Outdoor preschool named best nursery in Britain Some schools close in
 

Outdoor preschool named best nursery in Britain Some schools close in
cold weather, but a pre-school in Britain never
shuts
its doors because there aren't any doors to close.

You read that correctly.

Dandelion Nursery is the United Kingdom's first entirely outdoor
pre-school.

During story time, students take a seat in the mud.

When it's time to play, the only toys the kids have are the ones
they make themselves.

"The outdoor environment is so incredibly rich - the amount of
learning in a
small piece of earth - you can hit every area of the foundation
stage," said
Dandelion Education co-founder Hayley Room.

Two former primary school teachers created the outdoor learning
experience
for kids ages two to eight in a small village in East England.

The kids entertain themselves by building forts, making pretend
vehicles out
of logs and straw bales, and by simply playing in the mud.

Philosophy is also part of the curriculum.

Students have to wiggle their finger when they want to speak in order
to make their ideas heard.

"And if you pass judgment on what the children say, then you can
silence them because they think that there's a right or wrong
answer," said Room.

Teachers at the pre-school said their students are resilient and
that
they
learn more independence each day.

The outdoor school was named Britain's best nursery this year and
the founders are planning to open a second nursery in the new year.


maybe they'd be interested in opening another nursery in the White House