The Exploring the Wider World Project was funded by the Stoke-on-Trent Opportunity Area and was delivered by Early Education between April 2019 and March 2020. It offered fully funded training and support to all private, voluntary and independent (PVI) settings in Stoke-on-Trent to give children wider experiences of the world around them. The aim of […]
The direction of the project has been dictated by three key factors: a deep understanding of how young children learn best, developing sustainability for practice, and drawing on the rich cultural capital that is on offer in the locality. Young children Young children learn best through first-hand experiences in contexts that are meaningful and familiar […]
Rethinking our consideration of what an outing or a visit may be has been central to the project. Children need to build up their knowledge and familiarity with the real world in order to develop an understanding of it. Often, when we think of play, we see it as an imitation of adulthood, rather than […]
Using the local environment enables children to develop a sense of belonging to the local community. It helps them to develop a sense of place which in turn will develop their feelings of security, and “strong bonds to a particular place endure” (Hay, 1998 in Jack, 2010). Through developing this sense of place, it leads […]
An early task for the Exploring the Wider World project was to identify the barriers to taking children out and about beyond the setting. Only by finding out what was preventing practitioners and parents from being more active with their children, could we come up with solutions. These were the general barriers that were identified […]
Risk is a natural part of our existence, as we look to explore and make sense of the world around us. What is key is undertaking a Risk Benefit Analysis – to work out whether an activity is genuinely risky, what the benefits are, and what can be put in place to mitigate or reduce […]
This page brings together all the key project elements of thinking through a trip or a visit in one handy place, with downloadable resources for you to plan from, to help you audit your practice, and to write an action plan to develop your practice further. Where to go If you are thinking about where […]
Meaningful learning opportunities relating to understanding the world rely on rich and stimulating resources. Consider what you have Rich and well thought out resources make a real difference to the learning opportunities on offer to the children. They enable children to re-enact what they have experienced, to refine their thinking and test ideas they may […]
A reflection based upon rich and varied experiences of taking young children out into the Wider World by Kathryn Solly, Early Education Associate. Beginnings There is a big world out there waiting for us all. As a toddler I was taken for rides in my child seat on my father’s bike to the local pond […]
It is important to remember that the world of a 2-year-old is very different to ours. They are hugely fascinated by the things that we might find mundane and ordinary, such as stones, fallen leaves, drains, and people they see regularly. They enjoy being active and refining their developing physical skills. When we plan to […]
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