Outdoor learning experts to visit Valleys for conference
HUNDREDS of early years teachers from around the world and the UK will gather in South Wales next summer to find out about the first ever 100% outdoor nursery in Wales and share expertise.
It is the first time Wales has hosted the International Nature Pedagogy Symposia, with previous hosts being Sweden, Finland and Japan – all leaders in outdoor learning.
The conference at Dare Valley Park, Rhondda Cynon Taff, is being organised by the Ladybirds group, an outdoor parent and toddler group launched in the park last year.
Ladybirds has been so successful it is expanding it into a five-day-a-week 8am to 6pm kindergarten this spring and a local school is now sending pupils to take part in activities there.
Former PE teacher and LEA community advisor Darren Lewis and former primary schools adviser Marc Withers, who launched Ladybirds, hope to expand across Wales saying growing numbers of teachers and parents believe learning outside has benefits for children’s confidence and progress.
This term the nearby St Margarets RC primary in Aberdare is sending reception and nursery pupils to Ladybirds for two afternoons a week so they can experience learning outdoors and “Skogsmulle”, the Swedish early years philosophy behind Ladybirds.
Learning outside helps address issues such as childhood obesity and poor behaviour as well as teaching children to manage risk and understand the environment, said Marc.
“The conference will be an amazing opportunity for us to showcase the nature kindergarten to teachers and educators locally, nationally and from countries around the world. We are very excited about the growth of the Ladybirds group.
“We have just announced recruitment for our Kindergarten Leader role in readiness to launch the full-time day nature nursery provision.
“All of these developments are exciting, particularly as we have had recent announcements about additional Welsh Government funding for lunch and holiday clubs and Rhondda Cynon Taf Council being announced as one of the LA’s involved in the 30 hours free child care pi- lot, which we hope, as in Scotland’s version of the same pilot will seek to include settings wholly based outdoors like ours.”
Parents taking their children to Ladybirds said learning outside in the woods teaches their children confidence as they learn to manage small risks safely, such as pad- dling in the stream, climbing on logs and making toast on the camp fire.
There is also story time and a range of outdoor activities to help them learn, including a bug farm, painting with sticks and water and counting stones, fir cones and anything else they can find. There are no plastic toys or equipment.
Many of the parents bringing their children are teachers, impressed with the opportunities of learning outdoors.
Scientist Des Devlin and his wife Gemma, a child care worker, from Pontypridd come to Ladybirds with their toddler son. “Outside you are not restricted and it’s not claustrophobic. This is different to anywhere else,” said Des.
Dave and Gill Richards from Trelewis who bring grandson Lloyd, two to Ladybirds said it gives more freedom than an indoor nursery and is less stressful.
“He loves to do his own thing and it’s lovely to see the children play outside safely with no restrictions like there would be at home or inside. There is space and it teaches them to be more aware of there surroundings,” said Gill.
“It can get very noisy at some nurseries and playgroups, but here you are out in the open. That can be up lifting for children and grown ups.”
Secondary school teacher Chrissie Morgan, also from Pontypridd, said learning outside has given her two-year-old son Tobias, more confidence.
The International Nature Pedagogy Symposia is being held by Ladybirds at Dare Valley Country Park on August 3.