Past generations of children (for millennia) have benefited from extended amounts of unsupervised time outdoors, and as adults they look back fondly at these early experiences. Indeed it is widely recognised that such experiences make a positive impact and as adults we are aware that it shaped many aspects of our own development and health. Although the fundamental needs of children have not changed, the current fears among adults about increased levels of traffic and the perceived increase in the threat of child abduction have led to a shift in society’s attitudes towards children’s access to and use of the outdoors. A growing interest in media equipment, such as television, videos and computer games has also contributed to the creation of a society where many children live sedentary lives with few, if any, opportunities to access outdoor spaces or benefit from being outside.
Despite this cultural shift away from outdoor play and learning, it remains essential to children’s health, development and well-being. Consequently, it is vital that early years settings maximise children’s opportunities to be outdoors: for some it may be their only opportunity to play freely and safely outside. Outdoor learning complements indoor learning and is equally important. Play and learning that flow seamlessly between indoors and outdoors enable children to make the most of the resources and materials available to them and develop their ideas without unnecessary interruption. Outdoor learning encompasses all that children do, see, hear or feel in their outdoor space. This includes the experiences that practitioners create and plan for, the spontaneous activities that children initiate, and the naturally occurring cyclical opportunities linked to the seasons, weather and nature.
