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In the section free play in this website, they talk a lot about play centers, this means the child decides where to play and what to play with. This helps with the development of all 5 domains which are social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and language. A quote I liked from the website is "In fact, when researchers compared children's skill development during free play in comparison to guided play, they found that children learned more vocabulary (Toub et al. 2018) and spatial skills (Fisher et al. 2013) in guided play than in free play." This helped me because I think that it is important to let children play but keep them on track at the same time. While doing so it could be a good opportunity to use self-talk or reflection to add to what the child is thinking. Another quote I think supports creative play is "Free play, or self-directed play, is often heralded as the gold standard of play. It encourages children's initiative, independence, and problem solving and has been linked to benefits in social and emotional development (Singer and Singer 1990, Pagani et al. 2010, Romano et al, 2010, Gray 2013) and language and literacy (Neyman and Roskos 1992) Through play, children explore and make sense of their world, develop imaginative and symbolic thinking, and develop physical competence."

The five senses are important in young children's learning because this is how they learn about their environment and their surroundings. This goes right in with learning how to communicate. Creative play experiences help children's sensory development because they are using their touch, smell, taste, hearing, and sight. An example of this that is used in the website is giving students playful activities about birds, this could include songs, habitats, names, and texture. Although this does not include taste, an option could be to show the students what the birds eat.

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This website is sectioned into parts based off ages of children. For each age group it offers what toys would be good for them and why.

The first domain I noticed is cognitive. This includes showing the child recordings with pictures or simple stories. The child develops this domain because showing them pictures or reading simple stories shows them something they have never seen before. Another example could be to build smaller puzzles or toys with parts that fit together. The second domain is physical and an example they mentioned for this is dress-up clothes. This could be on a doll or puppet. This helps them develop this domain because it increases their motor skills to put the clothes on. The third domain is language and an example of this is picture books with more words/detailed pictures. This increases their development because it encourages communication.

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Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage

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In addition to being safe, good toys for young children need to match their stages of development and emerging abilities.

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This website is about how important sensory play is for children and how they develop. They give many fantastic ideas on how to stimulate their senses and how it helps them to do this early on. It includes how sensory play helps with language skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, cognitive growth, fosters social interaction, and how it has a calming effect.

They mention a lot of senses in this website and good ways to stimulate children's senses. The first one is touch, they used a sensory bin which is a container filled with random objects. The bin could have cotton balls, peanuts, and buttons in it. This helps with the child getting used to different textures. The next sense is smell, the website mentions using bath time for this. You may add scent with bubbles or different body wash. The third sense is hearing, this could be as simple as listening to music. Another way to stimulate hearing for children is to use household items to make homemade music.

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You can probably name all the main senses: sight, sound, taste, touch and smell. But do you know why they're so vital and why they're even more important for children as they grow?

Sensory play focuses on activities that engage your child's senses, helping them develop language skills and motor skills. It also helps with cognitive growth, fosters social interactions and encourages experimentation.

Sensory play can also address two sensory systems that are often overlooked: our proprioceptive and vestibular systems.

Our proprioception sense refers to awareness of one's body. It helps us know where body parts are relative to one another and tells us how much force we need to exert when holding, pushing, pulling or lifting objects.

Our vestibular sense, also known as our movement or balance sense, allows us to maintain balance while engaging in activities.

Examples of sensory play include riding a bike, playing with slime or even just listening to music.

Recreational therapist Leah Young, CTRS, and occupational therapist Suzanne Messer, MS, OTR/L, share why sensory play is so important and what sensory activities you can easily do at home.

Benefits of sensory play

Sensory play plays an important role in your child's development from birth to early childhood. It helps build nerve connections in their brain's pathways, which can help your child complete complex tasks.

"When your child engages in sensory play, they're helping their brain develop and learn from certain aspects of their environment," says Messer.

Here's how sensory play can benefit and help your child.

Helps with language skills

Your child's language skills develop naturally through sensory play.

"When a child participates in any sort of play, sensory included, they're learning through experiences in their environments and learning different ways to communicate emotions, wants and needs," explains Messer.

By engaging the senses, your child will learn how to describe what they're doing and how it feels, eventually using more descriptive words to communicate.

