Enabling Environments: Friendly spaces, part 4 - Outside interest

One space within a setting that needs to be planned with care and imagination is the outdoor area. It's not enough for children just to be 'turned out' into a large grassed or concrete play area and left to run about. Nor is it enough to simply move 'indoor' table-top activities into the outdoor area. What settings need to aspire to is providing an interactive space that offers a range of experiences on a large scale.

In some settings, various points of interest have been built into permanent structures or features, to draw children in and inspire exploration. Alternatively, considered use of storage can help many packaway settings to offer interactive spaces every day.

To create effective outdoor spaces:

- Base decisions about content and layout on your observations of the children's play. Noticing how the children use the space will help you to plan a range of interactive areas that meet the children's needs as learners, set the scene for effective engagement and provide opportunities for extending children's learning.

- Review the space and layout from the child's perspective. What experiences are on offer? How do they support the children's exploration? Have you considered the layout before, or are activities just 'there' because that is where they have always been? Sometimes, simply changing the entry to a space or moving a resource to a corner can alter the value and enjoyment that children derive from it.

- Consider how resources are offered and the extent to which they facilitate and extend children's independent play. How are 'big resources' like guttering, tyres or boxes offered to children? Do the children have access to resources such as tarpaulins, pegs, logs and stones to develop interactive spaces of their own? Are the areas linked by pathways to enable the children to transport resources to other areas of interest?

- Make the most of the natural terrain and any landmarks within it, as you'll almost certainly find from your observations that the children cluster around landmarks such as trees and bushes. If you don't have any, provide some, such as a circle of logs. Such features have the added advantages of forming a boundary between spaces and offering the children a place to congregate.

- Give yourself the time to prepare and develop the space effectively. Seek inspiration by visiting other settings, reading relevant articles and surfing the internet.

- Give the children time to enjoy the space, as children learn best when at their most engaged. Routines in many settings regularly cut across what the children are doing, conveying to children the negative message, 'it's not worth getting really involved in this because you'll have to stop in a minute'.

- Review your provision regularly to ensure it continues to support the children in developing their own ideas.

Ask yourself

- Where do the children like to spend time in your outside space?

- How do your outside spaces help the children to develop their own ideas?

- How does the layout of your outdoor environment support the challenging activities on offer?

- How can you build points of interest into permanent structures outside?

- What do you need to create temporary interactive spaces?

- To what extent do your schedules and routines aid or prevent sustained play, and can children resume activities at a later time?

The final part of this series will be published on 28 August

Elizabeth Jarman specialises in developing effective learning environments. For information see www.elizabethjarmanltd.co.uk

Case study: The Coombes Infant and nursery school, Reading, Berkshire

The Coombes Infant and Nursery School is committed to experiential learning and has developed fantastic interactive spaces linked by a set of pathways (pictured).

Head teacher Susan Rowe says, 'We are very proud of our grounds and are continuously working to develop them. From rather bleak beginnings on a very windy site, we have worked with the help of neighbours, parents, teachers, children and very many friends, to transform a cluster of standard school buildings on poor soil to a rich outdoor environment which sets the scene for interactive learning. The adults and children use the outdoor classroom as much as they do the indoors.

'We approach learning with the idea that it is easier to remember what you have felt, seen, touched, tasted and smelled and, most importantly, apply a range of learning strategies to see how different subjects relate to each other.

'We have planted woodlands, built several ponds, developed mature woodland at the edge of our site, planted glades of bluebell and other spring bulbs. We have parkland areas, areas where rotting vegetation can provide habitats for wildlife. We grow vegetables and have a wealth of fruit trees. Our arboretum is designed to have representative samples of trees found in northern Europe. We have planted a lot of willow - a very versatile resource.

'We have devised a system of interesting pathways where, end to end, they make interconnecting areas to explore. They form a circular pathway around the grounds which children can join at any point to find areas of interest.

'Carefully positioned within the natural environment, we have added challenging and interesting structures - two tree houses, a viewing platform, tunnels, a bridge, board walks, hard and soft areas to explore. We have a geology trail, including our own Stonehenge and massive stones brought in to represent the geological regions of the British Isles. We have a small herd of sheep to care for and learn about.

'The development and improvement of our "outdoor classroom" has been a long-term ongoing project. None of it would have been possible without a vision, continued support and a keen focus on how the children interact with the space.'

More information:

- The 'A Place to Talk' series - In Children's Centres, In Extended Schools, In Pack-Away Settings and In Pre-schools - is available from www.elizabethjarmanltd.co.uk/store at £6.49 each

- EYFS CD: Enabling Environments; Learning through Landscapes: Early Years Vision and Values for Outdoor Play

- The Coombes Infant and Nursery School, Reading, www.thecoombes.com

LINKS TO EYFS GUIDANCE
- EE 3.1 Observation, Planning and Assessment
- EE 3.2 Supporting Every Child
- EE 3.3 The Learning Environment
- L&D 4.1 Play and Exploration
- L&D 4.2 Active Learning