The Curriculum Guidance for the Foundation Stage (DfES/QCA 2000, p23) states that effective teaching depends on 'planning the indoor and outdoor environment carefully to provide a positive context for learning and teaching'. Despite this clear guidance, some practitioners still see outdoor activities simply as promoting physical development. They provide for climbing, riding tricycles and using small apparatus, such as balls and beanbags, but little else. However, by considering our own experiences as young children we see that although outdoor play did promote physical development, it also did a great deal more.
Outdoor learning
Adults report that their freedom to play outside for long periods with older and younger children supported their development in the following areas:
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