Helps with fine motor skills

Sensory play can help your child develop fine motor skills like tying their shoe, writing and zipping their coat. Through tactile play that focuses on building, pouring and mixing, your child builds on their ability to use small muscle groups and coordinate movements.

"Tactile play is a great way to address and home in on using a child's fine motor skills in a fun way," says Young. "Allowing your child to freely explore small sensory contents like dried pasta, dry cereal, rice or even slime or play dough can strengthen and build their fine motor skills."

Helps with gross motor skills

Gross motor skills include sitting, crawling, jumping and running - activities that use your child's body's large muscles in their arms, legs and core (stomach area).

Whether your child is just learning to walk or has been trying to throw a ball, the key is to allow them plenty of time to practice those skills freely.

Helps with cognitive growth

Asking questions, thinking about how things work, doing experiments and analyzing results are all part of healthy cognitive growth. It's how we learn something new and figure things out. It's also how we problem solve.

"With sensory play, your child is working on problem-solving skills," says Messer. "It encourages them to explore how to play and engage with different experiences as well as how to maneuver challenges they encounter, things like how to get rice from one container to another or how to stay balanced on a swing."

Has a calming effect

Your sensory system can help you calm down. This is particularly important for children as they develop.

"Sensory play can be used to help regulate your overall arousal level," says Messer. "You can use it to stimulate a child who might be a little sluggish. On the other end, sensory play can help a child who might have hyperactivity or trouble paying attention."

The pressure from hugs, weighted lap pads and sensory seats can help soothe and signal that it's time to stay in place.

Fosters social interaction

By engaging in sensory play with siblings or peers, your child begins developing social skills. They'll learn how to communicate, how to troubleshoot problems and learn to adapt to how others play.

"Whether you're at the park on the swings or playing with building blocks, sensory play is something that everyone can engage in," notes Messer. "It's very inclusive."

Sensory play ideas and activities

Young and Messer say it's easy to find activities that stimulate your child's senses. Here are a few ideas.

Sensory bins

Use a plastic tub or large container and fill it with different objects like sand or shredded paper.

Other ideas include:

Young likes creating sensory bins using dried rice, pasta or beans. You can even add tools like small toy shovels or buckets. Depending on your child's age, small toys or figurines can encourage imaginative play as well. Just make sure you're using items that aren't choking hazards and providing supervision when using smaller items like these.

"Let your child explore and get used to the potential unfamiliar textures," suggests Young. "There is no need to direct the play. Take a step back and let your child freely explore and experiment."

Finger painting

Sure, it might be a little messy, but finger painting is a great activity for infants and toddlers. If you're doing so with an infant, help paint their hands and feet with a soft brush and then make prints on a piece of paper. If you're feeling creative, turn their prints into artwork for a cute keepsake. For toddlers, it can be a relaxing activity and help them express their feelings.

To get started, set up an area with paper and finger paints. You can do this outside on a nice day to decrease the mess inside the house or lay down an old blanket or sheet for the child to work on. Then, allow your child to dip, mix and swirl as they'd like.

"It helps children get used to that sensory experience and what the texture of paint feels like," says Young.

Using playdough or slime works just as well.

Playing with food

The next time you want to tell your child to stop playing with their food, think again. Playing with noodles or dry cereal can help develop their senses in a variety of ways.

"By the time they're four to six months old, your child is ready to learn about food," says Messer. "Whether that's touching food or even just watching family members eat."

So, let them taste, squish and smear as they learn about texture, taste and smell.

Playing outside

As the weather warms up, make sure your kids head into the yard for some play time. This is particularly great for toddlers. Think about playing in the sandbox, just running around or even rolling in the grass - these are all forms of sensory play.

Older kids can benefit from playing hopscotch, using the swing set or riding a bike.

"Anything that gets them jumping, crawling, rolling or pushing is great," says Messer.

Bath time

Filling up the tub for bath time has more benefits than just getting your kiddo clean. Everything from the bubbles, toys and splashing can be a sensory experience.

"It can be as simple as adding different smelling bubbles to the water," says Messer.

Listening to music

Even the simple act of listening to music can pay off in terms of your child's development. It can help with vocabulary, lift their mood and even help build coordination.

Beyond just listening to songs, you can have your kids use household items to use as homemade musical instruments - think wooden spoons and pots.

