August 21th 2023
As part of our effort to promote playful interactions at home and in the community and recognising the importance of outdoor play in children’s development, the EastSide Early Learning Community hosted Natural Thinkers training for early years practitioners in East Belfast. Natural Thinkers is an outdoor learning training that gives practitioners a framework for connecting children to nature through practical activities that are inspiring and motivating. Developed by LEAP, the program aims to increase the confidence of practitioners in using the natural environment to improve children’s (0-3 yrs old) communication and language development and support their well-being and involvement.
We were excited to welcome Jo Gordon from LEAP Lambeth, who delivered the training and for our practitioners to become accredited Natural Thinkers.
Milestones
19
early years practitioners trained on Natural Thinkers framework
Domains connected to this activity
03
Promote opportunities for playful learning within the home and in the community
Secondary areas of focus
4.3
4.4
5.2
Parents have access to consistent messaging and modeling of behaviours from early years practitioners and services
Knowledge and confidence to take positive action to ensure equality, diversity and inclusion within the workforce
Evidence-based approach to practice and innovation
Our domains in action
