We are excited to share that local company Claughtons has provided a generous donation to Playful Green Hull. As part of the development of their new Trudy Outdoor Range, Claughtons have supplied us with a sample from their new range of outdoor furniture. We are thrilled to be the first site to get hands on this beautiful new range – and you can see why! We just know this will be a hit addition to our Botanical Gardens site.
Story time in the woods
What is this?
The Once upon a time chair
With a stunning storyteller throne and some additional chairs for the little ones, these seats are a perfect addition to any outdoor space. The throne will be the perfect seat for our storyteller and is sure to feature at many of our future events.
What we love about this
The throne absolutely captures the imagination – the PGP Team is already fighting over who gets to use this first, though Kerrie looks confident she will make it first. (That said, we all might lose out to our resident storyteller Alan Raw, who deserves the honour!).
The learning connection
Storytelling in the early years builds essential literacy and emotional intelligence by sparking a child’s imagination and helping them navigate complex concepts through narrative. A storyteller throne enhances this experience by creating a dedicated, “magical” physical space that signals the transition into a focused learning environment, instantly commanding attention and increasing engagement.
Feeling risky?
What is this?
1 step, 2 steps, 3 steps… balancing beam
These low balance beams are a perfect way to build confidence and manage risk-taking. The portable beams are very stable, but also easy to rearrange to build a new challenge.
What we love about this
Just the right height for early years, these balance beams will look great in our wooded environment. Our resident imagineer, Izzy, is already dreaming up woodland balance games. Watch out for these at our next event!
The learning connection
Developing balance in the early years is fundamental for physical autonomy, as it strengthens core stability and refines the vestibular system necessary for all complex motor skills. A low balance beam provides a safe, accessible challenge that encourages children to practice weight shifting and spatial awareness, all while boosting their confidence.
What’s cookin’?
What is this?
Mud kitchen
Who doesn’t love a mud kitchen? An essential component of any forest school, mud kitchens are a great place to let the imagination run wild. Add in some messy play and stunning build quality, and we are sure this will bring joy to children visiting our site for years to come.
What we love about this
As part of our Playful Green Planet network, we’ve been connecting with researchers with expertise in messy play. Mud is a great way to build a resilient microbiome, and we’re thrilled to be able to facilitate this with our shiny new mud kitchen. Lee is a massive fan of getting his hands dirty and is sure to help make lots of mud cakes with this. He might even share it with the kids…
The learning connection
Messy play in a mud kitchen is a powerhouse for supporting schemas—those repetitive patterns of behaviour, such as transporting, transforming, and positioning. These actions allow children to explore and master complex physical and cognitive concepts. By providing a tactile space where mud can change from solid to liquid or be moved from pot to pan, the mud kitchen allows children to physically act out these internal mental models, turning abstract thoughts into concrete understanding through sensory experimentation.
What shall we grow first?
What is this?
Planter bench
Two stunning planters joined by a bench provide the perfect environment to sit and smell the lavender. From planting up a sensory garden through to some veggies, there is endless potential for these planters on our site.
What we love about this
Given the bench, this is a perfect opportunity for something sensory – or edible (or both!). We’re pretty sure Jo and Cathy are already drawing up planting plans. We could even make it a competition and give them one each, heh.
The learning connection
Growing plants in the early years fosters a deep connection to the natural world while teaching children about life cycles, patience, and the responsibility of nurturing a living thing. This is pretty much EVERYTHING Playful Green Hull is about! Planters paired with a bench create an accessible “living laboratory” where children can sit comfortably to observe minute changes, supporting positioning and orientation schemas as they carefully arrange seeds and tools at eye level.
Could Trudy help transform your outdoor learning opportunities?
We hope you have enjoyed reading about our plans for the new Trudy Outdoors range.
If you are interested in exploring the range more, check out the official flyer here:
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