In this blog, we will explore the crucial role that outdoor learning plays in children’s development during the Early years foundation stage (EYFS) (up to the age of 5 in the UK). We’ll delve into the advantages of outdoor learning activities, from improving motor skills to encouraging imaginative play and promoting overall wellbeing. The blog will also provide some creative ideas and pedagogical strategies for engaging young learners outdoors and discuss the resources and equipment that could be used to support children’s learning.
Embracing the early years outdoors
Many books already exist that go into enormous detail regarding the perks of embracing a child’s early years and exposing them to activities that allow them to learn through exploration, imagination and play. Children have an incredible potential for learning right from birth because rapid growth occurs during these years. The foundations for later sensory, motor, cognitive, physical, language and social-emotional development are laid permanently (Schakel, 1988). EYSF outdoor activities take the lead in providing a platform for the enhancement of these skills. Some notable positive outcomes for a child exposed to outdoor activities include greater self-confidence, interest in natural surroundings, better ability to work cooperatively with others &and more sophisticated uses of spoken and written language. Of course, developed physical stamina and gross and fine motor skills are among the many benefits (Sutapa et al., 2021).
Playing in outdoor environments
Knight (2013) states, ‘Play allows children to understand the qualities and properties of the world’ (p. 98). By playing in an authentic outdoor environment, children can play with materials and observe the features of the landscapes around them. As children initially learn heavily through using their senses, discovering and playing in outdoor environments offers children rich sensory learning experiences (Duffy, 2007). When playing, children also inhabit their environment and make it their own.
Outdoor environments aid the students’ physical development during sessions. They can contain uneven and variable terrain that helps to develop the students’ balance and physical fitness (Fjortoft, 2004). This, combined with well-thought-out play equipment, can encourage the development of fine and gross motor skills and help an individual’s physical development and wellbeing (Blackwell, 2015).
For more information on the importance of outdoor play for children, please read the following blog.
learning outdoors and wellbeing of early years learners
The outdoors is a powerful tool for developing a child’s social and emotional wellbeing. When partaking in outdoor learning activities, children demonstrate their feelings and inner needs, develop their sense of who they are, solve problems, and deal with conflicts. Outdoor play, working with natural resources, and outdoor learning activities all help build learners’ social and communication skills. (Santer and Griffith, 2007). Additionally, being outdoors allows children in their early years to switch off from the busyness around them and offers the chance to be at peace. (Berger and Tiry, 2012).
Please read my previous blog for more information how outdoor learning can benefit children’s wellbeing.
Developing the Wellbeing of Children Through Outdoor Learning
Designing an outdoor learning environment
When designing an outdoor learning environment, it is important to note that schools must work within their unique contextual and environmental constraints. Not all schools have access to forests; however, using effective equipment can improve the natural environment and facilitate children’s imaginations in even the most basic outdoor spaces (Coleman, M. 2016).
Here are some examples of playground equipment that, in my experience, have been effective in my urban work contexts.
MUD, MUD, MUD!
Natural materials like mud can help children of all ages connect with the lesson in many ways. By touching, feeling, and smelling, children can engage their senses and generate questions about the environment around them while learning. Using natural materials such as mud helps stimulate children’s senses. Most children are more interested in utilising their senses to explore what they see (Edgington, 1998). Sensory-rich outdoor activities like playing with mud can cater to diverse learning styles and nurture each individual’s connection to the curriculum. Let’s not forget: MUD is also super fun!
Recently, I facilitated a Big School Mud Bake Off! with an Early Years class. The skills I developed included understanding instructional texts, counting skills, and working in a team.
With three delicious mud recipes to choose from, the learners worked together to collect natural ingredients from the local park and made their mud creations.
Learning linked to stories and characters
Starting the lesson with a story or introducing an animal character, such as a stuffed hedgehog or duck toy, ignites EYFS children’s curiosity, gives their exploration a clear purpose, and helps them connect with the tasks.
For example, I recently conducted a lesson on hedgehogs. I started the lesson by reading “The Very Helpful Hedgehog’ by Rosie Wellesley. I then introduced the my hedgehog character a cute stuffed hedgehog toy called Hamish to the children. This sparked a discussion about hedgehogs, and they shared their knowledge and experiences with them. Afterwards, the children made a giant leaf pile in the playground for Hamish to sleep in, and then they made hedgehog models out of clay and sticks.
Collaborative outdoor projects between ks2 and early years
I often find it inspiring to see how the older and younger children work together on joint projects. Collaborating on joint projects allows them to learn so much from each other, and it’s heartwarming to see the bonds formed through these experiences. Story Stones is one of my favourite collaborative projects.
