The Garden
Play Frame
The play frame is a fun way for the children to be physical and to also use their imagination. The play frame has three slides, a nest swing perfect for cloud watching, and an interchangeable swing set, able to change from two swings to a single swing and a bucket swing for babies and toddlers. It also has a rock climbing wall to climb up to get to one of the slides, a ladder and two sets of steps where the children have to use alternate feet to climb up. The play frame also has a set of monkey bars which all the preschool children love. It has a critical fall height of 1.5 metres so if they fall off or decide to jump off they won't be at risk of causing a significant injury. All staff who are with the children monitor them at all times and will even go onto the play frame to ensure the safety of all the children here at Ducklings Childcare, there is also always at least one First Aid qualified member of staff on the floor on any given day.
The grass is artificial, so usable all year round, rain, sun and snow without the hassle of muggy clothes and shoes! It has a critical fall height rating for 1.5 meters, which means that the children can jump from play equipment of that height and the risk of receiving a significant injury is reduced.
The Aeroplane Seesaw
Capable of seating seven children at once. We have had many wonderful journeys and gone on many holidays on this plane. Oh and the occasional crash!
The Decking Area
Decking
Our decking area is a place where children can take a break from the play frame or running wild on the grass and perhaps sit and read a book. it is also an open space to ride bikes, trucks and tractors to their hearts content.
Sit and Ride
Just a selection of our sit and ride toys. Here we have a Police car and an Ice-cream van but what will they be next?
Tuff Trays
We have two tuff trays in the garden, one in the water play area where the children can explore anything from Atlantis to having boat races. he other is placed on the decking and often changes from dinosaur jungles to messy foam play.
The Tarmac
Sand and Water Play Area
On the tarmac we have our sand and water play stations, along with the large construction shed full of foam bricks, hi-vis vests, construction equipment and other tools for imaginative play.
Our sand area features a large tuff tray, the perfect height for children of all ages to reach and interact with, we have a large shelf full of sand toys from buckets and shades to shells and tractors. Our water area also has its own tuff tray along with four individual water trays for more independent solo play. Underneath the water play shelves are containers full of lots of differently water play resources.
Outside Holistic Area
Explore
The garden has always been a fun place for the children to explore and create, especially with the addition of the mud kitchen in 2020. The children have access to the garden come rain or shine and adore it at all times of the year from it being covered in snow in Winter to giant leaf piles in Autumn.
Mud Kitchen
This is where the children's culinary imaginations can really run wild. The staff have been witness to some amazing creations, such as mud bread, cakes and the old favourite mud pie!!
Water Play Area
When the sun is out what better way to keep the kids cool than have water squirters, buckets, jugs and the occasional rubber duck!
Planters
At the side of preschool we have our natural garden, this includes the custom built mud kitchen, duck cage, exploration path lined with tree logs and three custom built garden beds. Taking centre stage is the large garden bed in the centre containing our two apple trees and whatever vegetables we are currently growing, this year it's strawberries, onions and broad beans. Two garden beds are boarding the duck cage, one containing our large Rhubarb and the other our wild flower bed for the bees and butterflies.
The ducks were something of an experiment, during COVID when the children and staff felt cooped up we brought the world to them in the form of duck eggs. Lo and behold both staff and children learned how to care for the eggs and got to witness life being created at Ducklings. Those ducks are now fully grown and living on site and the children are still as enamoured as they were the day they hatched.