There's no set amount of time your child should engage in sensory play. But know that a lot of sensory play is happening in their daily lives and activities. Here are a few tips on how to get the most out of play time.

Look for ways to add more senses. Even something as small as having your child sit on a pillow while playing with their blocks can engage their balance system. "As a parent or caregiver, think about ways to really amplify sensory experiences," says Messer.

Don't overthink it. You don't have to buy special items or equipment. There are plenty of activities you can already do. "So many of these things are already in your house," notes Young.

But be creative. Try to mix up their experiences by giving them a new food or trying a new activity - basically, try to keep things interesting and engaging for your kids. "For example, try to make bath time a little different," Messer suggests. "Whether that's using a different washcloth to show them a different texture or showing your infant what splashing feels like."

"Sensory play is a way for your kids to become more flexible and adaptable in other areas of their life," says Messer. "By engaging their senses and developing these skills, the world becomes much less scary because they have developed the right tools to handle whatever comes their way."

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What Is Sensory Play? The Benefits For Your Child and Sensory Play Ideas

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Sensory play, or activities that engage all of your child's senses, can help them develop language skills, fine motor skills and cognitive behavior.

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Supporting Children with Special Needs in Play

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Supporting Children with Special Needs in Play

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This website offers why play is essential for children with disabilities. They go into detail about how children with disabilities develop social-emotional, physical and communication skills, and give resources to dive deeper into it. They also give some good insight on how to practice playing with the child, like being a role model, playing interactive or board games, and sharing toys. There is also a section on how to make playing with others easier for children with disabilities. This includes choosing toys/activities, setting up a play area, and helping out if the child needs it.

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Why friendship and play are good for children with disability

Play is central to learning and development for all children. Play and friendship help children with disability learn skills and abilities, including social-emotional, communication and physical skills.

Playing with others can help children with disability have fun and feel included, supported and cared for. This can be great for their self-esteem.

How children with disability learn and develop through play with others

Social-emotional skills
Play and friendships help your child learn about sharing, being patient, cooperating, solving problems, working out what other children are feeling and making friends with other children.

If your child finds it hard to understand and manage emotions and this affects their ability to play with others, a psychologist can help.

Communication skills
Some children with disability might use speech, signing, gestures or communication devices. By being with other children, children with disability can learn new ways of talking, listening and communicating. For example, your child can hear and see how other children use words and gestures to say what they want. And your child can practise using words and gestures too. And other children can learn how your child communicates, which can help your child communicate with them.

Stronger communication skills will help your child express themselves, regulate their emotions and behaviour, and feel confident. This can help them make friends more easily.

If your child's disability makes it hard for them to communicate, a speech pathologist might be able to help.

Physical skills
Friendships can encourage your child to join in with fun social physical activities like running, jumping, throwing balls, dancing, climbing or building things. Getting involved in physical play can improve your child's physical fitness and skills, as well as their confidence, self-esteem and sense of belonging.

If your child has a physical disability that makes it hard to be active, a physiotherapist or occupational therapist can help your child find ways to get involved in movement, games and sports with peers.

Practising play with children with disability

You can help your child practise skills for playing well with others through your everyday play and communication together. This includes skills like sharing, taking turns, listening and being sensitive to other children's feelings.

You can do this by being a role model. By listening, sharing, compromising, seeing things from other people's points of view and showing empathy, you show your child positive ways to interact with others. For example, you can say things like, 'Yes, let's do it that way', 'I would like a turn, please' or 'I don't understand what you mean'.

Playing board games or interactive games is a great way to help your child learn to cooperate, share and take turns. For example, if waiting for a turn is something your child needs to practise, you can remind your child to wait by using a wait card or by just holding up your hand. As your child gets better at waiting for turns, you can cut down on the prompts by using a raised finger instead of a raised hand.

And you can read books with your child on play situations or make social stories or drawings of what might happen in the playground or at child care or preschool. It can also help to talk with your child about how to deal with these situations.

Whenever you see your child sharing, taking turns or playing well in any way, you can give your child praise and encouragement. When you tell your child exactly what you liked, your child is more likely to behave that way again. For example, 'It was nice that you gave the ball to Evan when it was his turn'.

Playing with others: making it easier for children with disability

All children have to learn how to play and get along with others. There are a few things you can do to make playing with others easier for children with disability.

