outdoor schools

A Fun-Filled, Jam-Packed January!

We’ve had a very busy January welcoming lots of new faces to our outdoor settings. We’ve enjoyed experiencing the different types of weather that January brought and had fun exploring the ice and temperatures. We even had icicles in our river…

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We made boats for our puddles and found our favourite trees to climb.

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We had fun with art, mixing paints and gathering leaves for natural art creations.

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We also celebrated a birthday making our own cake in our Dutch oven.

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And today we celebrated the tradition of making crosses out of rushes for St. Brigid’s Day. What a busy, fun-filled and adventurous month that was! Looking forward to seeing what fun Spring brings….

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Pic Special – Tales from our Teepee in Glen Outdoor School

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Welcome Back!

September marks the start of a new term and we’re delighted to welcome everyone back to Early Learning Schools. We’re very excited to meet all our new friends and it’s great to see some familiar faces back for the year.

 

The objective at each of our Early Learning Schools is to ensure that each child has a happy, fun and enjoyable experience. We encourage children’s creativity and social interaction and while we spend 80% of our day outdoors, we follow the national early childhood curriculum framework, Aistear, to ensure our children are prepared for primary school.

 

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It’s going to be a very exciting first term with lots of outdoor fun and learning, arts and crafts and much, much more. Keep an eye on our blog for lots of photos!

 

Summer Camp Fun In All Sorts of Weather

A lack of sunshine didn’t dampen our fun this summer and we really enjoyed hosting a series of week long summer camps throughout June, July and August. Each of the summer camps had a different theme combining the magic of the outdoors with science experiments, natural arts and crafts, drama and music, water fun, baking and getting fit. The children had a ball. Check out the pictures below…

 

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Tree Planting in Letterkenny’s Cathedral Quarter

We were delighted to join members of Letterkenny’s Cathedral Quarter committee in Sentry Hill last week for a tree planting ceremony. The tree was part of our entry into the White Winter Garden Competition in the Church Lane last December. We donated it to the committee as a symbol of the re-growth and regeneration currently taking place in Letterkenny’s Cathedral Quarter.

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Committee members Donnan Harvey and Mary Hegarty were present at the replanting of the Green Beech tree. The Cathedral Quarter originally began as the Save the Church Lane campaign. Since its formation last year, the project has gathered significant momentum in its efforts to regenerate the historical Church Lane. The long term goal is to create a hidden treasure in the heart of Letterkenny for locals and tourists to enjoy.

 

With Paddy’s Day fast approaching, there will be a series of outdoor concerts in Letterkenny’s Cathedral Quarter on Saint Patrick’s Day, this Tuesday, 17th March 2015. Parade spectators will be kept entertained by a variety of traditional music and dance performances on Letterkenny’s Church Lane. The Cathedral Quarter committee will also be participating in the Letterkenny St. Patrick’s Day Parade. There promises to be lots of colour and a great atmosphere and organisers are hoping for a large turnout to celebrate our national holiday.  

For more information log onto www.facebook.com/SaveTheChurchLane.

Parent Information Evenings

We’re hosting a series of information evenings for parents on the benefits of outdoor play in childhood. It’s a great opportunity to find out more about our schools and there’s no obligation to register. Come along, have a chat and get answers to any questions you might have. You can also meet some of our parents who’d be happy to tell you why outdoor schooling is right for their children. Here are the details (double click on the image to enlarge it) and please feel free to spread the word….

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And here’s an article on our schools from The Letterkenny Post…

 

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The Benefits of Outdoor Winter Play

We have so few snow days in Ireland, so when they come along, it’s wonderful to make the most of them. Our children had great fun playing in the snow these past few days but aside from great fun, there are very real benefits to outdoor winter play….

Pure Fresh Air

The viruses that cause flu and colds are more common in the winter months. More often than not, these viruses circulate indoors, in closed environments. Snow is exhilarating, as is the pure fresh air we breathe on days like today.

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Strengthen Immune System

Playing outside is brilliant for children’s immune systems. There are numerous studies linking outdoor activity to additional health benefits.

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Stimulate the Imagination

Making a snowman is brilliant fun for children (not to mention adults!). It allows them to express themselves in play, creatively and freely, without being bound by pre-set limitations. The children’s creativity and imagination was unlimited as they worked and shaped the snow. And they were delighted to see their hard work transform the snow into their very own snowman. 

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Physical Exercise

Snow days provide so many great opportunities for outdoor fun and adventure. Playing in the snow provides children with unrestricted space and endless opportunities to stimulate their play, learning and physical development.

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Fun Memories

Wrapping up warm to play with friends and family in the snow gives children memories that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Building snowmen and making snow angels are great fun, even more so because children appreciate that these days don’t come along too often. 

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