Wooden shelter decorated with rainbow and children's handprints provides more space at re-opened nursery in Milton keynes

The building was created at Acorn nursery during lockdown by Stony Stratford wood sculptor Ian Freemantle.

The nursery, which is at Cold Harbour school, will use it for outdoor play by both the nursery children and those attending outdoor playschemes,

It is decorated with handprints made by the staff and children of keyworkers who had continued to attend Acorn’s other nurseries. The shelter also incorporates a rainbow to recognise the Covid-19 crisis and the support for keyworkers and their families.

Acorn are waiting for the government to approve plans for playschemes for the summer holidays and are hoping to run an outdoor holiday playscheme at the site.

The outdoor play area has a lot of newly planted trees to extend their forest school area. Acorn plans to make the site available for other children’s groups and organisations when the lockdown is over as part of their mission to increase opportunities for outdoor play and learning in Milton Keynes.

Sammy Bradbury, manager at Acorn Cold Harbour, said: “The children love the new shelter and it has already enhanced their play opportunities”.

Sculptor Ian also has plans to create a tree house for the Acorn nursery at Stony Stratford. He has the curved timber ready to use, but the financial impact of Covid-19 has meant that the nursery is now planning some fundraising activities in order to be able to afford it.

All of Acorn’s nurseries are now open and the company is busy preparing to open their newest nursery in at the new YMCA building. at the heart of the city centre.