Choosing toys and activities
If you're having a playdate for your child, you can help things along by choosing toys and activities that children of diverse abilities will enjoy. It's also a good idea to have some activities that you know your child can do confidently. Children are much more likely to join in when they feel confident.

For younger children, try activities that give them the choice of playing alone, alongside others or together. Some ideas include:

materials for painting and drawing

books, blocks and construction materials like Duplo or Lego

musical instruments

props for imaginative or dramatic play

outside play.

Setting up a play area
If you're inviting children to your house to play, setting up a play area for them can help things go well. A spacious area that's not too crowded works well, as do different spaces and activities so that children can either play together or alone.

Helping out if needed
Sometimes you might need to step in and help your child handle tricky situations. If you can give your child some words that help with understanding feelings, it might help. For example, 'Sally has taken your toy. It looks like you're feeling angry. It's OK to feel angry. Let's see how we can help'.

You can also teach your child some basic questions and sentences to help with play. For example, 'I would like to play with that too', 'Can we try doing this together?' or 'I don't like it when you do that'.

Mixing and matching
It's great for all children, including children with disability, to be with older and younger children, children the same age, and children with and without disability. This can give your child the chance to have a variety of play experiences and develop patience, acceptance and an understanding of diversity.

If play doesn't go to plan

Things probably won't always go according to plan. We don't make friends with everyone we meet or get along with everyone we know. It's normal to worry if your child is ignored or left out or finds it hard to play with others.

Try to make playing with other children as fun, calm and enjoyable as possible.

Note that playing with other children takes physical and emotional energy, so your child might need to spend time alone after a big play session. As your child gets better at playing with other children over time, they'll naturally gain confidence and independence.

If you're worried that your child might be being bullied, read our tips on how to spot the signs of bullying and what you can do about it.

Understanding play

The way your child plays and makes friends will change through early childhood. Children learn different things from play at different ages and stages, including creativity, flexibility and problem-solving. And the more chances your child has to play, the more your child can learn about how to play.

Solitary play is when children play by themselves and don't pay attention to what others are doing. This stage typically goes up to 15-17 months. It can last longer for children with disability.

Parallel play is when children play alongside each other and might use the same or similar toys as those around them. This stage typically starts at 18-24 months, but it can be later for children with disability.

Associative play is when children make and share things, give each other things, or join in with what other children are doing. This typically starts around 3 years, but it might be later for children with disability.

Cooperative play is when children join together to do activities and work together to finish something. It might also be making up rules or playing games with rules. This typically starts happening at 3-4 years, but it might be later for children with disability.

Children with disability might move through these stages more slowly than typically developing children. This can be because their development is delayed or because they haven't had the same play opportunities as typically developing children. For example, a child with a significant motor disability might find it physically difficult to play alongside other children, give things to other children and join in with activities.

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Play and friendship for children with disability

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Play and friendship are good for children with disability. Here's how to help your child with disability play, make friends and build social skills.

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Maintaining a Safe and Accessible Environment (Inclusive Play) 

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Maintaining a Safe and Accessible Environment (Inclusive Play) 

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An inclusive playground is designed to be accessible to children with various abilities, this means children with physical disabilities or developmental conditions. This resource embarks on what an inclusive playground is, how it helps children, and how it supports their development through play. They allow children to gain confidence through building a new skill set and trying new things. These activities include wheelchair accessible/adaptive/saucer swings, imaginative play opportunities/themes, quiet spaces, tactile/musical elements, slides, and rockers. There are many other benefits listed in this resource, but these are just a few examples of what inclusive playgrounds have to offer. They allow children to be themselves and explore with what they are comfortable with.

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Inclusive playgrounds provide a safe place for children of all abilities. Here’s why that’s important

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Everybody has their own definition on what makes a playground truly inclusive, but there are some throughlines

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This is a great resource for describing how and why outdoor experiences support children’s learning and development. A quote I liked from this website is “They can release energy, use loud voices, play vigorously, and engage in messy project outdoors.” I think this perfectly describes why outdoor play is good for children. This is because it relieves stress, increases creativity, stronger verbal, and social skills, and these are just some of the benefits of outdoor play. Another benefit is that it gets children to take a break from being indoors, which is perfect for school environments. This resource goes into detail about guidance for when playing outdoors and how to stay organized, safe, what materials to use, accessibility, and about in-depth outdoor learning areas. It also has an organized table describing what types of outdoor experiences you can create for children and activities/materials to create a great environment. The outdoor learning areas include quiet, manipulative, physical, nature, social, dramatic, and sensory areas.

