Scotholme Primary Outdoor Fundraiser

The Foundation Stage is the first stage of education for children and an essential part of their development. The current Foundation outdoor area is unable to offer children an engaging space to have fun and be innovative in all weathers. It is in desperate need of updates to benefit and impact on future cohorts and contribute to their healthy development. By creating and developing a new Foundation Stage play space, we can reflect the same high-quality provision offered for all children at Scotholme both inside and out.

 

There are so many possibilities when it comes to outdoor play for Foundation classes. Children love to play in playgrounds or open spaces, as well as natural environments, like gardens or a sandy beach area where they can observe, explore and go on bug hunts. This play involves curiosity and deepening their understanding of the world and the natural processes happening all around them.

 

When they are in school, the importance of early years outdoor play cannot be overstated. All children should be offered a minimum of 45 minutes every day, where they are able to access slopes, hills, puddles and a discovery pit with a range of safe surfaces, such as grass, bark chipping, sand and soil. At Scotholme, we are desperate to give children these possibilities to develop their moving and handing skills in a range of different ways. We need to offer our children access to the tools to build obstacle courses with tunnels, to construct bridges and to utilise natural spaces to make dens. Activities such as these provide an essential ‘risky freedom’, where children can problem solve, investigate and take managed risks. Providing a range of opportunities of this nature also helps children to develop their core strength, stability, balance, spatial awareness, co-ordination and agility.

Due to the impact of Covid 19, many of our children have missed out on opportunities to play and develop physically. Furthermore, Scotholme is located in inner city Nottingham, where access to safe green spaces to explore is limited. Outdoor play is a pre-requisite for children’s growth and to help fight childhood obesity, whilst strengthening mental health in a fun way that promotes a healthy lifestyle.

 

As a thank you, all who donate £10 or more will get their name on Scotholme's thank you wall - to be displayed to all children/parents and visitors at school.

 

If you could spare a little more, then donate £40 or more and we will send you a thank you card made and signed by a child at Scotholme for you to cherish forever.