As a team the staff at Strichen Playgroup have been working through the Care Inspectors Quality Improvement Frameworks, and one area that we decided needed more attention was sustainability. 

We decided it would be best to break it down into smaller bits and started with recycling before the end of last term, encouraging parents to send in soft plastics so we could walk to the local Co-op with the children and put the soft plastics in their recycling box. When we got back to Playgroup we looked up what would happen with the soft plastics after it was recycled. Learning that they are used to make carrier bags, bin liners and some different kinds of furniture like the benches at our local woods.

We were invited by the committee at our local woods to help plant some fruit trees.  Which the children were delighted about and we go and see the trees each time we are at the woods to check they are growing.

We then moved on to learn about energy, we looked up information on how energy was provided and found out that windmills are used. We had a walk to look at a near by windmill and saw the big blades moving round, there was lots of discussions about what made the blades move and if they were moving slowly or fast. It was generally thought that the wind made it turn, to test this theory we made kites for the garden when we returned. They were blowing around so we tried making our own windmills. We learned that windmills provide an energy called electricity and we use in our homes to watch tv and turn on lights.

Going forwards we are looking forwards to planting vegetables in our garden.