Outdoor Learning Environment

Outdoor Learning Environment Map Explanation:

The entire outdoor space has wood chips on the ground and children are able to roam where they please as they engage in different learning opportunities in different locations. There is a fluidity between all elements in this outdoor environment. Only teachers will open the gate to ensure student safety. 

Wooded Area:

• In this natural wooded space children will allow the space for children to play amongst the trees and climb on them. Children will connect with nature and be able to develop gross and fine motor skills. Students can explore nature and engage in many different kinds of play. Children commonly find bugs in this area which can elicit a sense of wonder for nature. 

Play Structure:

• This play structure is made of wood and has many different spaces for students to use. It will include slides, small set of monkey bars, a climbing wall, rope ladders, swings, a tube and bubble spots for a hideaway spot, and canopies to create roofs. Children will develop gross motor skills while climbing and playing here. This area provides a hideaway location for children which is very important. Children will often play together on this play structure. 

Sand Box:

• In the sand box, students will be able to use toys like shovels, buckets, and trucks, that can be found in the toy storage. There is a tarp cover for the sand box when it is not being used. Children can explore, dig, and build things in the sandbox. It is common for imaginative play to occur in the sandbox. This is the perfect space for sensory play. 

Play House:

• Inside the play house, there is a small wooden table and two chairs that can be used for imaginative play. Students can move and rearrange the furniture. There is a door that children can open and close and windows. The door can be latched to stay open if teachers are concerned about children opening/closing it too fast. This playhouse provides a hideaway spot for children who might need some space. There are many opportunities for imaginative play here too. 

Toy Storage:

• There will many different toys that children can play with. There will be sand box toys like shovels, buckets, and trucks. There are also many different sized balls and a few small wheelbarrows that children can play with. Toys are meant to enhance children's play and encourage exploration. Students will also develop a sense of responsibility knowing they need to pick up after themselves. 

Please note: links to the example pictures are linked with the associated explanations. 

Rationale:

When thinking about designing an outdoor learning environment, we wanted to prioritize creating spaces that could be used in many open ended ways. We have created an outdoor space that has a lot of room for children to move around, explore, and use their imaginations. Moore et al. cites the work of Dennis, Wells, and Bishop (2014) that in nature-based outdoor play spaces, it has been found that it leads “children to being more 'relaxed, focused, engaged, cooperative, creative, nurturing and happy compared to children in indoor classrooms or on traditional playgrounds” (p. 48) (Moore et al., 2019, p. 2 citing Dennis et al. 2014, p. 48). As educators, we have seen first hand these benefits for children having outdoor learning spaces and how the benefits translate into all areas of life for young children. With the extreme importance of outdoor learning spaces in mind, we sought to intentionally design a space that would foster learning and development in all areas. Our outdoor space includes a wooded area, a sand box, a play structure, a play house, and toy storage as seen in the map above. To start, the entire outdoor play space will be fenced in. This is to ensure student safety and more ease in adult supervision. The ground will also be woodchips which allows for a softer surface to cushion falls and hopefully reduce injury risk. 

First, the wooded area will be a large area of the outdoor space that is all natural including many trees and shrubs. This will be a space where children can play amongst the trees and even climb on them. Children will be able to develop their gross and fine motor skills in this area. We envision that teachers can use this space to teach about nature, trees, and other elements of nature. There will be bugs, leaves, and different types of trees that teachers can take the time to teach about. Additionally, it creates a beautiful space for children to begin to develop their awe and wonder for the outdoors. Children will build their own attachments to certain places within this wooded area like Moore et al. brings up that children have the ability to create both physical places and symbolic spaces for their imaginative play (Moore et al., 2019, p. 3). As teachers, we can engage in play with children in these spaces that are important to them so that they can have autonomy over their play and learning. Children might have conversations, in these personally important places, about what they like to do in those spaces and why they are important to them. These conversations could happen with teachers or other students, whomever they feel comfortable inviting into their space. 

Second, the play structure is an important part of this outdoor place space as it can be used in so many different ways that encourage learning and development. The play structure that I have pictured above is made of natural materials that are non-toxic and safe for children to play on. There are no sharp edges and staff at the school will be digilent at properly maintaining this space. There are monkey bars, ladders, and a climbing wall that all create spaces for children to learn balance, coordination, and gross motor skills. Language development and collaboration can also be brought into this learning space by teachers or amongst peers, especially in some of the larger areas of the play structure. Imaginative play often occurs on play structures. There is also a bubble spot that can become a safe hideaway spot for children if needed. 

Third, the sandbox area is the perfect place for sensory learning and play. This sand box will be home that is embedded into the ground. This means that it will also become a space for learning to occur through bodily development of non locomotors skills like bending and squatting (Spencer, 2014, p. 31). Children are able to have tactile experiences as they dig, build, and create in the sand box. Children can engage in peer and teacher interactions while they play in the sandbox too. Toys like buckets, shovels, and trucks can enhance learning experiences. Those toys are kept in the toy storage bin but can be accessible for children at all times. When the sandbox is not being used it will be covered with a tarp to keep the sand in the sandbox. 

Lastly, the play house provides a safe space for children to have a hideaway spot or to engage in dramatic play. The playhouse creates a space “for individual children to get away from the fray of the large group” (Curtis, 2014, p. 101).  Children can come and go into the playhouse as they please and it can become a safe space for a child who might need to get away from the large group. These spaces help with emotional regulation, reflection, and solitary play when children need more space. The play house provides privacy but still allows for the teachers to be able to see them. If teachers notice that children are eloping into this particular space, it can create the opportunity for learning about emotions and conversations to help the child. On the other hand, the play house is a space that can be used for dramatic play. During dramatic play, we have seen children pretend to be a family playing “house” or running an ice cream store out the window, to provide some examples. Dramatic play helps children to learn social skills and language development. 

We hope that you can see how we have created an open, fluid outdoor learning environment that includes important elements to foster learning and child development. These spaces provide areas for social emotional learning, bodily development, and encouraging a sense of wonder for nature in young children. Children are encouraged to play with whatever they want in this outdoor learning space in a safe, responsible, and respectful way.