Getting close to nature at Hertford Barns Day Nursery

Following an interest in the ‘Very Hungry Caterpillar’ story, children from Hertford Barns Day Nursery in Hertford were inspired to take to the garden to embark on a special nature hunt.

Whilst exploring their countryside surroundings, pre-schoolers from the award-winning setting on Cole Green were delighted to find their very own caterpillar, which they observed closely and had the opportunity to stroke, all whilst using their language and communication skills to describe the patterns they could see, before researching the species using books.  

As part of the learning experience, children delved deeper into the topic of life cycles, looking at the process of metamorphosis and the journey from caterpillar to butterfly, before using the Very Hungry Caterpillar story to discuss the foods which the insects traditionally eat.

It is for such activities that Hertford Barns have been awarded a prestigious Green Flag award as part of the international Eco-Schools scheme, the highest accolade is the programme, which is given for exceptional environmental awareness practices.

Hertford Barns Day Nursery Manager, Jenny Pratt explained;

“The children have a great deal of care and respect for the environment and the creatures in it and were thrilled to get up close and personal with a real caterpillar, having read so much about them. This proved to be an incredibly rich learning opportunity for the group, who carefully placed the caterpillar back where they found it, after making their observations.”