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Know

There are many benefits to children and youth playing outside. They can release energy, use loud voices, play vigorously, and engage in messy projects outdoors. In addition, children can explore the plants and animals in their local ecosystem. Research has helped us identify many other benefits to playing outdoors (Children and Nature Network, 2012), such as:

Better physical health

Numerous opportunities to strengthen motor skills

Stress relief

Greater visual-motor integration (or the ability to control hand or body movement guided by vision)

Greater creativity

Stronger verbal and social skills

Production of vitamin D (an essential vitamin for bone health) through exposure to sunlight

Increased attention and cognitive abilities

In addition, playing outdoors and having opportunities to connect with nature may be particularly beneficial for some children with special needs. A study of 7- to 12-year-olds with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), showed that children displayed less severe ADHD symptoms after they spent time in "green" settings, and the greener the outdoor environment, with more grass and trees, the better the effect (Taylor, Kuo & Sullivan, 2001).

We also know that the quality of the outdoor environment matters. Children are more likely to enjoy and engage in environments that are flexible, where equipment is open-ended and can function in multiple ways (e.g., balls, sandboxes, self-constructed forts), and where active play is supported. In fact, playground design can impact children's creative thinking, sense of competence, and motor skill development.

Outdoor environments will look different from program to program. Some might have a wide-open green space, wooded areas, and gardens, whereas others may mostly utilize a paved area. Depending on your school-age program, the outdoor environment may include a dedicated outdoor play space at your program location, or you may use nearby outdoor spaces such as a local park. Some may have permanent climbing and gross-motor equipment, while others have equipment carts that are brought out during outdoor time. It is important to understand the strengths and constraints of the outdoor spaces available to you, so you can proactively consider design ideas and materials that make the most of your outdoor environment.

The purpose of an outdoor environment is to encourage children to be active, to give them a break from being indoors, and to support learning in a variety of environments. Similar to an indoor learning environment, your outdoor space should be safe and organized and include planned activities as well as free time.

To provide some guidance when planning for outdoor learning spaces, the Standards for After School and Youth Development for outdoor environments from the Council on Accreditation suggest:

1. The outdoor space is suitable for a wide variety of activities, active and quiet.

2. There are regular opportunities to participate in outdoor activities (at least 30 minutes of every three-hour block of time at the program).

3. Children and youth can easily access a variety of outdoor equipment and games.

4. Any permanent equipment is suitable for the ages, sizes, and abilities of the children and youth in the program.

When designing a school-age outdoor space, it is important to consider the following:

1. Adequate space for play for the children and youth in your program (large programs may need staggered outdoor times to keep it from being overcrowded).

2. Sheltered space that provides shade and protection from the weather.

3. Easy access to a source of drinking water.

4. Close proximity to a bathroom (to ensure staff maintain staff-child ratios and adequate supervision).

5. Easy access to indoor space (in the event of inclement weather).

6. Accessible storage for outdoor play equipment.

Safe Outdoor Spaces

Continually evaluate your outdoor learning environment to ensure the equipment is safe and the environment is free from preventable risks. You must consider fall zones, surfacing, access to shade, and the conditions of materials and equipment.

Look for these items and correct them before children and youth are permitted to play:

1. Missing or broken parts

2. Protrusion of nuts and bolts

3. Rust and chipping or peeling paint

4. Sharp edges, splinters, and rough surfaces

5. Unstable handholds

6. Visible cracks

7. Unstable non-anchored large play equipment (e.g., playhouses, climbers)

8. Wear and deterioration

9. Broken or worn electrical fixtures or cords

Many programs utilize outdoor spaces and playgrounds that are used by the community in the evenings; perhaps your program shares a community park. Even if your playground is protected by a fence, it is still possible that hazardous materials could find their way onto the playground. Before you take children and youth outside, you must be vigilant about inspecting the outdoor space each day. Look for:

