Outdoor Play

There has been a growing academic interest in the role of outdoor spaces for play in a child′s development. This text represents a coordinated and comprehensive volume of international research on this subject edited by members of the well-established European Early Childhood Education Research Association Outdoor Play and Learning SIG (OPAL). Chapters written by authors from Europe, North and South America, Australasia and Asia Pacific countries are organised into six sections: Theoretical Frameworks and Conceptual Approaches for Understanding Outdoor Play & Learning Critical Reflections on Policy and Regulation in Outdoor Play & Learning Children′s Engagement with Nature, Sustainability and Children′s Geographies Diverse Contexts and Inclusion in Children′s Outdoor Play Environments Methodologies for Researching Outdoor Play and Learning Links Between Research and Practice

Nowhere is creativity of function so prevalent as in the world of children, and Play Indoor & Outdoor is a look at the burgeoning field of design and architecture that is being tailored to the scale, tastes, and necessities of a child s life. Contemporary, colorful, and often eco-friendly options are used in the schools and play centers from all over the world that are featured in this book, with projects from designers such as MAD, BP Architects, AIR Architecture, 70oN Arkitektur, Gonzalez Goodale Architects, Geneto, Lev-Gargir Architects, Matali Crasset, Kadawittfeldarchitektur, Baupiloten, and Haugen/Zohar Arkitekter.

“A magnificent resource for transforming backyards into stimulating environments which enhance children’s creativity, learning, and fun.” —Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods, The Nature Principle, and Vitamin N Access to technology has created a generation of children who are more plugged in than ever before—often with negative consequences. But there is a solution. Unrestricted outdoor play helps reduce stress, improve health, and enhance creativity, learning, and attention span. In Nature Play at Home, Nancy Striniste gives you the tools you need to make outdoor adventures possible in your own backyard. With hundreds of inspiring ideas and illustrated, step-by-step projects, this hardworking book details how to create playspaces that use natural materials—like logs, boulders, sand, water, and plants of all kinds. Projects include hillside slides, seating circles, sand pits, and more.

This Open Access book examines children’s participation in dialectical reciprocity with place-based institutional practices by presenting empirical research from Australia, Brazil, China, Poland, Norway and Wales. Underpinned by cultural-historical theory, the analysis reveals how outdoors and nature form unique conditions for children's play, formal and informal learning and cultural formation. The analysis also surfaces how inequalities exist in societies and communities, which often limit and constrain families' and children's access to and participation in outdoor spaces and nature. The findings highlight how institutional practices are shaped by pedagogical content, teachers' training, institutional regulations and societal perceptions of nature, children and suitable, sustainable education for young children. Due to crises, such as climate change and the recent pandemic, specific focus on the outdoors and nature in cultural formation is timely for the cultural-historical theoretical tradition. In doing so, the book provides empirical and theoretical support for policy makers, researchers, educators and families to enhance, increase and sustain outdoor and nature education.

Structured around the 4 seasons, this guide to outdoor learning and activities is packed with kids games, crafts, and skills to encourage your young ones to get outdoors—come rain, shine, or snow. The Forest School ethos of nature-based play and learning encourages children to develop confidence, self-esteem, and emotional intelligence—and it’s exactly what’s needed in an era when childhood problems such as obesity and anxiety are on the rise. Building on the success of the bestselling Play the Forest School Way, here is a brilliant selection of brand-new games, crafts, and activities to get kids developing new skills and exploring the natural world all year round. Structured around the four seasons of the year, each chapter is full of step-by-step games and activities that harmonize with the weather and seasonal nature patterns, including nods to seasonal festivals such as Easter and Christmas. Activities include: Spring: Nettle Soup; Wood-cookie-Man; Earth Day Birthday Cake; Dandelion and Lime Tea Summer: Bark Masks; Blackberry Ink and Feather Quill Pens; Nature Watch; Animal Tag Autumn: Evergreen Paintbrush; Baked Apples; Den Building; Leaf Stitching Winter: Elf Carving; Compass Treasure Hunt; Charcoal Pencils; Animal Track Casts At Forest School, children return to the same location again and again, building a lasting connection with a specific part of the natural world. Each of the four seasonal chapters in A Year of Forest School includes a description of an extended session (combining active and quieter activities, plus an idea for foraging/cooking), capturing this key part of Forest School play and providing inspiration for parties, themed learning days, and outdoor adventures.

"Flashing lights & fun sounds! Press the correct number to light the green light!"--Cover.

This book will inspire you to create extraordinary outdoor places for young children without highly complex play contraptions surrounded by a sea of wood chips or gravel... Places for children that tickle the imagination and surprise the senses...Places for young ones of all abilities to discover themselves and the world around them... Natural places where the entire space is filled with art, hills, pathways, trees, herbs, open areas, sand, water, music, and more... Where children find places to run, climb, dig, pretend, and hide, with opportunities to bellow or be silent. This magnificent 316-page resource contains close to 500 color photographs and illustrations.

