Open-Air Playing & Learning in Ben-Rhydding
Open Air outdoor childcare at Julie’s House in Ilkley
Outdoor learning in Ilkley
Our unique, stimulating outdoor space, complemented by cosy shelters, offers lots of opportunities for fun, cuddles and conversation, for your child to enjoy, play and learn.
At Julie’s House we believe that outdoor play and fun is an essential part of a child’s daily needs, not an optional extra.
Guidelines recommend a daily minimum of 3 hours of physical activity and children here achieve this, and more every day.
Our setting offers each half of the indoor/outdoor learning environment within an ‘open-air’ ethos. We have a stimulating outdoor space complimented by cosy shelters, together providing opportunities for each child to meet their needs of the moment; be that active, energetic or calm.
Outdoor play to reduce risks
Outdoor environments also have been shown to significantly reduce the risk of transmission of Covid-19 “it is categorically clear that outdoor spaces, with higher degree of ventilation are less problematic environments for transmission than indoor spaces” J Van-Tam. Deputy Chief Medical Officer (June 2020).
The space and freedom provided by the outdoors offers young children the stimulation and opportunities to move, to be more energetic and to learn in different ways.
The benefits of this are vast. Outdoors children have permission to be active, interactive, messy, noisy and brave. They have fun and lots of opportunities for exploring, investigating, discovering and thinking; in other words learning. The uncertainty, surprise and excitement of these opportunities contribute to the desire to be outdoors – it’s not the same indoors – children cannot ‘be’ the same indoors – the outdoors is a vital, special and deeply engaging place for young children. It is a building block for lifelong health and learning.
Letting children make their own choices and be in charge of their own experiences.
At Julie’s house we facilitate spaces and opportunities which are stimulating, dynamic and flexible, where the children can make their own choices, change things, and be in charge of their experiences. It is an environment full of irresistible stimuli, invitations to play, discover and learn. During time spent both in the setting and on our frequent adventures into the community we provide real life experiences, contact with the natural world and foster a sense of belonging and connection to their local community.
"Julie's is truly a magical place, and a "home away from home" for our two girls. They both started before they are 1, continued there until they started school, and are now primary school age and attend after school and school holidays. I love the fact they go somewhere where I know they are cared for, fed a warm meal, and have plenty of fresh air and time for play. The amount of activities they have access to means I can happily work knowing they are safe, happy and entertained. Julie and her crew are like extended family, and we're so glad we found them."
