8.3 Outdoor Learning Environment Design
Jennifer Karshna, Ph.D.
A high quality, developmentally appropriate ECE classroom has spaces for indoor and outdoor play (Bullard, 2013). A fully outdoor program is one in which children are outside all of the time and often such programs are in natural settings such as wooded areas. For the purposes of this chapter, OLE design will refer to programs that use indoor and outdoor spaces rather than those that are fully outdoors.
The outdoor space will be referred to as the OLE (outdoor learning environment). It is referred to as such because young children are always learning, including when they are outdoors! The OLE is an extension of what happens inside and it provides different learning opportunities than the indoor environment (Karshna, 2021). Children develop language and literacy, math, social, and problem solving skills in the OLE, just as they do inside the classroom, when the OLE is created and used with intention and purpose. Children’s learning in the OLE is enhanced if the teacher is aware and intentional in supporting development in these areas while outside with the children.
Additionally, the OLE provides opportunities that are different from indoors (Kleppe, 2018). The OLE has more space for gross motor/physical activity, differing sensory experiences (think of the feeling of different temperatures and the wind, or of sounds such as birds), more opportunity for risk-taking, and the experiences that lead to developing an appreciation for the natural world (Beery & Jørgensen, 2018; Bento & Costa, 2018).
In many programs, the outdoor space design is predetermined by where things such as a manufactured play structure or natural elements such as trees are placed. Nevertheless, teachers can make enhancements to the OLE in order to increase children’s learning. Key elements of a well-designed OLE are: (a) a combination of manufactured and natural items, (b) a combination of stationary and moveable items, (c) boundaries and visibility for safety, and (d) ensuring opportunities for risk-taking and physical activity.
A combination of manufactured and natural items contributes to children’s learning (Olsen & Smith, 2017). This pertains to programs that use indoor and outdoor spaces and likely would not work in a fully outdoor program. Manufactured items are things such as climbing structures, wheeled toys, balance beams, buckets, shovels, play stove and sink, and anything that is made. This includes items made of wood as well as plastic and other materials. Natural items are those found in nature: sticks, rocks, trees, puddles, etc. Including both manufactured and natural items can lead to a variation of children’s play and engagement in the OLE (Kleppe, 2018; Olsen & Smith, 2017; Zamani, 2016).
Another combination that is beneficial in OLE design is including both stationary and movable items (Goodenough et al., 2021; Olsen & Smith, 2017). Stationary items are things that cannot be moved such as a play structure, rock, or tree. Moveable items are portable. People can move them from one place to another. Moveable items are often referred to as loose parts (Nicholson, 1971). Both fixed and moveable items can be either manufactured (made) or natural. Although many natural moveable items can be present in the OLE, teachers may remove them with the intention of promoting safety. One example is the use of sticks. Some adults are uncomfortable with children using sticks because they feel someone could get hurt. An injury could occur; however, children can also play safely with items such as sticks and rocks, especially if they are three years and older and do not mouth things. As needed, teachers can provide supervision and guidance for use of sticks and rocks, and they should assess the appropriateness for the age level. Big rocks and sticks that do not fit into toddlers’ mouths are likely safe for use. They may or may not be able to move them; however, they may find them interesting and use them for something such as climbing.
Supervision and safety are important both indoors and out. Teachers need to arrange the indoor environment so they can see children. Visibility is important outdoors as well; however, it may be a bit more challenging outside. Setting boundaries of where children can play is a safety strategy that can help with visual supervision. Many ECE programs have self-contained OLEs with fences surrounding them, so there is a boundary around the perimeter. Such boundaries may help with visibility, and teachers can also decide where to stand, strategically placing themselves so that all areas of the OLE are visible. If that is not possible, teachers can move around so that the areas in which children are playing are visible. Supervision and safety are very important and should never be overlooked. However, it is also teachers’ responsibility to interact and support children’s learning. For this reason, teachers work as best they can to for an OLE design that supports both supervision and teaching (McClintic & Petty, 2015).
Allowing children’s risk-taking and physical activity are aspects of how teachers support learning and development in the OLE. Play and engagement in the OLE provides opportunities for both risk-taking and physical activity. However, teachers can assess the environment and often enhance what is already there. For example, a large stick/small log can be moved, which would likely require a lot of physical effort for children, especially very young ones. A larger log might serve as a balance beam. Such items can be brought into the OLE without requiring a major redesign. These are a couple of examples to illustrate the point of OLE design and including opportunities for risk-taking and physical activity. The key is to keep in mind that children tend to engage in more risk-taking and physical activity in the OLE and because of this the teacher can take advantage of this and ensure there are many opportunities for children to do so.
This section addressed some of the key elements in a well-designed OLE, which are combinations of manufactured and natural items, a combination of stationary and movable items, boundaries and safety, and ensuring there are opportunities for risk-taking and physical activity. Each OLE is unique, as are the children and teachers who use it. The purpose of this section was to provide information about using the OLE for teaching and learning and to share ideas that may spark thinking about ways to enhance OLEs as an extension of and different from the indoor learning environment. The next section will address the temporal environment.
Attributions
- Figure 8.2: Untitled by Administration for Children and Families, Office of Childcare in the Public Domain; Materials produced by federal agencies are in the public domain and may be reproduced without permission.
Please look for related terms in the Glossary
things found in nature, such as sticks and rocks
moveable items; a term that is commonly used in ECE for moveable items