Enabling environments.....

[Gem wright]

How do you all make sure your enabling environments and bringing the outside inside? :-)

[sarah707]

Enabling environments covers your house, garden, resources, equipment, outings... everything about your environment for the variously aged children. You might make changes to your toys to suit a child, add something new to follow an interest, plan some garden changes to accommodate a child who is disabled etc... those are all ways in which you ensure your environment is enabling!

Hth :D

[Simona]

An enabling environment also allows a child to feel secure, form attachments and friendships, become independent, confident and assertive, feel valued and safe....therefore supports personal, social and emotional development!

[Gem wright]

Was more wondering about any good tips for bringing the outside inside? What kind of things do you all do? Thanks x

[singingcactus]

The outside in? Hmm, we prefer to take the inside out here lol.
However, if this is what you mean, we have in a block area many types of living pot plants that the kids can use in their play. They just lift them down and include them in their playscapes. We have 3 seed trays with growing grass that they use for the billy goats gruff, or farm yards, or dinoworld etc. We have lots of natural world treasures within the block area like rocks, sticks, pebbles, cones etc. We have strawberries and other edible plants growing just outside the window, so if we open the window we can get to them. We have bird feeders just there too.
Is this the kind of thing you mean?? We do loads of stuff like this.

[Gem wright]

Yes, I've been sent a rag document, not sure if you have them to in your areas, but it goes through all the things we should have or should be doing. I read it on there about enabling environments, bringing the outside in as outside is the most important. But like you I could only think we take the inside out. Like books, blankets, seating, toys, food, drinks, anything on a nice day goes outside. I suppose water goes inside, sand, growing flowers, snow, flowers to make pictures...... Just need to build on this now. Thanks. X