruit, vegetables and herbs, before they pick, cook and eat them.
Children will be able to learn about cooking and baking and basic nutrition principles with Small People’s in-house Michelin-trained chef.
The nursery will also offer children the opportunity to learn IT skills, languages such as French, Spanish and Mandarin, and a range of physical activities including yoga.
The nursery facilities will also be available for private hire and themed children’s parties at weekends.
Owner Lisa Smal previously worked in recruitment, but left 18 months ago to set up Small People with the aim of providing childcare she said she would have liked for her own children.
Ms Smal commented, ‘Growing up in South Africa I had an active outdoor lifestyle and that is something that was lacking when I was looking for childcare for my own daughters in the UK. This is what inspired Small People, as it is proven that children develop faster in an outdoor environment - a place for children to thrive.
‘Our back to basics philosophy extends into every area of the nursery in order to stimulate development, from our natural, wooden toys, to our holistic approach to learning, healthy eating, fresh air and exercise.’
Ms Smal is currently confirming suitable premises for what she hopes will be two further Small People nurseries in the East Midlands area to open later in the year.