′Theresa′s book is full of lots of inspiring, practical, ′how to go about it ideas′ coupled with thought provoking and sometimes challenging comments and views. The range of ideas and information contained in this book will go a long way to support the development of flexible, imaginative, yet not prescriptive play spaces that contribute to supporting children′s play. A very readable and worthwhile publication to add to your resources′ - Muriel Young, Grounds for Learning (Learning Through Landscapes) ′This practical book helps the reader plan, design and manage the kinds of settings that afford children the opportunities to carry out the wide range of self-directed activities that are so important to their development. It′s ideal for community development workers, the organizers of after-school programs, children′s hospital staff and groups of caring parents′ - Roger A. Hart, Director of the Children′s Environments Research Group, The Graduate School of the City University of New York ′This readable and usable book is full of advice and ideas which will take every professional nearer to understanding the way to provide opportunities for children which the children themselves would want and enjoy... A necessary addition to the bookshelf for all interested in the subject′ - PlayRights Journal (online journal of the International Play Association) ′Refreshing and insightful... One of the best things about this book is that Casey offers us a fresh perspective on our role. While we may long for a world where we opened the door and sent children outside to play, we are faced with the reality that, for a variety of reasons, these opportunities are no longer occurring naturally in our communities. It is encumbent upon us now to recreate these "essential childhood opportunities." This will take intentional, thoughtful, informed design. Casey′s book gives us some great starting points. A must read′ - PlayRights Magazine ′I like the attention to individuality, children′s perspectives and community. The author brings a strong playwork perspective to considering outdoor spaces, which early years practitioners considering the design of new or refurbished areas should find valuable. It′s crucial to free up our thinking about playful spaces, and this book brings a refreshing focus on working from children′s motivations for play, using playful values (such as choice, spontaneity, freedom and meaning-making) to drive thinking, being careful not to over-design, and the organic growth of a space into a place through the play that occurs′ - Nursery World ′Casey′s extensive research and years of practice in award winning play services are very much in evidence in the various techniques and ideas that she describes in this publication... a great resource for any play setting considering setting up or developing thier outdoor play space′ - SOSCN News Update ′If you are daunted, but excited, by the challenge of developing your outdoor spaces to meet the needs of all children, this book is an excellent resource′ - Early Years Update Exciting spaces to play are vital if we are to provide children with challenging, flexible, inclusive and stimulating opportunities to learn, develop and have fun together. This book provides readers with ideas for developing play environments that will meet the needs of the children in their care. It illustrates how improving the play environment also offers a better, more positive way of dealing with a number of issues from inclusion to playground management and the need to promote physical activity. It includes: - clear frameworks for designing play environments; - case studies showing examples of how play environments can be developed; - ideas and activities which lead to interesting designs, with the participation of the children; - practical examples, illustrations & photographs; - research evidence showing the importance of good play environments. The book is aimed at practitioners and managers in all early years and children′s play settings, and students on education, early childhood, child care and playwork courses. It is also very relevant to playground designers, landscape architects and community education and development workers.

"Angela Hanscom is a powerful voice for balance." —Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods In this important book, a pediatric occupational therapist and founder of TimberNook shows how outdoor play and unstructured freedom of movement are vital for children’s cognitive development and growth, and offers tons of fun, engaging ways to help ensure that kids grow into healthy, balanced, and resilient adults. Today’s kids have adopted sedentary lifestyles filled with television, video games, and computer screens. But more and more, studies show that children need “rough and tumble” outdoor play in order to develop their sensory, motor, and executive functions. Disturbingly, a lack of movement has been shown to lead to a number of health and cognitive difficulties, such as attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), emotion regulation and sensory processing issues, and aggressiveness at school recess break. So, how can you ensure your child is fully engaging their body, mind, and all of their senses? Using the same philosophy that lies at the heart of her popular TimberNook program—that nature is the ultimate sensory experience, and that psychological and physical health improves for children when they spend time outside on a regular basis—author Angela Hanscom offers several strategies to help your child thrive, even if you live in an urban environment. Today it is rare to find children rolling down hills, climbing trees, or spinning in circles just for fun. We’ve taken away merry-go-rounds, shortened the length of swings, and done away with teeter-totters to keep children safe. Children have fewer opportunities for unstructured outdoor play than ever before, and recess times at school are shrinking due to demanding educational environments. With this book, you’ll discover little things you can do anytime, anywhere to help your kids achieve the movement they need to be happy and healthy in mind, body, and spirit.

This essential resource is designed to help busy early years practitioners to support the mental health of young children through outdoor play. Promoting social and emotional wellbeing in childhood has never been more important, and outdoor play is a crucial tool to build resilience, develop healthy relationships, and boost self-esteem. Using relatable case studies that demonstrate achievable change, the book is full of practical advice and strategies for exploring nature in both natural and man-made landscapes, and includes guidance on how to co-create inviting play spheres with children. Each chapter provides: Adaptable and cost-effective activities designed to help children feel more confident and connected to the world around them. Case studies and reflective opportunities to prompt practitioners to consider and develop their own practice. An accessible and engaging format with links to theorists, risk assessment, and individual schemas. Outdoor play allows young children to explore who they are and what they can do. It supports them as they learn to think critically, take risks, and form a true sense of belonging with their peers and with the wider community. This is an indispensable resource for practising and trainee early years practitioners, Reception teachers, and childminders as they facilitate outdoor play in their early years setting.