Outdoor play fosters children’s intellectual, emotional, social and physical development. There’s been a lot of talk about getting kids outdoors since the publication in 2005 of Richard Louv’s Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder. Children are encouraged to explore these materials and use them within their play. Benefits first, risks second. When children visit Forest School, they use mallets and even saws to undertake their tasks. We often use materials such as wood, shells, leaves, plants, stones and much more within our indoor learning experiences. Set up obstacle And by being outside and surrounded by nature, children experience an ever-changing and free-flowing environment that stimulates all the senses. The sensory experiences are different, and different standards of play apply. Outlast are the only children’s wooden blocks that are specifically designed to last outdoors. Children's outdoor play is different from time spent indoors. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links at no cost to you. trucks to push, etc. Set up simple games. By putting educational equipment outdoors, children are soon learning through play, which is a fun way of helping children to learn new information and skills. 2. Intellectual Benefits The natural world is a giant, open-ended learning laboratory. Rousseau (1712-1758) and Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (1746-1827) Rousseau and Pestalozzi, inspired by the former, were precursor theorists on outdoor play by introducing and sustaining the original idea according to which nature and the natural environment had a definite and positive role in the education of children. The Outdoor Classroom Project (OCP) is dedicated to increasing the quantity, quality, and benefit of outdoor experiences for children in early care and education programs through providing educational and consulting services on the value and design of engaging outdoor learning environments to teachers, administrators, and parents. The benefits of high-quality outdoor learning experiences quickly become apparent when the children are given the opportunity to take part in risk-assessed, but not risk-free activities. I love the movement to get kids outdoors. Bring some music outdoors so that children can practice dancing, jumping, and twirling outdoors. • Encourage children and families to collect and bring recycled equipment and natural resources into the environment. Creativity As well as this, outdoor learning encourages children to think of learning is an ongoing process instead of just something done in the classroom. A recent visit to Centennial College's Progress Campus Child Care in Toronto reminded us just how versatile Outlast outdoor blocks and ramps from Community Playthings are. • Encourage children to care for plants by growing plants from seeds. Bringing the Outdoors, Indoors At Explorers, we also make an effort to bring the outdoors, indoors. • Design areas for appreciation of nature, where educators and children can observe the natural play environment and reflect on nature. Waters describes a philosophy and an integrated approach to teaching, learning, and living with a garden. Written by the venerable Alice Walters, the book offers a pedagogy to bringing outdoor learning into a child’s life. The HAPPE (High Autonomy Physical Play Environment), provides a great list of games for toddlers that can be played outdoors. This will include She does not simply present us with ideas and activities for learning n nature. 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