At The WRAP Nursery, we believe all children are natural born explorers. We also want to foster a strong connection between our children and their community as well as their environment. That's why we've recently introduced a beach school curriculum for all our preschoolers and we have loved seeing them embrace their adventurous spirit and learn through play.

“We are very lucky to be based in beautiful Brighton and have such an incredible natural landscape on our doorstep”, our Beach School lead, Kieran tells us. “Being on the coast, the seaside is a big part of our life, so learning about the beach and the sea helps connect the children to the world around them.”

Each Beach School session is child-led, flexible and adapted to the day’s conditions and interests. “Being able to explore the world freely helps teach the children to risk assess and learn what they can and can't do. It helps nurture their natural curiosity by letting them explore and learn” Kieran says.

Recently on their trips to the beach the nursery children have enjoyed exploring rockpools and finding anemones, sea snails, barnacles and even crabs! They have collected natural objects, like shells, seaweed and pebbles and brought these back to the nursery to further learning by drawing and painting the objects - and discussing them in groups with their friends!

The children have also built some impressive pebble towers! They have practiced engineering skills but digging channels to funnel water and enjoyed a moment of calm watching the waves roll in.

Physically, activities like climbing, balancing, carrying buckets of water, and turning over rocks all support strength, coordination and fine motor control. These movements help children build trust in their bodies and develop a love for being active outdoors. Kieran, our Beach School lead, has seen this first-hand: “Beach School helps improve the children’s confidence, and I love seeing those who are normally less confident following their friends when climbing the rocks.

Perhaps most importantly, Beach School lays the foundation for environmental responsibility. Another one of our founding principles, sustainability, is discussed as we carefully collect and dispose any plastics we see washed up on the beach. Through simple, meaningful activities like litter picking and learning about local marine life, our children begin to understand how their actions affect the planet and how they can help care for it

WRAP Nursery heads to The Beach!

Embracing the Great Outdoors: The Vital Role of Outdoor Play