Outdoor Activities
Urbanised living has seen an increase in electronic-based play and a concern that children are becoming more disconnected from green open spaces and the natural world.
The need for creating 'wild spaces' in an urban environment has now been widely accepted and has become commonplace, allowing inner-city children to experience and explore the natural world.
Environments created with nature in mind help children and young people to delve unhindered into the world outdoors. Natural play spaces and environments support children's risk taking; education via outdoor-based learning encourages balanced health and wellbeing.
As well as being a big City, Nottingham also has a range of green spaces and you can find your local park here and more information about park activities here.
Established over 10 year ago, the Community Orchard at St Ann's Allotments is a lively hub of educational and community life, centred on local children and families, working with schools and children's services and running a monthly activity days which are open to all. From first steps in the outdoors at age 3 to troubled teenagers, who become Guardians of the project, it offers a non-judgmental, safe, therapeutic, fun, outdoor learning and play space, a vital haven from the pressures of inner-city growing up.
The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity, aiming to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place. Check out the ways the aim to inspire young people to get outside and enjoy gardening!
The RHS Campaign for School Gardening aims to encourage and support schools to develop and actively use a school garden, providing teachers with a host of online resources, including lesson plans and gardening advice and ways to link outdoor learning to the curriculum!
The campaign also offers an extensive programme of training courses across the UK which give teachers the practical skills they need to lead gardening activities in their school or community, as well as the confidence they need to create all year round learning experiences that have a real impact on children's achievement, health and wellbeing.
You can register to the campaign free and receive a free starter pack including seeds, plant labels, posters and more to get you going. Find out more in this Gardening in Schools leaflet and on the website.
Muddy Faces is a small, unique organisation that supports challenging outdoor play and Forest Schools through the provision of information and resources.
They provide an outdoor activity Swap Shop; activities are available to download free of charge, just login or register with the website to use this fantastic resource at www.muddyfaces.co.uk
All resources are recommended by practitioners working with groups encouraging continuous play provision and Forest Schools. Here is an example of their Den Building Leaflet!
Free Trees for Schools, Nurseries & Community Groups (UK)
Hundreds of thousands of trees are being given away to help the UK reach its 2050 carbon net-zero target. Schools, nurseries, colleges, universities, outdoor learning centres, and other groups such as resident associations, sports clubs, parish councils, scouts and guides from across the UK are amongst the organisations eligible to apply for up to 420 trees to improve their local environment. Tree packs available include hedging, copse, wild harvest, year-round colour, working wood, wild wood, wildlife, and urban trees. The Woodland Trust deliver in March and November and they are currently taking applications for trees to be delivered in November 2024. Applications are expected to close in August 2024, or sooner depending on stock availability.
To find out more go to: Woodland Trust
