Outdoor Challenge aims to promote high-quality outdoor play for all children, and to reward early years settings - nurseries, children's centres, schools, pre-schools or childminders - who show the greatest commitment to this outcome.
We've changed the way you apply for an award this year, and focused the application around the ‘Quality and Access' capital programme that many English settings are currently involved with. The application form asks you to tell us about how you use your outdoor space now, what your aspirations for it are, and how you intend to work towards achieving your aspirations.
We'd like you to put this into the context of improvements to quality and access, so it's vital to show evidence of how you are providing high-quality outdoor play experiences for your children, and how you are increasing access to outdoor play.
The first prize includes a Safe Shade canopy and graphics panel worth £8,000 in total, a site visit from LTL, a year's subscription to Nursery World and Early Years Outdoors, and an LTL PlayOut Toolkit. Other prizes include 20 sets of children's waterproof clothing, ‘freeflow' curtains and a Crate Time den kit.
You can download full details of Outdoor Challenge, guidance notes and the entry form below. Closing date is 15 January 2010.
Send your entries to:
'Outdoor Challenge', Nursery World, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP