Celebrating Outdoor Play: Early Years Outdoors Learning

outlook • MAY 2007

LEARNING THROUGH LANDSCAPES

playnotes May 2008

What are the core values for youngchildren’s outdoor experiences? Theshared Vision and Values* for outdoor play,developed by leading early yearsorganisations, states:● All children have the right to experience

and enjoy the essential and specialnature of being outdoors.

● Young children thrive and their mindsand bodies develop best when theyhave free access to stimulating outdoorenvironments for learning through playand real experiences.

● Knowledgeable and enthusiastic adultsare crucial to unlocking the potential of outdoors.

This Playnotes provides just a few ideasabout how you can put this vision intopractice and suggests ways you couldcelebrate outdoor play in your setting. Itlooks at four themes with ideas for playactivities in each one. Hopefully they willinspire you to follow your children’sinterests and create more new andstimulating outdoor experiences.

Why celebrate outdoor play?Outdoor provision is an essential part of

a child’s daily life, offering valuable playand learning opportunities. But in busyroutines it can be taken for granted sospending a day, or a week, focusing on the

Celebrating Outdoor Play

Early Years Outdoors

special nature of outdoor play will remindus how valuable it is – whatever type ofoutdoor space is available. A celebration isalso a good opportunity to think afreshand share ideas among colleagues andsupport those who are less experienced atproviding outdoor play experiences. It’sthe perfect chance to share how much youvalue outdoor play with parents and carersand raise their understanding of itsimportance. Young children need all the adults around them to understand why outdoor play provision is essential for them.

How to plan your celebrationHigh quality outdoor play, with children

deeply involved, only emerges when theyknow they have the freedom, space andtime to engage in experiences andactivities. Ideally, indoors and outdoors willbe available simultaneously throughoutyour celebration, so children can followthrough activities as and when they please.Plan for a time when outdoor play can be

available all day and let the children knowthat they can go outdoors as much as theywant to.

Organise outdoor provision so thatchildren are stimulated and able to follow their own interests and needs. Plan ahead for how resources will beavailable, and involve children in helpingto manage them.

Discuss with colleagues the role ofadults. Young children need practitionerswho value and enjoy the outdoorsthemselves, see the potential andconsequences it has for young children’swell-being and development, and want tobe outside with them. Look at how youcan capture and share children’s playexperiences outdoors with parents andother people working with the child, sothat they too become enthused. Create agreat talking point with a photo wallpositioned where parents come to collecttheir children. Bring it to life by addingspeech bubbles, recording the children’sreactions to outdoor experiences.

When you are organised inform parentsof your plans. Clothing, for example,needs to be appropriate for the weather soyou may need to ask parents to leave araincoat or sunhat at the setting. Look foran opportunity to invite parents to takepart, for instance plan a picnic as part ofyour celebration.

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Explore dimensions Look up as wellas around – the sky’s the limit! Find acomfortable spot to lie down and gaze atthe clouds: talk about the shapes andpatterns they make. Notice the effect oflight and shadow as sunlight passesthrough the branches of a tree and acrossbuildings. Blow bubbles, fly kites orballoons on string, or tie floaty fabric and

playnotes • MAY 2008

CELEBRATING OUTDOOR PLAY

Celebrating creativity Children can be active, noisy and

messy on a grand scale outdoors. Enjoythe space, make sure they have access toa wide variety of resources, then standback and watch where their creativitytakes them.

Investigate natural resourcesMake the most of your theme by gettingcreative with natural resources such asmud, sand, clay and water. Providedifferent tools for digging, mixing,collecting and transporting. Get messytogether and experience how it feels toscoop out great dollops of mud or wetsand to form pits, build mounds andcreate mini play worlds. Bury some

Celebrating spaceOutdoors offers the freedom to

explore different ways of being, feeling,behaving and interacting; and the space(physically, mentally and emotionally).Children can be active and work on alarge scale and can feel less controlled by adults.

‘treasure’ and encourage the children tohunt for it and dig it up. Create a ‘treasuremap’ to stimulate the hunt.

Think big Encourage large artwork byspreading a sheet, rolls of wallpaper or atarpaulin on the ground. Provide readymixed paint in small squirty bottles,powder paint in shakers, or encourage thechildren to make nature’s paint (runnymud with old buckets and spoons). Splashand sprinkle on water from buckets, hoses,spray bottles or watering cans. Move thepaint around with different sized brushes,mops, loofahs, rollers, leaves or thechildren’s own bodies – hands, feet and more!

Experiment with sound Outdoorschildren can play with their own volumecontrol, using their voices, clapping theirhands and stamping their feet to createwonderful sounds. Keep a range ofinstruments available as well. Real ones likehorns, whistles, bells, tambourines andhomemade ones like buckets andsaucepans with wooden sticks and spoonsfor beaters. Set up a musical story-trail byhiding bags with different instrumentsaround your outdoor space. Atappropriate points in the story pull out theinstruments and find the best one formaking a sound like rain / horses hooves /swishy grass etc.

ribbons to tall bamboo canes and watchthem blow around in the breeze. Whatcan children do to be nearer to the sky?Where can they climb?

Encourage movement Have fungetting from A to B in as many differentways as you can while encouraging themastery of new physical skills. The abilityto arrive safely at a destination givessatisfaction and builds confidence.Encourage safe movement by talkingabout looking where you’re going,changing speed, avoiding other children.Make stretches of paving, tarmac or grassmore interesting with chalk or cones tomark out runways and balancing lines. Setup an obstacle course with sturdy outdoorequipment such as crates, planks, tunnels,scramble nets, tyres and cones. Treasurehunts and trails are also a stimulating wayof encouraging movement and discoveryin the outdoor environment. Tie them intoyour celebration with a theme.

