Evergreen Lodge Nursery and Preschool

The Bus of Imagination

Ofsted ask early years educators to include “culture capital” within their daily planning and we can think of no better way than by giving children the opportunity to experience certain stimulating thought-provoking activities on a daily basis. By introducing cultural capital, it is hoped that children from all backgrounds receive the best possible start in life, irrespective of their home life or challenges, they should be given the support and opportunities to thrive and achieve within their early education and beyond! Each child arrives at their setting with a number of experiences, ideas and pre-conceived knowledge based on what they have been taught and experienced so far, the idea of cultural capital is that children have their experiences broadened within the setting and be opened to a new world of learning and wonder, particularly where children have a more disadvantaged home life, this means that EYFS practitioners are expected to increase a child’s cultural capital over the course of their Early Years Foundation Stage journey. With this in mind, we fondly introduce our ‘bus of imagination’ and our very own allotment…. Our double-decker bus doesn’t have an engine and is going to be stationary at all times but this will not stop us, this bus was once in service and is the perfect opportunity to introduce all children to public transport at its finest, we don’t have to be moving to experience the beautiful rural scenery we have surrounding us, this will be the perfect stage for role play incorporating favourite nursery rhymes and songs, getting our friends together to visit our favourite places and the people that live there, as well as being able to invite our loved ones to join us on the most exciting trips and tea parties, we will also use the bus to recognise and celebrate special occasions and milestones. Our allotment is based just outside of the setting and small groups of children will visit regularly and help plant, grow, pick, prepare and eat the fruit and vegetables. We will be able to experience and understand first-hand the cycle of homegrown produce before it reaches the supermarket shelves, this will also be an opportunity to interact with the local community, calling on the expertise of the gardeners who live in our village who can offer lots of advice on tried and tested methods within the allotment setting.