Our Surroundings

Based in Plummers Plain, Lower Beeding, our nursery sits on 4 acres of land, more than half of that boasting our private woodland. The carefully designed, open, bright, and spacious building was done so, to enable views of our natural surroundings, and bifold doors in each room, means we always have access to our beautiful purpose-built garden.

Please read each section below to discover everything we offer in our outdoor environment .

Our whole outside environment is constantly being developed to ensure we are meeting the needs of the individual children who attend our setting.

We take the children out all year round be it cloaked in puddle suits and wellies or under a layer of sun cream and hats. The garden has a number of spaces and resources which the children can interact with.

• Off to the left you will find our animals. Rabbits and Guinea Pigs house in the the plush shed and taken out to the animal runs or being cuddled and cared for in the honeysuckle teepee. Next to them are our hens and cockerel. The children enjoy collecting the eggs and delivering them to David in the kitchen. Along with enjoying the company of the animals and the aesthetics. It is an important opportunity to build a love for animals at an early age and allow for the children to experience first-hand and learn to care and respect other living things.
• We have a large climbing wall the children are able to scale in a number of ways under the supervision of a adult.
• The large gravel construction area full of pipes, tubes, blocks and road signs encourage the children to use their gross motor skills to lift and carry large objects around.
• Boats, we have two boats down the back of the garden which the children love to climb in and sail off on adventures with the adults.
• Our stage/platform plays host to concerts and shows all year round which builds confidence and self esteem.
• We have a pond which is behind a fence and gate, the children are taken to the pond under supervision where we can walk around, sit and observe the variety of life which revolves around the water.
• A pallet pirate ship allow the children to explore levels and reenact some fabulous stories.
• As well as having the space to run freely,  3 different sized mounds have been created to help encourage and develop physical activity, coordination, control, and movement. In the wetter months, the hills themselves become slides for all to enjoy. All inclusive of a handmade, very muddle puddle at the bottom of each!
• The mud kitchen is full of pots and pans and a dining table for the children to cook and serve delicious meals to their friends. The mud kitchen also hosts water trays for the children to splash and play in.
• Play house and bridge, the house offers the children a place to gather while they play and tuck away in, our bridge is for the youngest children of the nursey to explore moving up and over to build on their gross motor skills.
• In the warmer month we enjoy the shade of the large willow tree and a shelter we can move around.
• To the left of our garden, is the entrance to our private woodland and Prairie garden.

With such a vast space, the children mix with different age groups. This is important for learning how to be with others and gives the children the opportunity to play and learn together in an open-ended environment and goes towards the family atmosphere we endeavor to provide at Rabbit Patch.

Our woodland takes up just over 3 acres of the whole site and we love to go down and explore it all through the year.

• We have created a prairie garden entwined with woodchip paths to run around and takes us down to the neighboring field where we can view sheep, cows and horses at different times.
• We have a campfire site where the children gather for focused times alongside our cabin full of arts and crafts we can take out in to the woods.
• The children love to play in a the role play area full of pots and pans where they create the most delicious meals and snacks for our staff.
•  A movement space which is fenced in so we know the ground is safe for the children to move around confidently has tires, planks and a climbing frame.
• Tree house, a 2 platform treehouse which allows the children to move through the trees at a height they can view their surroundings from another perspective.
• Climbing trees, we have a amazing cherry tree which is growing along the ground rather than up! The children love to negotiate the trunk and explore their balance and control as they plan their next moves.
• The Rabbit Patch, a grassy patch of our woodland full of mounds which the children enjoy travelling across to get in to the thicker tree line of the woods
• Woodland Walk, After a fund time in the woods the children usually end their session with a walk along the fence line of the wood where they follow a adult under, over and around natures landscape where they can identify most flora and fauna along their route.

Later this year we are due to send one of our staff of on a Lv. 3 Forest Leader course with the Sussex Wildlife Trust which will add another dimension to how we access this space.

Our Woodland is monitored and maintained by a tree surgeon and gardening team.