Get physical Read a favourite story,song or poem together that inspiresmovement in different ways – jumping,spinning, twisting, hopping. Can theytwist using their whole bodies? Is it easierstanding in one spot or is it better movingaround? Can they shake hands, arms,shoulders etc.? Try doing it withoutlaughing! Silky scarves and strips of ribbonare great for stimulating children to dance.


of paper to view them more closely; a torch for looking under a hedge; a mirror to see something tucked rounda corner.

Build dens Children love findingnooks and crannies outdoors where theycan hide, enjoy some quiet or pretend.Create potential for dens by opening upan entrance into a cluster of bushes orclearing a neglected area beside a shed.Provide den building resources such ascrates, large cardboard boxes, blankets,tablecloths and tarpaulins. Include‘joining’ things such as string, maskingtape, skipping ropes, clips, pegs andelastic bands. Add to their imaginativeplay by suggesting they create a homeor setting for animals or storybookcharacters and explore what type ofhome would suit their needs.



Celebrating communityFor many settings, the outdoor space is

a window onto the local community.When we’re outdoors we can see out andthe local community can see in. Use youroutdoor space to build links with theworld around you and take your children into the community to see what is out there.

Get parents involved Ask forthoughts from parents for outdooractivities and games by giving them anideas sheet to take away. Encouragechildren to bring in a photo of a fun timethey had outdoors in the garden, the parkor while on holiday. Invite parents to apicnic so that you can all enjoy theoutdoors together.

Create a welcoming entrance Yourgate, pathway or door is the first view thatchildren and parents get when they arrive,as well as the face you present to theoutside world. Is the view warm, friendlyand inviting? Does it celebrate thechildren in your care? Create a specialcelebratory entrance with outdoordecorations. Collect ribbons, flags, beadsand other oddments that could be hungfrom trees, or woven in and out of fences.Use poster paints or chalks to createpatterns on the asphalt that will washaway in the rain.

Explore nearby parks andcountryside Venture beyond your settinginto your local park or woodland area.Encourage children to look for naturalfeatures in particular colours. Look fordandelions and see which are in flowerand which have seed heads, then pickthem and blow the seeds away. Use a

Celebrating natureContact with the elements, seasons and

the natural world is why young childrenlove to be outside. Keep a supply of rainyday clothes available so you can go outwhatever the weather. Being able to respond to whatever the climate brings adds surprise and excitement tooutdoor play.

Explore different surfaces Go on ahunt around your setting touching andfeeling different surfaces. Children coulddo this in pairs with one blindfolded whilstthe other guides. Ask them to handle,smell and describe different naturalresources such as herbs, leaves, sand andsoil. Encourage children to use variousparts of their bodies for touch: lie downand feel grass tickling your neck, takeshoes and socks off and feel sand orpuddles between your toes. Collectnatural materials and make a 3-D, touchyfeely collage or imprint them into clay.

Uncover wildlife Lifting things up todiscover what is underneath is exciting.Look around your outdoor space for whatcan be moved to see what is hiding. Biglogs take careful pushing and heaving.Turning over a leaf requires a delicate,sensitive touch. Offer new resources forexploring like magnifying glasses; softpaint brushes and plastic spoons for gentlysweeping insects into a jar or on to a piece

digital or disposable camera to takepictures of your finds. If naturalresources are limited in your settingcollect some on your outing. They couldbe gathered in baskets and containers orthe children could make nature crowns -a paper crown with a strip of doublesided tape for them to attach theirnatural treasure to.




© This resource was originally created as part of the Early YearsOutdoors membership scheme fromthe national school grounds charityLearning through Landscapesoperating in Scotland as Grounds for Learning(registered charity no. in England and Wales 803270and in Scotland SCO38890).

To find out more about membership call 01962 845811 or visit www.ltl.org.uk

Taking it furtherReflecting on how successful your

activities have been will help you to identifyways you can make more of outdoor play inthe future. Examine how you use youroutdoor space in line with the Vision andValues* and ask how can you change it? Youmight want to create different spaces,concentrating on what children want to beable to do outside rather than on whatchildren might want to have.

For example, instead of restricting yourplans to climbing frames and bikes, thinkabout developing environments in which todig, build, construct and destruct, to climb,

crawl and balance, to hide, explore andimagine, to investigate and plant, to sitand chat, to play games and run or splashand to engage with nature. The samespace can be used for many differentactivities at different times and childrenwill get used to being creative with spaceif they are supported in changing it to suittheir requirements.

Build up resources for use outdoorsand look at how they can best be storedso that children can access them and helptake responsibility for keeping them tidy.Themed boxes, e.g. for different weatherconditions, can help you respond quicklyto different situations.

Early Years Outdoors members can accessa range of advice on all aspects of using andimproving their outdoor spaces, so you neednever be on your own! The member-onlyonline library is full of ideas to supportoutdoor play. Go to www.ltl.org.uk andlog in using your membership number, thenclick on Member Services to start searchingthe library. Alternatively, just call 01962845811 or email [email protected] withyour questions.

The LTL DVD Outdoors for Everyone is agood introduction to the importance ofoutdoor play for showing to staff or parents,and Creating a Space to Grow, written by GailRyder Richardson, provides down-to-earthideas for improving your outdoor space,however small or large. Both these resourcesare available in the publications section ofwww.ltl.org.uk – where you can alsodownload a copy of *Shared Vision andValues for Outdoor Play.


Education

Celebrating Outdoor Play: Early Years Outdoors Learning