1. Debris: glass, cigarette butts, litter, building supplies

2. Animal excrement and other foreign material

3. Mulch that is spread too thin

4. Standing water, ice, or snow

5. Surfaces that are too hot or cold for children to touch safely

6. Natural objects that might cause harm: sharp rocks, stumps, roots, branches

7. Unsafe insects (anthills, beehives, or wasp nests) or plants

8. Ditches, holes, wells, traps

9. Exposed power lines or utility equipment

Remember to check the temperature of play surfaces. Metal or plastic slides, benches, and poured concrete surfaces can get very hot and very cold. Inspect surfaces for cracks caused by temperature changes or water damage. Follow your program's safety guidelines to ensure that all equipment is in compliance with safety standards. Be sure to use the checklists from the Safe Environments course to monitor and check the safety and security of your program's outdoor space.

Design and Materials

Make the most of the space you have. Not all outdoor spaces are ideal, but that does not mean you have to settle for a playground with only metal play structures and asphalt. Get creative! Your local home improvement store can be a great resource. Utilize recycled materials. Consider filling plastic rain gutters with dirt and letting children and youth use them as planters. Ask for volunteers to install bird feeders or raised garden beds. "Offer materials and tools of the best quality you can afford, materials that let children shape their own ideas and enable them to realize their potential as image-makers and knowledge-builders," writes early-childhood educator Ursula Kolbe in Rapunzel's Supermarket (2015, p. 10).

Your outdoor play space will foster creative play if you include "loose parts," or open-ended play materials, that children and youth can use for construction, such as recycled cardboard boxes, crates, PVC pipes, and milk cartons. Enclosed spaces (e.g., playhouses, forts) that are part of the playground-or, even better, that have been constructed by children and youth themselves-tend to foster pretend play. Just make sure you have good visibility into these spaces.

It is also important to include equipment that will help children and youth work on their gross- motor skills. Gross-motor skills involve large-muscle movements and include running, jumping, throwing, and maintaining balance. Fixed playground equipment is not necessary for children and youth to experience high levels of physical activity outside. In fact, children are often most physically active when they play with portable equipment such as balls, bicycles, and Hula-Hoops.

Accessibility

Just like indoor spaces, outdoor spaces must be organized for independence, easy use, and learning. Children and youth must be able to easily access materials and equipment. Outdoor paths, walkways, and stairs should be clearly marked and free of obstructions. It is important to make sure gross-motor play can happen safely in one area without disrupting play in another area. You will want to separate the quiet activities (art, writing, and reading) from the loud and active activities (ball play, bikes, and running).

Regarding gross-motor equipment, the size and level of equipment must be developmentally appropriate for the children and youth in your classroom. Body size and skill of children can vary greatly for school-age programs in particular, so you will need a variety of different balls, bats, bikes and helmets. There should also be enough gross-motor equipment (e.g., bikes) so that children and youth can use the equipment without a long wait. Outdoor toys such as balls and art or writing materials can be placed in easy-access bins, buckets, containers, or baskets. This will make it easy for children to help clean up when it is time to go back inside.

Consider the needs of individual children. Some children and youth, especially those with special needs, may have difficulties within the outdoor environment. You can make adaptations for these children and youth just like you would in the classroom. You can adjust the materials and spaces (install a wheelchair-accessible swing, install railings, lower or raise gardening plots) to best fit their needs. As discussed in the previous lesson, talk with children's families and your trainer, coach, or administrator, to know what modifications may be necessary. Also, as outdoor play can be a place for "letting loose" and for children to use their louder voices, make sure you have calming spaces available outside. Calming spaces can include an accompanying bin of soothing materials. For more information on guiding children through outdoor calming activities, see the References & Resources section of this lesson.

Outdoor Learning Areas

Carefully design outdoor learning areas to support the full range of children's play and activities. You can create activity areas, much like you do for your indoor space. These areas may include quiet, manipulative, physical, nature, social, dramatic, and art. Many of the same materials you provide indoors can be used to promote engagement outdoors.

The environment should be seen as the third teacher (Wurm, 2005). Children and youth benefit from the outdoors-fresh air, sunshine, open space, exposure to nature and experiences with natural materials. They have opportunities to grow and learn, affecting all areas of development. You can support children and youth by reflecting on the importance of outdoor experiences, asking open-ended questions and planning ways to include these experiences in learning. You can reflect by asking yourself:

As I observe children outdoors, do I notice differences in their attention and learning? What are their interests and are they represented?

