Normally, one would think a Cosy Corner is full of cushions, mats and cuddly toys. At Free Rangers, a Cosy Corner is very different, consisting of wood, crates and grass. This week the children have had great fun in the main garden using their gross motor skills to manoeuvre wooden hunts, crates and plastic tubes. The children were continuously communicating with each other to negotiate space so there was an entrance for them to fit inside. (Something that Tim is going to develop further!) This was tested by a child crawling through the opening, stating “it works”. The crates were an interest for the children, as they felt they needed to be stacked upon each other, using the correct alignment; some children are perfectionists!

As all children are eager to use their imaginations a little girl and boy picked up the plastic tubing and held them as swords at the entrance, pretending they were the guards, whereas, other children led on the grass inside the array of wooden fixtures and crates talking about snack time and what they were going to do next. Whilst the play was taken place the children built strong peer relationships and worked well as a team, using language which offered praise and encouragement, something we do as a whole ethos at Free Rangers.

The children definitely pick up on the strong bonds that the staff demonstrate and promote at Free Rangers, which in turn is delivered through their free-play and it's our hope they will hold this learning as one of their personal life skills. As the nursery manager, I find this paramount for the children to observe and follow the same positive skills as the practitioners demonstrate!

The creation of outdoor 'Cosy Corners', continued throughout the week with the majority of the children exploring the wooden structure, making changes as they felt appropriate.

Gemma Macey