At Park Academy Childcare we are committed to the development of the whole child. This is reflected in the activities and facilities that we provide, which support a child’s many different needs.
Therefore, in addition to the child-led activities that the Nature Kindergarten facilitates each day, we also provide direct opportunities for children to develop their abilities in areas such as sport and music.
We also take the children on regular trips around Killruddery Estate to enhance their understanding of the local environment and broaden their horizons. Through these activities, we nurture a child’s physical, cognitive, creative, and social and emotional skills, enabling them to discover their own unique strengths and talents.
The JUMP programme
Every week, Park Academy’s coach attends Nature Kindergarten to facilitate the JUMP programme with the children. JUMP is a unique sports and fitness programme that aims to get children moving and show them that physical activity can be fun.
Our coach bases classes around the Nature Kindergarten environment and makes good use of all the great natural materials that are available. Whether it’s using a log as a gymnastics beam or creating a woodland adventure obstacle course, JUMP class at the Nature Kindergarten is always a fun and challenging experience.
In addition to this, the children can also enjoy their JUMP classes in the large green open areas in the surrounding Killruddery Estate, where they play dodgeball or take part in relay races.
At JUMP class, each activity is designed to develop children’s physical abilities (such as their locomotive skills, coordination, and balance) as well as building their confidence and self-esteem. Sport also encourages children to develop important social skills such as teamwork and patience and teaches a child how to cope when things don’t go their way.
Creative arts
The opportunities to develop creativity at Nature Kindergarten are abundant, but the team also arrange special activities for the children, which incorporate different creative pursuits. From leaf printing to cooking with natural ingredients, the forest provides many unique opportunities for this type of creative exploration.
Art and craft projects are based around forest life and often incorporate the many natural materials available. So, whether it’s creating clay models of their favourite woodland animals or painting with blackberry dye, the children’s creativity is constantly inspired and sustained by the natural environment around them.
Broadening horizons
The Nature Kindergarten is set in the grounds of Killruddery Estate, and this environment provides many opportunities to expand a child’s horizons. Every week the team take the children on a trip around Killruddery, and this is always a very enjoyable and educational experience.
From visiting the new baby animals on Killruddery’s farm in spring to navigating the estate’s large maze, there are always lots of exciting things to do. The children also love to go rock climbing on the nearby hill and gain a great sense of achievement from their progress in this area. After a spell of rain, one of their favourite things to do is to go puddle jumping!
A happy and successful life
Holistic education is focused on all aspects of a child’s development, and this includes a child’s social experiences and well-being. Taking care of your holistic well-being is integral to a happy successful life, and the children at Nature Kindergarten are lucky to learn this at a very young age. Interacting with their environment helps children to grow into rounded individuals and encourages them to become responsible and committed citizens.
Park Academy Childcare’s emergent learning philosophy is child led and play based. Our goal is for every child to graduate to primary school with self-belief, happiness, a can-do attitude, and a lifelong love of learning.
