Stramash Tornagrain Showed Maree Todd MSP Around Their New Nursery
Stramash Tornagrain welcomed a special VIP this week when Maree Todd, Minister for Childcare and Early Years and MSP for Highlands stopped by.
Ms Todd's visit also coincided with outdoor classroom day on the 23rd May, a global campaign to celebrate outdoor learning and play. Of course to Stramash children every day is outdoor classroom day! They wasted no time in showing Ms Todd all the opportunities for learning and fun their nursery experience gives them.
Ms Todd commented on her visit saying " It's been absolutely incredible to visit Tornagrain outdoor nursery this morning on outdoor classroom day. It's an outdoor classroom day every day here and it's really inspiring to see it in action. Children having a magical experience in a wonderful environment, enriched by attentive, skilled practitioners who help them to fulfil their potential. It's been fabulous."
The outdoor nursery call the bluebell woodland home and have been welcoming 3-5 year olds since August last year. Now with the completion of their purpose built nursery building, for the first time Stramash are also welcoming 0-2 year olds.
Stramash are experienced in delivering outdoor play, learning and care throughout Scotland, with Outdoor nurseries offering funded spaces and shared placements in Oban, Fort William, Elgin and now Tornagrain, as well as successful school programmes and holiday club. This is their first setting equipped to also take children under 2 years old.
The visit is Ms Todd's second visit with Stramash, her first being their Oban nursery in August 2018. Whilst support for outdoor learning and play opportunities is growing across Scotland, particularly in the early years with the increase in outdoor nurseries, these typically are not available for children under 2. Wanting to gain a deeper understanding of this innovative concept, Stramash has recently completed detailed research with a graduate researcher partially funded by HIE via the EU Scotgrad Programme, into how very small children (0-2 years old) thrive when they are being closely cared for in a mainly outdoor context, something Ms Todd was keen to discuss and see for herself.
Robbie Drummond chair of Stramash board said "We warmly welcome the ministers visit to our newest nursery. We are proud of Stramash's innovative step forward in welcoming children aged 2 and under, offering parents the security and continuity of being able to place their children with us from 0-5. An early years in nature."
