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Deliveries of natural materials to nurseries and early years settings.
Bringing the Countryside to you for play and learning.
Natural open-ended material.

We gather things from the countryside - cutting vegetation which is in abundance at a certain time of year, picking up interesting objects like tree stumps, branches, even bones.  The materials are ‘hands on’ - we encourage the children to touch, take apart, explore e.g. open a pod.    Some deliveries ‘beautify’ the setting, or dramatically change the environment and may be out children’s reach e.g. woven through the fence or a ‘forest roof’ on top of a playhouse.

Source of deliveries
As well as gathering from the countryside, we also have relationships with the community: farmers, tree surgeons, recycling centres, allotments from whom we salvage interesting objects.  We collaborate with other early years professionals to set up deliveries to their local settings e.g. Peasedown.  We run a busy after school club ourselves and have equipment which we also lend out to nurseries. 

Living creatures
As well as the materials themselves, insects are also on the materials and these add much to the excitement of the delivery e.g. ladybirds, woodlice, spiders.

Positive relationships
As people we also see ourselves as part of each delivery, someone to greet, meet and introduce the children to nature.  Another of our purposes is to befriend and encourage the staff, informally advising them about play, asking them how the previous materials have been used, looking at the documentation they have created, asking them for any suggestions or improvements to future deliveries.  Staff learn about plants, their names and play potential.

The package consists of:

• regular deliveries
• postal deliveries
• write ups and photos on blog
• advise for improvements to your play space, equipment you might need to create an inspiring outdoor environment
• building of permanent structures e.g. pulley system, woodworking table, playhouse