Schools & settings
Foundation Phase outdoors
The outdoors is a wonderfully rich, multi-sensory environment that is meaningful and stimulating for all young children. Outdoor play is an ideal vehicle to provide children with 'real', planned experiences that help embed their early learning. Youngsters are experiential learners and for most children, the outdoors is exciting, engaging and fun, which in turn makes learning enjoyable.
"The best classroom and the richest cupboard is roofed only by the sky"
– so said nursery education pioneer Margaret McMillan, and almost 100 years later, her vision for young children's learning through play is being realised across Wales, with the introduction of the Foundation Phase.
Research shows that young children (especially boys) learn best when engaged in physical activity. Outdoors, children can have the freedom to explore – both mentally and physically. They may feel less controlled by adults and are able to learn in the way that comes naturally to them – through play. Outdoors, children can be active, interactive, messy and noisy.
Outdoors should provide opportunities for children to engage in planned and freely chosen play experiences and should offer risk, challenge, variety and fun. Making changes to enable this to happen doesn't have to be expensive, and relatively small improvements outdoors can have significant benefits.
The key is to focus on what you want children to be able to do, rather than what you want them to have. Children's needs are diverse at this age, so a flexible and adaptable outdoor environment is the key to supporting their development. A really challenging, creative outdoor space might include opportunities for children to experience nature at first hand, with a mix of hard and soft areas and natural and man made materials throughout. The space might allow children to actively manipulate their environment, and might encourage them to engage in quiet as well as active play. Early years practitioners are no strangers to providing for a wide range of needs. Respect for individuals and their needs is intrinsic to outdoor play, and children with special needs must explore and discover at their own pace.
Just as important are the changes you make to the way you manage the space, or the way children use it. Adults play a vital role in supporting and encouraging children in their play. Make sure your colleagues understand the value of outdoor play: if the policies and practices that govern the way your outdoors is used and cared for are not in place, the opportunities for meaningful learning and play outdoors will be lost. If children are to obtain maximum benefit from their experiences outdoors it is essential that parents understand its value too.