Risk-taking and outdoor play in Sweden
From vast forests to confident young explorers, Sara Noor (Early Education Manager) shares her learning from visiting other nursery settings in Sweden.
In October, I was fortunate enough to be one of four members of the 1st Place team to visit Sweden as part of the Erasmus+ project. Fully funded by Erasmus+, the aim was to visit early education providers in other EU countries to help develop leadership capacity in our own settings.
Over the course of five days, we visited nurseries that were run by the local authority to experience first-hand their approach to early childhood and education. This included Askungens Förskola (Cinderella preschool) in Kallhäll that was inspired by Reggio Emilia and had a strong emphasis on Forest School and outdoor play.
At Askungens Förskola, the children had access to large outdoor areas and a forest environment. This offered the opportunity to take part in rich nature experiences on a daily basis. The children could explore and investigate, participate in risk-taking and challenge their own abilities. The confidence of the children was evident. From day 1, they were quick to point out which plants were safe to eat, to touch and which ones we should avoid!
An exchange of knowledge and experience
Overall, the visit was a wonderful experience and truly widened our knowledge both professional and personally. It enabled us to question and reflect on what we are doing as a nursery and how we can continue to support our children to become lifelong learners. Although we do not have a vast forest at our disposal, we do have a Forest School and are already embedding this within the routine of nursery life. Five members of staff are training to be Forest School Educators and are currently leading regular sessions with children.
The trip enriched our cultural understanding and encouraged us to discover new ways of thinking as we exchanged knowledge and experience with our EU counterparts. Sharing ideas and best practice can only have a positive impact on how we deliver services to our families. We are therefore thankful to Erasmus+ in giving us this opportunity to broaden and enhance our learning. We look forward to using this experience to continue offering high quality early education provision.
