Learning & Development: National Strategies series - part 10 - Outdoors

When you look back on when you were young, do you remember the outside spaces, whether it was the woodlands, beach, wasteland or the local maze of streets? Do you recall the timelessness of playing outside, and the physicality of it - the running, the jumping, the climbing? Have you memories of playing with natural materials, whether the forest litter, the finds from beach combing or perhaps even recycled materials made into a go-kart? Do you remember your imagination running wild - creating dens, camps, castles, rose petal perfume? And the friendship groups enjoyed outdoors - falling out, making up, and with no adult intervention?

Such learning experiences stay with us for life. Do children have the same opportunities now? Can we make sure that they have at least a taste of this freedom and joy in our settings?

PRINCIPLES OF THE EYFS

Within the principles of the EYFS, it is stated that being outdoors:

- has a positive impact on children's sense of well-being and helps all aspects of children's development

- offers opportunities for doing things in different ways and on different scales than when indoors

- gives children first-hand contact with weather, seasons and the natural world

- offers freedom to explore, use their senses, and be physically active and exuberant.

EYFS CARD 3.3 ENABLING ENVIRONMENTS - THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

Whatever the setting, we need to be sure that children are provided with quality opportunities to be outside - not just for a short 'playtime' or a focused visit or walk, but with time to make independent choices, to explore, to experience different weather conditions and to enjoy the freedom to be loud and physical if they want to be.

The EYFS statutory framework states that: 'Wherever possible, there should be access to an outdoor play area' and 'There should be adequate space to give scope for free movement and well-spread activities' (see box).

Developing learning

The key to developing learning is finding out, through observation, what children are interested in and how to support and extend their play and thinking by sensitively interacting and supporting their language and thinking. For many children, time outside frees their imaginations and enables them to try things that they may not feel confident enough to do inside.

It is not a fair weather activity, but requires everyone to be prepared with all weather clothing.

Ensure that children have opportunities to be outside on a daily basis all year round.

BENEFITS

Outdoor opportunities can support children's well-being and development by:

- nourishing children's minds and bodies and their disposition to learn

- giving children confidence in themselves as learners

- enabling children to become independent and risk takers

- developing their curiosity and imagination and enabling children to make sense of the world

- supporting confident communicators and problem solvers.

TAKING RISKS

The outdoor environment lends itself to offering challenges, helping children learn how to be safe and to be aware of others. Everyday life involves a degree of risk and children need to learn how to cope with this. Children from an early age are motivated to take risks, from wanting to learn to walk, to riding a tricycle.

Negotiating risks or achieving a self-imposed challenge boosts self-confidence and self-esteem.

FOREST SCHOOL APPROACH

Another way to approach the use of the outdoors is in a Forest School. This has especially shown impressive results when working with disaffected older children. In the early years it is very much about the inclusive open-ended reflective methods used across the EYFS.

The Forest School approach was a DCSF national initiative to encourage the use of the outdoors to develop independence, self-discovery and communication skills. It emphasises the importance of children playing and exploring natural materials using all their senses.

Forest schools make the best use of space that is available, whether it is a local beach, a piece of waste ground or a hedgerow beside an early years provision.

CASE STUDY

In Kirklees local authority in West Yorkshire, the forest nursery school approach has been established over several years. Practitioners can gain an accredited award with a three-day training programme. The training schedule identifies a range of knowledge and skills required to work with young children in a practical outdoor space.

The Slaithwaite Church of England Junior and Infant School has developed unused outside space to greatly enhance the outdoor learning opportunities, in a small wooded area adjacent to the reception class.

The grounds have been developed over the last eight years, with the children's involvement and contribution. The wildlife and habitat garden came first, followed swiftly by a fenced-in pond. A small woodland area adjacent to the reception classroom was made accessible to the children by thinning shrubs and incorporating paths. A class woodland shelter, fire pit area, bird nesting boxes, bird feeding stations and new school allotments have all served to enhance the use of the outdoor space.

The principles of Forest School offer an excellent educational approach to outdoor learning. The rich learning environment offers real-life opportunities for children to demonstrate achievement across a wide range of developmental matters. It also contributes to high levels of emotional well-being and involvement, particularly for boys. Regular observation and evaluation of learning and behaviour informs future planning, enabling individuals to build on previous achievements and skills. This supports the development of confidence, self-esteem, independence and positive dispositions to learning and interpersonal skills.

- Julie Rowland, EYFS/Key Stage 1 Co-ordinator, Kirklees LA, http://slaithwaite.kgfl.digitalbrain.com

ACTIVE ENCOURAGEMENT

What should leaders, managers and practitioners do to encourage good use of the outdoors?

- Provide spacious and appropriate well-planned provision or regular access to outdoor spaces.

- Provide long periods of uninterrupted time for children to play with each other and with adults outdoors.

- Ensure all adults understand their responsibilities in the outdoor area, getting involved with child-initiated play, knowing when to intervene/scaffold or offer new ideas to extend learning.

- Observe children and identify and support those who need greater challenge or specific support.

- Distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable risks, remove hazards and actively encourage children to assess risks.

- Raise the status of outdoor learning with parents.

- Find ways to promote the importance and value of the outdoor environment to all those involved in the setting - for example, the senior management team, other professionals, staff and parents.

- Enthuse about the outdoors!

MORE INFORMATION

References

- The Early Years Foundation Stage: setting the standards for learning, development and care for children from birth to five. DCSF, May 2008 (Ref: 00261-2008PCK-EN)

- 'The Classroom Outside' at: www.surestart.gov.uk/_doc/P0001631.pdf

- 'Early Years Vision and Values for Outdoor Play' at: www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/nationalstrategies)and search by title)

- Learning Outside the Classroom Manifesto 2006 at: www.lotc.org.uk

- Northumberland learning landscapes at: www.ngfl.northumberland.gov.uk/nll

- Slaithwaite CE (C) J&I School at: www.slaithwaite.kgfl.digitalbrain.com

National Strategies resources

- Social and Emotional Aspects of Development - Guidance for practitioners working in the Early Years Foundation Stage. DCSF 2008 Ref: 00707-2008BKT-EN

- Every Child a Talker: Guidance for Early Language Lead Practitioners. DCSF Ref: 00854-2008DOM-EN

- Confident, capable and and creative: supporting boys' achievements. DCSF 2007 Ref: 00682-2007BKT-EN

All available at: www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/nationalstrategies. Search by reference number or title.

OTHER MATERIALS

- 'Forestry Commission - Research finds positive results from Forest Schools' at: www.forestry.gov.uk/

- Learning Through Landscapes, www.ltl.org.uk

- Forest of Avon Wood School, www.forestofavon.org.uk

'PACK-AWAY' PLAYGROUP

In this 'pack-away' playgroup the practitioners set up the outside area for every session. Because there is no direct access to the outside area, the practitioners need to supervise carefully the children going in and out. The provision is ready and the equipment available, and children soon get to know they will be invited to choose whether to play inside or outside.

Where possible, practitioners should link the indoor and outdoor environments so that children can move freely between them.

At the playgroup, the practitioners have to set up every day from the outside shed. Much of what they have is recycled - for example, bread crates, milk crates, carpet offcuts, augmented with a commercial water tray, some props for imaginative play, a number line, some clipboards and pencils. The most important resource is, of course, the practitioners themselves.

The children are offered the opportunity to play outside and decide to build themselves a boat to row through the water,

From a safe but uninteresting area, the space has been transformed into a stimulating place for children to explore and learn.