After an extremely busy 2017, it was a rare pleasure for me to find time to relax and ponder during the Christmas break. 

Due to several months building and finally opening our new Ark nursery in the middle of November, I had very little time to prepare for Christmas this year. There isn’t a word to describe how tired I was! I bought less presents than ever before and the ones I did manage to buy were haphazardly wrapped without the usual attention to detail. There was less bling, but plenty of food, cosiness and of course a good book.

It was 17 years ago when Jo O'Bryan-Tear opened her first nursery in St George's Square, Stamford, then known as St George's Square Nursery.  The nursery moved to Foundry Road, next door to St Gilbert's School in 2007 now known as The Ark.  In 2011 a second Ark Nursery opened at St George's School, Stamford.  This was originally a term time only nursery open during school hours for 2-4 year olds.

One of the many reasons Forest Schools have become so popular since they were first introduced to the UK 23 years ago is they allow children to engage with the outside world. Modern technology has made it easy for kids to spend their evenings in front of a TV or tablet, but in doing so they never learn the lessons that nature teaches so readily. The outdoor learning opportunities Forest Schools provide have been shown to help develop a child’s confidence and self-esteem, as well as improve their ability to make decisions and assess risks. However, encouraging children to spend time and play outdoors can also achieve much more.

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