Outdoor learning environments - " play is a child's work" 

Early Childhood is a vital time of discovery and development. With more parents needing to work it is important that children are received into ECE settings with the love and respect they deserve. An important part of creating the "right" setting is to allow the children freedom. We design the outdoor learning environments, the play gardens, (playgrounds are too stark for us, as the word suggests) that enable fun, safe, experiential learning.
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We design school grounds to facilitate your own LEOTC programmes.

Rethinking schools' capital investment: the new 3Rs? 
Refresh, refurbish, reuse. 

In this time of value engineering our proven salutogenic approach designs for biophilic school grounds, nature-based kindergartens, bush kindergartens and the natural play requirements of Playcentre. The educational philosophies of Regio Emilia and  Rudolph Steiner are woven into landscapes for learning. providing more value for less. Intentional learning comes from enquiry-based learning. We provide the environments to facilitate that. The European Forest Kindergarten movement  is increasingly seen as a cost effective route to whole child development.

We work to ensure your energy and ambition is realised. Regardless of budget, space and location, we can work with you to make what you have a sustainable learning and playful resource.

Does your ECE outdoor play area need updating? Enviro-Schools offers a programme for sustainable schools, grounds development, play gardens and natural play. Please contact us for the white paper on child health and quality outdoor experience by clicking here.

Think about those neglected or wasted spaces for creative play, teaching and learning*. We will work with you to change them into something to be proud of.

*Design that doesn't cost the earth does not need a lot of space

“Gardening, growing vegetables and getting your hands dirty is a fantastic way to bring lessons to life. Learning outside the classroom is not some optional extra. It should excite young people, deepen their understanding of classroom subjects and is vital for young people to become independent, confident and motivated.”- Sarah McCarthy Fry, former Under-Secretary of State

"In this time of financial austerity, it seemed timely to offer an education-led sustainable landscape design consultancy as a tool for rethinking the use of outdoor spaces for a broad range of outdoor learning and play opportunities and purposes. It is easy to overlook the potential of outdoor spaces for the improved well-being, health and welfare of children when the major emphasis is on the design of buildings. However, well-designed school grounds are a vital element contributing to every child’s development and educational experiences. School grounds design therefore should not be overlooked or undervalued, given the range of other key initiatives aimed at developing more opportunities for play, exercise and learning beyond the classroom." - Gayle Souter-Brown, Director, Greenstone Design