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Mindstretchers provide inspiring educational materials to help children learn through a multi sensory environment, both indoors and out. Mindstretchers is a dynamic company of people dedicated to providing children with multi-sensory and real-world educational environments through training and consultancy, educational products, nature kindergartens and charitable endeavours. Founder and CEO, Claire Warden, formerly a school teacher and lecturer in Primary Education at Strathclyde University, developed the underlying philosophy of re-connecting children to nature. Claire is also a published author and an internationally acclaimed speaker on matters of early childhood development. 
Nature KindergartensWe opened Scotland's first outdoor Nature Kindergarten in 2006 and now have two centres in Perthshire. Children from the age of 2 years spend about 80% of the day outdoors in all weathers. They have access to the very naturalistic garden and to the wilder woods attached to the Kindergartens where they use tools to build dens, cook on fire and explore nature. [More...] Training and ConsultancyWe offer a range of training and learning opportunities for children and adults. From C.P.D training such as Motivational Maths, Outdoor Play and consulting children through Talking and Thinking Floorbooks , Forest School and Nature Kindergarten training for adults to coaching in context and centre based visits with children. Above all we hope to share a positive attitude and enthusiasm for experiential learning. [More...] World Forum FoundationScotland Enthusiasm for Nature Conference 22 - 23 June 2009 World Forum Foundation study visit to Crieff, Perthshire, Scotland. A two day event created to share European perspectives on outdoor play with a focus on Nature Kindergartens and Forest schools. [More...] 
Educational ProductsWe design and produce our own range of resources to motivate and inspire children and adults to learn in an experiential environment. Many of our resources come from developing countries and are based on fair trade and environmentally friendly ethics. Most of our resources are open-ended and their use is limited only by a child's imagination. 
Charitable EndeavoursMany of our educational products and other resources are sourced locally in Scotland to support our rural economies. We have a global and growing network of suppliers and we endeavour to support initiatives for self-sufficiency in small communities. Our hand-made wire and bead products are created in communities in South Africa who work together and provide us with quality products. In a country with limited welfare support, families have to be self sufficient. As a team we also donate equipment to a local nursery school in Kayamandi, Stellenbosch, fund the baking of 30 000 Caroteno muffins to ensure many needy children in Kylemore receive their daily recommended nutritional requirements and make a donation to a group of volunteers creating hampers of goods for a squatter community near Klapmuts. We sent a large delivery of educational products to an orphanage in Romania for Christmas and we assisted six Nicaraguan villages with the provision of clean water. We believe that every little bit helps to create a better world for our children and their families. 
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