Spaces – Outdoors 

What are they?

“Children flourish when playing outdoors in all weathers.  Being in nature stimulates the senses and nurtures a sense of wonder and awe at the processes of life.  Different natural spaces can simultaneously ignite creativity and imagination whilst fostering a sense of wellbeing and calm.”

(Realising the Ambition, Education Scotland, 2020, p. 56)

“Outdoor play is about potential – the potential of spaces to engage children’s imagination, curiosity and creativity and foster their health and wellbeing.  As Froebel argued, the quality of the environment and the interactions within it are crucial.”

(A Froebelian Approach: Outdoor Play and Exploration, Tovey, 2017, p. 3)

“Playing outdoors enhances learning and is fundamental for children and young people to thrive in health, wellbeing and development.”

(Scotland’s National Outdoor Play and Learning Position Statement, Inspiring Scotland, 2018, p. 1)

“Being outdoors allows children to experience choice, autonomy, risk and challenge.”

(Loose Parts Play: A Toolkit, Inspiring Scotland, 2019, p. 9)

“All aspects of the curriculum can be explored outside.  The sights, sounds and smells of the outdoors, the closeness to nature, the excitement most children feel, the wonder and curiosity all serve to enhance and stimulate learning.”

(Building the Curriculum 2: Active learning in the early years, Education Scotland, 2007, p. 7)

“…there is strong and compelling evidence that playing and learning outdoors has many benefits for children: improves physical health, wellbeing, enhances child development, Improves learning for sustainability… And importantly, it is fun and should be an
everyday part of children’s play-based learning!”

(Out to Play: Practical guidance for creating outdoor play experiences in early learning and childcare, Scottish Government, 2018, p. 6)

 

Key messages:

“If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder… he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.”

(Help Your Child to Wonder, Carson, 1956, p. 46)

“Adults who enjoy being outside, who interact sensitively, and take a positive approach to adventurous play are crucial.  They can help children to assess risk for themselves and teach safe ways of doing things.”

(A Froebelian Approach: Outdoor Play and Exploration, Tovey, 2017, p. 12)

“Outdoor learning environments and engagement with the natural world offer regular high-quality experiences that enable children to explore ideas and materials and to use their imagination freely.”

(HGIOELC, Education Scotland, 2016, p. 45)

Children are “highly motivated and fully engaged by the range of rich, challenging experiences and opportunities that are on offer outdoors.”

(HGIOELC, Education Scotland, 2016, p. 29)

“Children are confident in exploring and developing their outdoor environment, supported by staff who actively support and encourage children in their endeavours.”

(A Quality Framework, Care Inspectorate, 2021 p. 33)

• The outdoor space enables children to learn about the world around them, explore, investigate, be curious, creative, and build knowledge.
• Experiences on offer outdoors do not merely replicate those on offer indoors but offer bigger, riskier, and messier play.
• Outdoor spaces take into account all children’s stages of development and enhance the opportunities for learning outdoors.
• Large open spaces provide children with the opportunity to move their bodies freely.  In addition, daily access to large spaces allows them to practice movements such as running and climbing.
• Outdoors spaces encourage children to test their sense of risk; practitioners need to notice when to step in to support risky play and when to step back.
• Children benefit from regular outings beyond the gate and into the local community, including visits to local green spaces, the park, woodlands, local beaches, or the local shops.
• Appropriate clothing and footwear are provided for children to access the outdoors in all weather.

“There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.”

 

Ways we can do this:

Quality Interactions:  Practitioners observe how children use and engage with the outdoor spaces available and respond to their actions.  Froebel stated, “Children who spend all their time in the open air may still observe nothing of the beauties of Nature and their influence on the human heart.  The boy sees the significance… but if he does not find the same awareness in adults the seed of knowledge just beginning to germinate is crushed.” (Lilley, 1967, p. 146)

Free flow:  Allow free-flow access to the outdoors space (where possible) and ensure children regularly explore a natural play and learning environment.  Positively encourage and support children to develop the problem-solving, fine and gross motor skills needed to self-select clothing and dress themselves.  Give gentle guidance, time and patience to ensure this is successful and stress-free.

Time to wallow in play:  Give children time to become absorbed in their play and have fun outdoors.  Children need at least 45 minutes of uninterrupted play to be immersed in play.  Establish sensitive routines and minimise disruption to children’s play, such as self-registration at the beginning of the day, self-serve snacks, and ensuring that disruptions are kept to a minimum. 

Planning of spaces:  Outdoor spaces are designed, and experiences are offered to support literacy, numeracy and the broader curriculum.  Ensure practitioners understand the purposes and the learning possibilities of the play areas and materials provided outdoors and how these link to specific curricular areas.  Outdoor spaces must provide opportunities to practice large movements such as running, climbing, jumping, hopping etc.  The outside space should be bigger, messier and riskier.

Risk:  Outdoor spaces encourage children to test their sense of risk.  Practitioners notice when to step in to support risky play and when to step back.  Practitioners understand that the willingness to take risks is an essential characteristic of an effective learner.  It can help develop a disposition to ‘have a go’, persist at something, and see challenges as problems to enjoy rather than things to fear.

Clothing:  Find out about clothing grants aimed at providing clothing for children to access the outdoors.  Make use of local sales, websites, and the wider parent body for good quality outdoor clothing and shoes that have been outgrown.

Funding: See GRANTS – Outdoor Learning and Play | Creative STAR Learning | I’m a teacher, get me OUTSIDE here! for a list of grant opportunities available.  Correct as of February 2023.

 

Linked Areas of Practice 

Assessment

Creativity

Learning Environment

Loose Parts

Nature Pedagogy

Observations

Planning

Play

Risky Play

Schemas

Sensitive Interactions

Spaces 

Indoor Spaces

 Beyond the Gates

Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM)

 

Tools  

Reflecting on Practice

SBC Guidance to support

National Guidance to support

Further Reading to support

Training to support

 

Outdoor Learning

In this video, St Peters Primary School Early Learning and Childcare, a Scottish Borders Council Nursery, share how they support learning through the outdoor experiences that they provide.  Also available on the Spaces – outdoors & Spaces – Beyond the Gates pages.