Ilminster Avenue Nursery 1: observation

Written by artist Cat Boot 

On Friday 22nd March I made my first visit to Ilminster Avenue Nursery school.

I arrive halfway through a month long project at Ilminster Avenue called “The Nursery with No Toys”. All manufactured toys have been removed from the building, and replaced with everyday objects like bowls of keys, cardboard boxes, fabric, instruments, buttons and much much more. The children are clearly experts at using these objects for their own exploration and play purposes - no adult guidance is needed for six children to head straight to the cardboard boxes and start driving them around an imaginary race course. I join in with their game; cars morphing into boats which we row row row, meeting aliens, lions and more.



This Nursery with No Toys, like all good ideas, is all at once revolutionary and astoundingly simple. It’s attracting media attention, resulting in television and national newspaper appearances for Ilminster Avenue. The children take it all in their stride, carrying on their daily business of play with great focus and concentration.

Ilminster Avenue has a fantastic outdoor space, much of which is under used due to funding cuts that leave them short of the staff, time and money to be able to do what they would love to with the place. There’s an incredible shepherd’s hut in the middle of the playground, that, although scruffy inside, the children are as enamoured with as I am. Strips of red and yellow fabric become a campfire for a while in another secluded area of the garden. When a child asks me to attach one to a nearby willow structure this creates an all encompassing emergency for some other children who are role playing as firefighters.

I’m overawed by the space afforded to the children at Ilminster Avenue, and the sensitivities and care of the staff team. I can’t wait to begin work here.




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