Students Build New Equipment for Outdoor Nursery

Construction students from UHI Argyll have undertaken a project to build two new pieces of equipment for a local outdoor nursery.

MAKI Pups, based at Kilmory Gardens, Lochgilphead, is a fully outdoor nursery for children aged three to five, and is the first of its kind in Mid-Argyll. Working in partnership with UHI Argyll and Lochgilphead Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS), students at the college took part in a project to provide two new pieces of play equipment for the nursery.

The students, studying the NPA Level 4 Construction Craft and Technician course visited MAKI Pups with their lecturer, Keith Cowan, back in November to discuss the types of equipment they could build for the children, before settling on a playhouse and mud kitchen. Since then, they’ve been hard at work in the college’s Construction Centre working on the projects, whilst simultaneously undertaking the rest of their coursework.    

The finished products were delivered to the nursery last month and were well received by both the children and staff at MAKI Pups.

The playhouse has provided a cosy space for the children to relax and look at books, whilst the mud kitchen has been used to make a range of soups, stews and potions using the wonderful plants and flowers found in Kilmory Walled Gardens.

MAKI Pups Nursery Manager Erin said:

"We are all delighted with the new equipment and are very much looking forward to working together again in the new academic term."

Eight students on the course contributed to the project. The course is part of the schools link partnership with Lochgilphead Joint Campus. The materials were funded by the Lochgilphead Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) as part of the Traditional Skills Training Programme.