Playing and Learning Outdoors


Book Description

Playing and Learning Outdoors shows early years practitioners how to get the very best from outdoor playing and learning for the enjoyment, health and education of all children from ages three to five years. Fully updated to reflect the current status and understandings regarding outdoor provision within early childhood education frameworks, this new edition will allow practitioners to develop rich and stimulating outdoor play provision in Early Years settings and enable them to feel confident to offer wonderful play experiences outdoors. Playing and Learning Outdoors offers practitioners achievable advice and support, based on approaches which are appropriate and effective for young children’s all-round well-being and development. This invaluable resource also includes practical advice on: movement and physical play playing with sand, natural materials and water plants, living things and growing construction, creative and imaginative play. This second edition also includes a brand new chapter on ‘Providing experiences beyond the garden walls’ which will urge practitioners to harness the huge potential contained in the locality (physical world) and local community (human world) around the early years setting’s own boundaries. Filled with advice and support, this lively, inspiring and accessible book will help practitioners to develop a truly practical and enjoyable approach to learning through play outdoors for all children aged from 3 to 7.




Playing and Learning Outdoors


Book Description

Fully updated to reflect the current status and understandings regarding outdoor provision within early childhood education frameworks across the UK, this new edition shows early years practitioners how to get the very best from outdoor play and learning for the enjoyment, health and education of young children up to age seven. This invaluable resource gives sound practical guidance for providing: play with water, sand and other natural materials; experiences with plants, growing and living things; movement and physical play; construction, imaginative and creative play; and explorations into the locality and community just beyond your garden. This full-colour third edition has been further developed to act as a comprehensive source book of relevant materials, books and resources supporting the core ingredients of high-quality outdoor provision, while each chapter also includes extensive collections of children’s picture books relating to the themes within each chapter. Playing and Learning Outdoors has become the essential practical guide to excellence in outdoor provision and pedagogy for all early years services. This lively, inspiring and accessible book will help every educator to develop truly successful and satisfying approach to learning through play outdoors for every child.




Outdoor Learning and Play


Book Description

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.




The SAGE Handbook of Outdoor Play and Learning


Book Description

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




Outdoor Provision in the Early Years


Book Description

Outdoor education offers children special contexts for play and exploration, real experiences, and contact with the natural world and the community. To help ensure young children thrive and develop in your care, this book provides essential information on how to make learning outdoors a rich and valuable part of their daily life. Written by a team of experts in the field, this book focuses on the core values of effective outdoor provision, and is packed with ideas to try out in practice. Topics covered include: - the role of play in learning outdoors - meaningful experiences for children outdoors - the role of the adult outdoors - creating a dynamic and flexible outdoor environment - dealing with challenge, risk and safety - including every child in outdoor learning There are case studies of successful strategies in action, covering the Birth to 5 age range. Outdoor provision needs to be thoughtfully planned, well organised and appropriately supported by adults, and this book will help practitioners and students to lead good practice with confidence, so that they respond to the needs and interests of young children.




Learning Outdoors


Book Description

It is now officially acknowledged that outdoor play is extremely important for young children's development and that a few old bikes and a climbing frame just will not do. This book shows how to develop an outdoor learning environment properly for young children and how adult supporters should behave in this space.This book offers examples of good




Developing Young Children’s Mathematical Learning Outdoors


Book Description

Developing Young Children’s Mathematical Learning Outdoors provides detailed guidance and practical advice on planning mathematical experiences for young children outdoors. By examining the key features of a mathematically rich outdoor environment, it illustrates how this can motivate children in leading their own learning and mathematical thinking. Drawing upon the author’s wealth of experience, the book provides support for students and early years' practitioners in developing a deeper understanding of how to plan quality experiences, which combine pedagogy with effective practice. Covering all aspects of mathematics, it identifies meaningful contexts and shows how adults can use open-ended questions and prompts to promote children’s mathematical play outside. With rich case studies and reflective questions included throughout, as well as suggestions for useful resources to put the ideas in the book into practice, it is essential reading for all those that want to develop curious and creative mathematical thinkers in the early years.




How Children Learn - Book 3


Book Description

This book summarises the ideas of educational theorists and psychologists of the last 60 years, from Elinor Goldschmied to Tina Bruce. It also looks at the important contemporary issues in early years education, from whether boys and girls learn differently to the role of the community in the early years setting.




Childhood Well-being and Resilience


Book Description

This book examines the ways in which well-being affects educational outcomes. Using an ecological approach, the book defines what we mean by well-being and resilience in education and how this relates to policy and children and young people’s rights. The book considers strategies utilised by the education, health, voluntary and private sectors which promote well-being and resilience for children and young people from the early years to adulthood. This book also explores societal factors such as poverty and family well-being. Childhood Well-being and Resilience goes on to provide examples of practice interventions inside and outside the classroom. It represents a sea change in professional approaches to well-being and resilience as protective factors against poor mental health. It includes chapters on key topics such as: The concept of child well-being, resilience and the rights of the child Peer interaction and well-being Social media and mental health Well-being and outdoor learning Mindfulness for young children International policy and child well-being This book supports professionals to increase their knowledge, establish a skill set and build their confidence which can enable children and young people to develop good levels of well-being and to improve their resilience. Including reflective questions and case studies, Childhood Well-being and Resilience is essential reading for undergraduate students studying Early Childhood Studies, Education Studies, Teaching Awards and Family and Community Studies.




Examining Levels of Involvement in the Early Years


Book Description

Examining Levels of Involvement in the Early Years studies the theory and rationale behind using young children’s levels of involvement as a tool for enhancing their experiential learning in diverse settings by exploring values, beliefs, ideology, resourcefulness and environmental contexts. Drawing on Laevers’ process-oriented Self-evaluation Instrument for Care Settings and the Leuven Involvement Scale for Young Children, this book examines the theoretical constructs that underpin the development of these instruments as well as the practical implications of how and why practitioners may use the scales in their settings. More importantly, it looks at children’s deep level learning capabilities and reflects on the engaging possibilities this presents. Using encounters with children and adults from a range of settings, it covers: • connecting levels of involvement with local, national, international and theoretical approaches; • embracing levels of involvement; • involving the environment; • levels of outdoor involvement; • engaging with adult involvement; • nurturing involvement through observation, assessment and planning. Including contributions from experts in the field, this book will be essential reading for students, trainee early years practitioners and all those wanting to continue their professional learning.