Read this blog to find lots of ideas for transforming small outdoor spaces into rich, interactive learning environments with a range of opportunities for exploration and discovery.
1. Instant Garden Planters with Castors
No need for a large amount of soil or space! Lockable castors make it easy for you to move your outdoor garden planters whenever needed. Sow, plant and grow a host of flowers, vegetables and plants without the mess and hard work. Removable planting tubs make it easy to separate crops, allowing individual children to tend to them. The garden planter comes with a trellis, allowing you to grow a variety of climbing plants. A chalkboard to the front of the planter can be used to indicate what the children are growing, which children are looking after the planter and more.
2. Wallhugger Planter
This wallhugger planter is ideal for narrow spaces and can be placed in front of a wall or fence for vertical growing. A comfortable working height with easy wheelchair access. Keeps produce away from slugs and animals with a unique V shape that allows deep rooted produce.
3. Giant Outdoor Bug Hotel
Built to the highest specification with the maximum number of habitats, the bug hotel provides plenty of opportunities for insect study – a real gem for budding scientists and explorers.
4. Outdoor Wooden Shelving Unit
Take the classroom outside with this robust, practical shelf unit. It can be used for pot planting as well as storage.
5. Solitary Bee Flip Top Hive
This Bee Flip Top Hive attracts bees and is designed for non-swarming bees like the Red Mason bee, leafcutter bees, and other solitary bees. It helps children explore pollinators, biodiversity, ecosystems, and the importance of bees in the environment.
6. Butterfly House
Provide butterflies with a safe resting place and shelter for observation by adding a butterfly house to your school garden. Fill the built-in reservoir with sweet over-ripe fruit or sugar water, to attract butterflies and other insects. The slatted centre provides shelter for butterflies, moths, lacewings, and other pollinating insects, enabling children to observe a variety of different species.
7. Outdoor Nature Signs
Add a splash of colour to your playgrounds and nature areas with these large outdoor nature signs. Choose from British Birds or Minibeasts. Or why not add an Observation Station sign where children can record what wildlife they have seen.
8. Mini Greenhouse
Where space is at a premium, the Mini Greenhouse is the answer. This three tier ‘greenhouse’, will fit into school gardens or playgrounds and offers a truly cost-effective means of plant propagation and protection.
9. Wooden Planters with Trellis
These planters with a central trellis accommodate children on all sides. Each trellis acts like a partition, enabling different plants to be clearly segmented from each other. Planters do include a solid base and are designed to withstand all weather conditions.
10. Potato Planting Barrel
There terracotta potato planting barrels are an excellent solution for where space for growing vegetables is limited. The 80-litre capacity accommodates a wide variety of plants and the open panels enable children to observe seed and bulb growth.
11. Outdoor Wooden Crittacabin
This free standing unit is ideal for studying minibeast activity through every season. The multi-habitats allow children to monitor the habits of insects and mammals. Locate in a sunny position preferably close to flowering plants and shrubs.
12. Ecosystem Investigation Station
This station has space for a wormery, Perspex tank to encourage waterlife, trellises for hanging plants and flowers, as well as a bug hotel. It is a wonderful station where children can observe different ecosystems and nature in one space. There are also handy storage compartments in the back where observation tools can be kept.
13. Bugs Life and Planter
Working in groups, children can plant seasonal vegetables in this Bugs Life & Planter. Children can also learn how to become self-sufficient while creating a home for all the local creepy crawlies.
14. Bug Garden
This Bug Garden is designed to encourage bees and bugs to feed and nest in your play area. This is a great addition to any playground and nature corner.
15. Herb Garden
This easy-to-assemble planter is an ideal height for growing and harvesting herbs, without needing to crouch down or compromise posture. It includes a pre-formed liner and herb divider that helps to keep the herbs in separate pockets and the soil healthy.
16. Outdoor Reading Corner Bench
Encourage reading outside with this durable, compact wooden bench. Under the seat, there is additional room for storage. Add your own cushions to complete the reading corner feel.
17. Wooden Active World Stand
An outdoor wooden stand for the Active World Tray/Tuff Spot is ideal for planting projects with storage underneath.
18. Outdoor Wall Messy Station
Designed to be fixed to exterior walls, this is a versatile station where children can engage in role play, small world scenarios, mathematical and literacy principles, construction, sand and water play, messy activities, STEAM projects, and loose parts play. There is also a chalk board to encourage the practising of literacy skills. The tray is removeable for easy cleaning and there is also a tray lid which transforms the station into a one-level platform when needed.
19. Creative Crates and tops
Extend the learning opportunities of our amazing Creative Crates with these open-ended crate tops. Featuring either a black chalkboard surface or a basic bench with sink. Build a concoctions centre, a home corner or a mark making zone. Use chalk to create different designs such as racing tracks, stove tops and small world locations on the chalk top, or create magical mixtures in the removable sink. Ideal for pack away settings, these tops are very versatile and easy to clean and store.
20. See Through Window Bird Feeder
A handy-sized bird box with a see-through front that affixes to window panes. This dynamic design is ideal even for the smallest of outdoor spaces.
21. Mini Storage Shed
This robust and durable, smaller sized outdoor storage shed provides children with easy access to resources. Allowing them to self select a range of stored materials from PE equipment to mark making materials and messy play.
22. Mobile Mini Water Wall
A mobile water wall, ideal where outdoor space is limited, or for packaway settings. It is durable with castors to wheel into place, or in and out of storage. With access on both sides, this unit allows a small number of children to enjoy investigating with water at the same time. It is low enough in height for younger children to reach the top. There are sections of guttering, hooks, funnels and tubes (all included) for positioning on the wall where children see fit, enabling them to experiment away. Water is collected in the removable troughs and can be simply scooped to the top again.
23. Individual Wooden Planter Set Wall Mounted
Small rustic planters that children can use for gardening then display them on a free standing frame or on the wall. A great space saving piece to brighten up any wall or fence.
24. Outdoor Climb and Crawl Boxes
These climb and crawl boxes cleverly transform a featureless surface into a varied topography. The endless combinations provided by the boxes will provoke children to walk, crawl, roll, slide and run over a varied landscape. Boxes are easy to handle, and stack neatly so are easy to pack away.
