There has been great excitement in Nursery this year following the arrival of our two much loved goats in September. The pair have quickly become an important and enriching part of our Outdoor Learning provision, offering children unique, hands on experiences that bring learning to life. Just like children do, the goats have their own distinct personalities, one is curious and confident and the other is shy and quiet. The children have developed their empathy skills, through identifying and adapting to the goat’s personalities.
Bringing Stories to Life
The goats are carefully woven into our Early Years curriculum and Outdoor Learning themes. A recent highlight was during our exploration of The Three Billy Goats Gruff. The children had the magical experience of walking across the bridge alongside the goats, connecting the familiar story to a real ife moment. This immersive approach supports literacy, storytelling and imaginative play, while also deepening children’s understanding of the world as they observe real animal behaviour.
A Term of Natural Learning
The goats form part of the broader Outdoor Learning programme. This term the topic has been ‘Natural Learning’. Each week the Nursery children have explored a different theme, including sounds in nature, numbers in nature in which the children have collected leaves and counted them, outdoor art and movement in nature by taking part in movement games.
The Power of Outdoor Learning
Outdoor learning offers something truly special for our youngest learners. Unlike more structured indoor activities, it allows children to engage all their senses, take safe risks and explore at their own pace.
We have already seen many benefits from learning outdoors more regularly. Children are growing in confidence, developing stronger friendships and showing increased resilience.
Our two goats are valued members of our Outdoor Learning community, helping our children learn, grow and learn in a very happy way which make school days, happy days.