How do the children experience the different spaces or areas that have been designed outdoors?

How does the outdoor environment support each child's development?

In what ways do I create areas of inquiry, curiosity, challenge, wonderment, and movement? What ideas are emerging?

How can I support their ideas with provocations?

Additionally, you should consider how to extend the learning that takes place indoors to the outdoor environment. Take note of the ideas, materials, or supports that are used by the children and youth and think about how these can meet developmental goals and encourage similar learning in your outdoor space. Think about the open-ended ideas you can offer school-age children outside. Incorporating these types of ideas enables children and youth to have new experiences that might facilitate making connections or new discoveries.

There are certain elements that should be incorporated into an outdoor environment, when possible, to create a well-rounded learning experience. Examples of these areas and elements are:

Outdoor Learning Area

Activities and Materials

Construction tools, building materials, writing materials, pottery, loose parts (tree cookies, rocks, sticks, pinecones, etc.)

For older children and youth, you could offer sewing, woodworking, or jewelry making, perhaps incorporating natural materials.

Playground equipment, balls, hoops, nets, jump ropes, bicycles and sports activities, group games (tag, field-day activities), obstacle courses

Remember that with the proper safety gear, older children and youth may also enjoy in-line skating or skateboarding

Leaves, bark, seeds, fossils, rocks, pinecones, acorns, measuring tape, clipboards, pencils, magnifying glasses, binoculars, shovels, buckets

You can offer opportunities to examine and explore items or create and tend a garden.

Planning Outdoor Activities

The outdoor learning environment should be an extension of the indoor environment. It should be designed with the same intentionality, and should evoke, inspire and motivate, and it must accommodate the needs of each individual. Learning time in your outdoor space provides limitless options. You can enhance your activities by bringing them outdoors and using natural elements to teach concepts. The following are examples of how to enhance learning by utilizing your outdoor environment:

Activity Category

How to enhance learning with the outdoor environment

Science

Use your surroundings to discuss scientific concepts, such as the water cycle, plant species or solar power. Discuss hydropower by using miniature tools to harness the power of water at the water table.

Math

Use the environment and measure cups of dirt or diameters of tree trunks. Discuss patterns by using those found in nature. You can also use tools to measure the field or playing space for different sports.

Language Arts

Take children outdoors for story time-especially when reading a story that discusses wind, sunshine, or other natural elements. Provide books that help children and youth identify wildlife in your outdoor space. If you plant a garden, ask them to create labels for the different flowers, herbs, or vegetables.

Creative Writing

Use the outdoors as a prompt for creative-writing topics. For example, have school-age children go outside and spend time watching the clouds. They can write a story about the images they find there.

See

Watch the following video on outdoor spaces for school-age children. The outdoor space available will look different for each program, however this video will provide examples of the variety of activities that can be completed outdoors.

Do

Plan: Make your time outside a learning experience by planning fun and creative activities that use your outdoor environment to enhance your topic. As discussed in the next lesson (Materials), you can use children's current interests to help plan more engaging experiences.

Organize: Maintain a clean and organized environment by creating space for materials to be stored when not in use. Help children and youth think about the best spaces to carry out their ideas so they do not disrupt others or make experiences unsafe.

Try it: Don't be afraid to bring the indoors out. Fresh air is always a good thing for children. Conduct some everyday activities like silent reading outdoors for a change of scenery.

Maintain: Ensure safe and healthy environment by implementing your program's policies and by following safety checklists.

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The Outdoor Environment: Designing for Learning

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There are many benefits to children and youth playing outside. They can release energy, use loud voices, play vigorously, and engage in messy projects outdoors. In addition, children can explore the plants and animals in their local ecosystem.

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This resource gives an insight into how an integration of games into the school curriculum can be very beneficial for children’s development. Playing games helps children to think, understand, communicate, remember, imagine, and predict. Involving games into the curriculum increases children being able to problem solve, create, and experiment in a fun way. A couple ways the resource gives to introduce games in the classroom include playing board games, puzzles, and stacking items. Another good way games can impact children is competitive play, this way children can learn to lose and how to react if they win.

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School children develop thinking and learning skills through play. Play ideas for cognitive development include reading, puzzles, crosswords and board games.