Why Outdoor Play Matters: Introducing Our New Outdoor Area 🌿

We are really excited to finally introduce our new outdoor area at Tots Are Us!

We have been working hard behind the scenes to create an outdoor space where our children can explore, investigate, get messy and enjoy spending time in nature. Our new area includes a mud kitchen, bug hotel, wooden stepping stones and lots of opportunities for open-ended play and exploration.

When we were planning the space, we didn't want to simply fill it with toys. We wanted to create somewhere that would encourage the children to use their imaginations, develop their physical skills and become curious about the world around them.

Outdoor play is such an important part of children's learning and development during the early years. Being outside gives children opportunities to move their bodies in different ways, practise balancing and coordination, take manageable risks and develop their confidence and independence.

Stepping stones might look simple, but to a child they can become part of an obstacle course, stepping stones across a river or even a route through an imaginary jungle! As children navigate them, they're also developing balance, coordination, spatial awareness and gross motor skills.

The mud kitchen is another area we're sure will become a firm favourite. Mixing, pouring, scooping, filling and emptying are fantastic for developing children's fine motor skills and coordination, while imaginative play encourages communication, language and social development. A pan full of mud and leaves can very quickly become soup, a birthday cake or a cup of tea!

Our bug hotel and natural surroundings also give us lots of opportunities to explore the world around us. Looking for insects, watching the seasons change and talking about plants, weather and wildlife can encourage children's natural curiosity and begin to build an understanding of the world they live in.

One of the things I particularly love about outdoor play is that it doesn't need to be expensive or complicated.

You can create some brilliant outdoor learning experiences at home using things you probably already have in your cupboards.

Take a couple of old pans, bowls, wooden spoons and containers into the garden and let your child create their own mud kitchen. Add a little water, soil, leaves, grass or sticks and see what they come up with. Try not to direct the play too much - sometimes the best learning happens when we give children the freedom to decide what something is going to become.

A washing-up bowl filled with water and a few cups or jugs is another fantastic activity. Children can pour, fill, empty and compare different containers. You could give them a paintbrush and a pot of water and let them "paint" the fence, patio or garden wall. They'll often happily do this for much longer than we'd expect!

You could also go on a mini bug hunt together, collect leaves and sticks, make pictures from natural objects or create a simple obstacle course using cushions, boxes or other safe items you already have.

And don't worry if they get dirty.

Getting muddy, exploring different textures and experiencing the outdoors with their whole body is all part of childhood. Behind what looks like simple play, children can be developing their communication, physical skills, creativity, problem-solving, confidence and independence all at the same time.

At Tots Are Us, we believe children learn best when they are interested, involved and having fun. Our new outdoor area gives us another environment where our children can do exactly that, and we're really looking forward to seeing how they make the space their own.

We can't wait for lots of muddy hands, bug discoveries, imaginary recipes and outdoor adventures! 🌿🐛

If you're looking for childcare where learning through play, exploration and children's individual interests are at the heart of what we do, we'd love to welcome you to Tots Are Us. Please get in touch if you'd like to find out more about us, enquire about childcare places or arrange a visit.

Written by Claire Maskey for Tots Are Us 4th October 2026. Ofsted registered.