Children in local primary schools are spending more time outdoors this autumn thanks to thoughtful new gardens and playscapes created by Sprout Up Schools.
Founded by local gardeners Seonaid Royall and Rose Harrison, the non-profit has delivered outdoor spaces for Effra nursery, Holy Trinity primary, and a natural playscape at the new site of Sudbourne primary that offers an open growing area, a play space where pupils can practise balance and co-ordination, a quiet seating area protected by planting, and a willow arbour that offers a secret spot for reading and talking.
A wooden deck under mature trees can be used for lessons or den-building.
At Jubilee primary, staff and pupils are making the most of a sensory garden, outdoor classroom and pond built by Sprout Up with a new gardening club focused on pupils with special needs.
“Being in Brixton, most of our pupils don’t have a garden at home, so the outdoor spaces are a great addition to our enrichment offering,” says deputy headteacher Samantha Esty.
“This term, we’re using gardening activities to help children develop their speech and language.”
Recent headlines have highlighted the importance of children spending time outdoors, after one primary school in Devon apologised to parents for getting children’s uniforms muddy.
“Connecting with nature is vitally important – not just for children’s education and understanding of the world, but for their mental wellbeing,” says Seonaid Royall.
“My team of local parents could see how much Brixton children were missing out by spending so much time indoors and on screens, and we started Sprout Up Schools to help entice them outside.”
Wherever possible, the Sprout Up team re-uses unwanted plants and materials from local residential gardens they have designed and maintain, as well as events such as the Wimbledon tennis tournament and Royal Horticultural Society garden festivals to build their school projects making scarce pockets of funding go that much further.
Projects are designed to encourage wildlife and enhance biodiversity and natural drainage. The team also design and maintain gardens across Brixton and the surrounding areas – learn more at sproutup.co.uk.
Five activities to encourage kids outdoors
Seonaid Royall, local garden designer, parent and co-founder of Sprout Up Schools, shares five ideas to engage children with nature
Get planting
Children love planting and this is a great time of year to get some bulbs in the ground (or a windowbox) for next spring. Or sprinkle cress seeds into a small pot or an eggshell with a bit of damp cotton wool inside.
Build a bug hotel
The bug hotel we put in at Effra nursery has been very popular, and we try to plan one into every school project, but it’s easy to make your own at home by piling twigs and leaves into a wigwam shape. Ladybirds will love it and parents will be thrilled if some of the fallen leaves in the garden are cleared into a pile for the bugs!
Look up plants and trees together
Brixton is blessed with brilliant parks – next time you’re walking to the adventure playground, try collecting leaves and using an app to look up what kinds of trees they came from. The leaves can be used to create artworks when you get home, or collect a pile and play leaf snap with your family.
Create a play space
Are the children using the garden or any other outdoor space you have at home? If not, this is the perfect time of year to rethink it. Designing a garden that draws everyone out to enjoy it is our speciality and we aren’t talking jungle gyms, even football goals can be a stunning garden feature if you have a little inspiration. Stuck for ideas? Our team can help.
Put them in old clothes
As parents, we sometimes get too hung up on keeping children’s clothes neat. Why not put them in some old clothes that have stains or holes and let them loose in the mud with some plastic bowls? Little ones love the texture and big ones love being allowed to get messy.
