Why should children go out of doors?

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Outdoor environments

• Why should children go out of doors?

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What is group time?

• Can be when children come together for a music or
  language experience
• Can be defined as a flexible, guided and directed
  learning experience where the educator works
  with small groups, large groups or the whole
  group of children to stimulate learning and
  development

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Group times can encourage

• More in depth conversation and discussion
• Feelings of group spirit
• Greater self confidence
• A sense of belonging
• Preparation for school

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What about size?

• It is recommended that a smaller size is more
  appropriate
• When planning and implementing larger groups,
  ages and abilities of the children should be
  taken into account
• There is a strong swing away from the provision
  of large, highly structured and adult controlled
  group times

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What happens in group times?

• Group times should involve active participation,
  not passive listening
• Should encourage children to interact with one
  another
• The adults role is of facilitator, not
  instructor
• The educator should encourage children to share
  their thoughts and feelings
• They should role model questioning, commenting
  and active listening

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Managing group times this is not always easy

• Keep your group size as small as possible so that
  effective conversation, discussion and direct
  involvement are possible
• Roughly outline what you are going to do and have
  necessary materials organised but be prepared to
  be flexible

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Think about

• How you will gather the children together for a
  group is this a voluntary experience?
• The seating arrangements and location
• How you will gain the attention of the group,
  settle the group
• How you will end the group

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Strategies

• Make eye contact to all the children
• Reduce time spent waiting for a turn
• Use the childrens names to focus their attention
  or to direct questions
• Learn to interpret childrens verbal an non
  verbal feedback
• If the group time is interesting and meaningful
  for the child, their own curiosity will prompt
  them to join the group. Do not wait until
  everyone is ready

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Outdoor environments

• Why should children go out of doors?

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A sense of freedom

• Freedom is expressed by the amount of time
  provided, the space and the choice of resources

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A sense of freedom

• Children often lead structured and sedentary
  lives
• Children need a sense of
• autonomy if they are to
• develop a belief in
• themselves
• Effective outdoor play
• provides a sense of
• freedom

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Experiencing the weather

• Experiencing the weather is the one totally
  unique aspect of outdoor play
• Light changes, casting shadows and patterns of
  coloured light
• The wind moves objects
• The rain makes the
• world a shiny place

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Sensorial learning

• We all learn in different ways and have a
  preferred learning style
• Plastic materials are often used to motivate
  young children,
• but they engage mainly
• visual learners

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Sensorial learning

• Sensory materials such as grass, leaves, water,
  mud, wood and rock can all occur in a well
  designed outdoor area

• area

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Becoming environmentally aware

• This focuses on sustainability and how to have a
  more environmentally friendly lifestyle

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Becoming environmentally aware

• It explores ecological issues waste management,
  re-cycling, litter, energy, water management,
  transport and the outdoor environment growing
  food and flowers

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Enjoyment

• Outdoors offers children a great sense of joy
• Outdoor learning is especially
• beneficial to children who
• are kinesthetic learners

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Creating effective environments for outdoor
learning

• Indoors and outdoors should be viewed as one
  combined learning environment
• The outdoor environment has to be planned
  carefully
• Staff should decide what to leave for children to
  find out on their own and what to be involved
  with

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Indoors and outdoors should be viewed as one
combined learning environment

• The adult should be nearby to support the
  learning
• Similar learning can take place both outdoors and
  indoors

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Outdoor areas should be resourced in a
flexible way

• Children should be able to change and modify the
  outdoor area according to their needs
• Open ended resources
• should be provided that
• can be used in a variety
• of ways

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Outdoor areas should be resourced in a flexible
way

• Large permanent structures need to be examined
  carefully for their learning potential

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Outdoor areas should be resourced in a flexible
way
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Planning should support learning in an outdoors
environment

• Planning needs to be responsive and flexible so
  that experiences can be linked to the weather

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Families, children and staff should all be
involved

• Cultural diversity should be celebrated inside
  and outside
• Adults need to see outdoor
• play as an integral part
• of early learning
• Staff interaction and a
• purposeful outdoor space
• will give a message that
• children can learn outdoors

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Practitioners should be committed to children
learning in an outdoor environment
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Practitioners should be committed to children
learning in an outdoor environment

• The staff role is integral to the success of
  children learning outdoors
• If there is a real motivation to take children
  outdoors, then great things can be achieved

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The physical aspects of the outdoor area should
be addressed creatively

• An outdoor environment should be designed with
  childrens behaviour and interests in mind
• Think about
• Access to the area
• Size and layout of the area
• Shade, shelter and seating
• Storage
• Security and safety