Despite the emphasis on outdoor learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage, experts say there is a generation gap among early years practitioners in their understanding of the value and importance of taking children outside.
'We have gone through a "loss of use" of the outside as part of everyday culture for a very large percentage of the nation,' says Jacky Brewer, senior early years officer at Learning through Landscapes (LTL). 'This, in turn, has desensitised generations of people who have not had role models to help them use the outside space as part of their normal everyday living and practice.'
She adds, 'There are pockets of excellence and there are a lot of people who are Outdoor Learning Champions. But from my experience, there has been a huge decline in the knowledge and understanding of the importance for children of going outside.'
Research that Mrs Brewer conducted just before the launch of the EYFS showed that people aged under 30 did not see the value of being outside unless they had grown up in a rural area or came from families who valued being outside.
'Attitudes are changing,' she says. 'The EYFS is emphasising the importance of being outside, but it is going to take a long time to turn people round.'
Early years consultant Kathy Brodie says, 'I was speaking with practitioners a few years ago, talking about how we had played outside for hours as children. A young woman aged about 20 said she had not been allowed beyond the lamp post in her street.
'It made me realise that there is now a generation of practitioners who did not have experiences themselves as youngsters of playing out, and we have to get the benefits of it across to them.'
Mrs Brewer says that early years practitioners are sometimes reluctant to encourage children to play outside because they worry about the weather and fear the children will get too hot, too cold or wet, or they are concerned about safety or maintaining adult:child ratios.
Practical courses
Learning through Landscapes runs practical courses across the country, often using its Playout Toolkit for local authorities and settings, explaining the benefits of outdoor provision. The courses look at how to create an exciting outdoor space and how early years providers can resource it.
Sue Lewis, manager of the Peter Pan Pre-School and Nursery at Littlewick Common, Woking, is undertaking an LTL programme exploring how outdoor play can support children's learning in a way sometimes the indoors does not.
'It is a very practical course with projects,' she says. 'For example, we were set a project on writing and mark-making outside and had to come up with an activity that would promote that area of learning. We decided that we would have big pots of paint and rope and large pieces of paper down the path through the garden. When we looked at knowledge and understanding of the world, we decided to make a bug hotel.
'Each nursery or school on the course came up with their own activity to support an area of learning. It is fascinating to see how different people think and develop ideas.
Ms Lewis has encouraged everyone in the setting to get involved in outdoor innovations. She says, 'We have a strong outdoor play ethos, as we are set in the middle of woodland. All the staff have a good understanding and interest in outdoor learning and why it is so important.'
The course has helped the team to make the most of their extensive natural surroundings. 'With water play, for example, we always planned it and maybe had it out in the nursery one week,' says Ms Lewis. 'One of the things that came out of the course was that children should be able to access water play throughout the year. So, this winter we put warm water in the water tray and created a water exploration area.'
Ms Lewis believes the course supports and enhances individual professional development. 'We knew we started from quite a good point, but the course made us reflect on our practice and encouraged us all to move forward,' she says. 'It also strengthened the team, with us all working together on this. We now have a member of staff just starting her forest school training, as we wanted to use the woodland surrounding us a great deal more. It is going to be very exciting.'
THE EXPERT'S VIEW
Kathy Brodie, Early Years Professional and trainer, says, 'A good course will make practitioners aware of the benefits of outdoor provision and aware that it is not a case of standing outside hugging your mug of tea.
'Sometimes practitioners are a bit scared of creepy crawlies or don't like spiders, and they may view outdoors as dirty and cold.
'Outdoors for children enhances brain development as well as physical strength and co-ordination and sensory awareness. Just think of all the sensory experiences outside with the smell and feel of the earth and the different colours, textures, smells and tastes of the plants.
'When children are outdoors there is a deep level of learning going on. As Sounds and Letters says, being outside aids speech and language through the array of environmental sounds such as traffic, bird song or the squelch of mud or snap of breaking twigs.
'Children can also easily engage in sustained shared thinking, as they can get totally absorbed in the spider or ladybird. A good course will show practitioners their role is very much to explore with the children and support them in their learning.
'Boys can be encouraged to try writing outdoors - give them a piece of chalk and a wall to write on and they love it.'
Next month: The key person
COURSES
Ongoing
Learning through Landscapes tailors practical EYFS training on creating and maintaining outdoor provision. Tel. 01962 845811 www.ltl.org.uk
Rough and Tumble Play Practical look at the purpose and value of outside play, by Chris Blanshard and Lizzie Chittleboro of Hand on Heart EYFS Training, West Sussex, at venues/dates to suit clients. Tel. 07881684879 www.handonheart.co.uk
Using the Outdoors to Support the Curriculum Six-hour course for 20 people, by Acorn Childcare. Tel. 0845 371 0953 www.childcaretraining.co.uk
Why Aren't the Children Outside? How children can be active learners outdoors, by the Childcare Consultancy at venues/dates to suit clients. Tel. 020 8689 7733 www.childcareconsult.co.uk
The Value of Outdoor Play for Babies and Toddlers, Creative Activities for Outdoor Play for Birth to Five-year-olds and Achieving the Six Areas of Learning and Development through Outdoor Play, all led by Yvonne Batson-Wright and offered by Training Designs as either three- or six-hour courses at clients' settings at times/dates to suit. Tel. 0845 643 4231 www.trainingdesigns.com
Developing an Outdoor Learning Environment in Early Years Settings by Early Years (Northern Ireland). Tel. 028 6634 2696 www.early-years.org
June
12 June Creating an Inspirational Outdoor Environment for Well-Being and Learning, led by Jan White. 14 June Developing Quality Outdoor Learning - A Focus on Supporting and Developing Children's Play, led by Sue Pearson. 18 June Quality Outdoor Learning - A Focus on Imaginative and Creative Play, led by Jan White. 19 June Creating a Rich Environment for Learning and Development - A Focus on Effective Resources for Outdoor Play, led by Jan White. All courses held at Early Excellence, The Old School, Outane, Huddersfield. Tel. 01422 311314 www.earlyexcellence.com
24 June Maths Outdoors, led by Carole Skinner, held by Early Education at 136 Cavell Street, London E1 2JA. Tel. 020 7539 5400 www.early-education.org.uk