Silver Birch Outdoor Learning and Play Vision

United Nations Convention for the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) Article 31 states that it is a children’s right to play.

Scotland’s National Position Statement for outdoor learning and play states that playing outdoors is fundamental for children for a number of reasons. It improves health, wellbeing, enhances child development, improves sustainability and is cost effective.

Children need to be allowed to play tinker, potter and staff through quality observations will take the lead by listening and watching their actions emotions and words so that they grow and develop and reach their full potential in the outdoor learning environment

Staff will support, enrich, propose but also give them space to form their own ideas and facilitating children’s interests and challenges when learning and playing outdoors. Silver Birch staff have a strong ‘shared vision’ of how children learn and develop outdoors and will confidently allow children to explore the woodland environment, with meaningful interactions and supporting children to create spaces which support learning through national practice guidance: ‘Curriculum for Excellence’, ‘Realising the Ambition, Being Me’, ‘Health and Social Care Standards’, ‘Out to Play’, ‘My World Outdoors’ and ‘How Good is Our Early Learning and Childcare’ and Care Inspectorates ‘Quality Framework’. Staff will support children’s interests and curiosity by following early level curriculum based  on child-centred play where children are at the heart, leading their own learning . Ensuring our children are confident individuals, effective contributors, successful learners and responsible citizens.

In Silver Birch Outdoor Nursery we believe that outdoor play has a positive impact on children’s physical, cognitive, social, emotional, mental, health and wellbeing and development. It offers opportunities to learn for sustainability, global citizenship, and education for sustainable development in a natural environment that will bring their learning to life.

While children play there are elements risk, however the benefits of having an element of managed risk will always support children to be resilient and capable problem solvers. Opportunities to be involved in risk in play builds resilience and being part of benefit risk assessments allows children the opportunity to manage risk and setting boundaries. To ensure that children are kept safe Silver Birch has a benefit risk approach to managed risk in play, following Play safety Forum guidance and Argyll and Bute risk assessment, all risk assessments can be shared on request.

Play Scotland outlines the Benefits of risk

Play Strategy Scotland outline the Benefits of risk: play comes naturally to children as part of their physical development involves the engaging in play which they find challenging, risky and sometimes even scary!

“A degree of risk, properly managed, is not only inevitable, but positively desirable’
(Tim Gill, Nothing Ventured)

In 2012, the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) issued a statement promoting ‘a balanced approach’ to risk. Helping young people to experience risk and learn how to handle it is part of preparing them for adult life and the world of work.”