This week the children in Happy Valley have been exploring the outdoor mud kitchen.

As there is a proven link between the growth and development of the body and the brain, the outdoor classroom at the Happy Valley campus is the perfect place to support the children’s healthy development by providing a space where the children can be physically active while engaging in imaginative and creative play.

As the children used natural materials in the outdoor kitchen, they were able to strengthen their fine motor skills and develop their hand-eye coordination by using a range of physical actions such as scooping, pouring and mixing. They extended their understanding of mathematical concepts by counting, weighing, and comparing the size and shape of the different materials.

As little scientists they discovered what happens as materials are mixed together, making connections as they experimented and observed the changes happening. While working together to create their own ‘soups’, ‘cakes’ and ‘potions’, there were wonderful examples of collaboration, sharing ideas and engaging in conversations, which provided excellent opportunities to learn new vocabulary and expressions.

Learning outdoors has enabled the children to understand their environment better as well as enabling them to become resilient and independent learners.