Creating a Nature Shelf...

Try and bring the beauty of nature into your nursery setting and encourage little ones to make connections with the natural world while indoors as well as outdoors.

Create a 'Nature Shelf' which follows the seasons. You could include things such as: -

• Plenty of natural resources such as pine cones, moss, twigs, bark, plants, things that are great to ignite the senses, and encourage sensory learning
• Books relating to the learning and to encourage taking the learning a little further
• Small world items so children can represent and play out their own experiences or create their own stories
• Mark making resources such as pens, sketchbooks, clipboard, paints etc. Maybe the children can create observational art and boost observational skills
• Tinker trays or collecting boxes so children can collect and add their own items to the shelf
• You could add little Children's voice cards - showing what questions have been asked or things said. This will show that children are creating the learning and that you are following interests

We need to encourage curiosity and enquiry. Create a hunger for learning. 

Does the space make you curious? Is the space inviting? Would you want to play there? 

Create a space that you would like to explore, make it irresistible to you and the children.

Nature, as we know creates calm. It has a soothing and calming effect and so bringing this into your setting will benefit not only the children but staff too, and this is very important in our daily practice, as i know first hand how stressful the days can be.