Enhancing Children's Language in the Outdoor Area

"Out in the Garden, What Can You See?"

The outdoor environment can be a motivational place for children to develop their communication and language skills. Before developing their language, children must first have the desire to express their thoughts, feelings/emotions, ideas and experiences. By providing exciting, inviting and enjoyable activities in our outdoor area, the children are eager to talk to each other and the practitioners about what they are doing.Out in the garden on Monday, Kelly, our nursery manager, and Gail, one of the practitioners, set up a range of activities focusing on promoting the children's language development. From making pumpkin soup with slime, pumpkin seeds and spoons to mark-making in the festively decorated sand, the activities were inviting, exciting and enjoyable and the children were keen to explore, struggling to chose which activity to engage in first. [ngg src="galleries" ids="254" display="basic_slideshow"]Using well-known nursery rhymes is a fantastic way to encourage children to develop their language skills. Rachel, who is based in Toddler Room, used her knowledge of the children's love of singing incorporating the familiar song 'Incy Wincy Spider' into the children's play with the guttering, water and spiders tuff tray. The children patiently took turns in placing Incy Wincy at the top of the guttering, pouring water down until it reached the bottom. One child went exploring in the search for another insect or minibeast, proudly returning to show the group a frog that she had found. She placed it at the top, making the frog jump down the guttering, enthusiastically saying "Froggy! Froggy, froggy!"Click here to learn some of the children at Daisykins' favourite nursery rhymes and songsAnother great way to promote children's language development is through the use of books. One of the children in Pre-School incorporated his love of reading into his play in the outdoor area, referring to some of the familiar phrases and refrains in one of his favourite stories, 'Room on the Broom' by Julia Donaldson. He had chosen to play in the water tray, using the scoops to fill the cauldrons, tubs and plastic jars with coloured water, confetti and insects and minibeasts. Mixing his potion together, he enthusiastically recalled "Iggety, Ziggety, Zaggety, ZOOM! Make me a magnificent new broom!" He closed his eyes, shortly after reopening them to become overwhelmed with excitement at the broom that was in front of him. We wonder what he will wish for next!