Children in ks2 are given four popular stories to choose from and then asked to paint the eight most essential parts of the story onto rocks. These rocks were then hidden in the playground, and it was up to the EYFS children to find them and put them in the correct sequence, while retelling the story with their ks2 buddies.
Other effective collaborative projects include bug hunts and building projects such as building a ladybug hotel.
A few of my favourite outdoor activities for early years
Think back to your early childhood years, how you spent your free time with friends exploring different games and even learning specific skills such as rope jumping and building castles. Your curiosity and vibrancy during these years were at the roof, having the opportunity to learn much faster and spending much of that time outdoors. Today, children barely have creative outdoor experience (Clements, R. 2004). They are cautioned to keep off the sand. This interferes with a child’s natural desire to learn and discover. It is important to emphasise outdoor learning activities in the early years as they heighten their senses and awaken their innate creativity (Honig, A. 2019).
Here are some of my favourite early years outdoor activities.
Unintended outcomes
I often find that some of the best learning comes from the intended outcomes. Learning is discovered by the children rather than planned by the teacher.
Potential learning from this rock could include:
Maths – Patterns and Shape.
Senses – Rough and Smooth.
How did the rock get here?
Why are there white stripes on one side of the rock?
How was it created?
A chance to engage in an imaginative conversation with a creative young mind.
Kelly (2009) believed that when facilitating learning, there should be a balance between the intended, planned, and lived curriculum. A curriculum outcome may not have to be the catalyst for the learning experience. Therefore, a teacher must be on hand and ready to engage fully in spontaneous discussions with the learners.
Open questions
As a teacher, I am often in awe of witnessing the early years specialist teachers and TAs’ questioning and age-appropriate communication skills. Opening up the children’s learning during discovery and play is the most impressive sequence of open questioning. It is important to understand how to talk to young children at a level they understand and develop a knowledge of the individuals you teach.
Class management outdoors
Often, teachers who keep the boundaries of the lesson more open (Glackin, 2016) and incorporate time for children to explore and discover during the study find notable success with outdoor learning (Mannion et al., 2013). However, as with classroom learning, children respond well when they clearly understand the expectations.
It can be challenging for children who don’t have experience working outdoors to know how they can get the most from the learning experience and stay safe. This is why I always share my expectations with the children before lessons, and I have different ways to do this, including presentation slides and circle time. However, I have found that the most effective strategies are the ones that give the learners an active role in setting and demonstrating expectations. These days, I like to use different scenario cards where the children must act out or create freeze frames of situations they may encounter when learning outside. I often refer to the Instagram account Good Morning Ms Foster to find creative and effective ways to manage class behaviour that can easily be transferred to outdoor contexts.
It can also be challenging to get learners’ attention when working outdoors. However, I’ve found that using a fun way to get their attention often works well. For example, I use a duck whistle or a wolf howl as an attention grabber.
Let us know your experiences with taking early years learning outdoors. What was the response you received from your learners? Please email me: freshairteacher@gmail.com
Readings
Blackwell, S. (2015). Long-term forest school programmes impact children, confidence and wewellbeing30(04), 1-46.
Berger, R. and Tiry, M. (2012). The enchanting forest and the healing sand—Nature therapy with people coping with psychiatric difficulties. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 39(5), 412–416.
Clements, R. (2004). An Investigation of the Status of Outdoor Play. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 5, 68 – 80.
Coleman, M. (2016). Recognising young children with high potential: U‐STARS∼PLUS. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 1377.
Duffy, B. (2007). All about… messy play. United Kingdom: Crown.
Edgington, M. (1998). Developing a sense of place. 1998, 3-3.
Fjortoft, I. (2004). Landscape as playscape: The effects of natural environments on children and motor development. Child Youth Environments, 14(2), 21–44.
Glackin, M. (2016). ‘Risky fun’ or ‘Authentic science’? How teachers’ beliefs influence their practice during a professional development programme on outdoor learning. International Journal of Science Education, 38(3), 409–433.
Honig, A. (2019). Outdoors in nature: unique spaces for young children’s learning. Early Child Development and Care, 189, 659 – 669.
Knight, S. (2013). Forest school and outdoor learning in the early years. Sage.
Mannion, G., Fenwick, A., & Lynch, J. (2013). Place-responsive pedagogy: learning from teachers’ experiences of excursions in nature. Environmental Education Research, 19(6), 792–809.
Santer, J. and Griffiths, C. (2007). Free play in early childhood: A literature review. National ChChildren’sureau.
Schakel, J. (1988). Providing Services to Preschool-aged Children. School Psychology International, 9, 163 – 173.
Sutapa P, Pratama KW, Rosly MM, Ali SKS, Karakauki M. Improving Motor Skills in Early Childhood through Goal-Oriented Play Activity. Children (Basel). 2021 Nov 2;8(11):994.
