Session 5: Developing outdoor provision for babies and young children
Introduction
In the last session you thought about the difficulties and challenges in giving young children outdoor experiences. You also considered some of the ways that these barriers can be overcome. You might now be wondering how, if you are undeterred by poor weather, you have negotiated challenges in gaining access to outdoor space and promoted the importance of outdoor opportunities, you can now ensure that your outdoor provision is as good as it can be for under twos.
This session is going to consider three aspects that will help you develop your outdoor practice. The first section will provide information about the principles of outdoor provision, focusing on criteria outlined by Gould (2012) and Bilton et al. (2005). Then in the second section, you will move on to think about two of Gould’s criteria in more detail, those of surfaces and stimuli. Finally, you will think about what adults can do in the outdoor space to foster the learning and development of babies and toddlers.
Before you go any further, listen to the following audio in which author Polly Bolshaw introduces the session.
Transcript
POLLY BOLSHAW: In the last session, you considered what the risks and challenges are when considering opportunities for babies and toddlers to engage with the outdoors. In this session, you're going to move on to thinking about how you can develop your outdoor practice with under twos. You're going to consider three aspects that will help you develop your outdoor provision for babies and toddlers.
Firstly, you'll be thinking about some of the principles of outdoor provision, such as surfaces, stimulus, staffing, shade, and shelter. To do this, you'll consider criteria outlined by early years consultant Terry Gould, as well as Professor Helen Bilton and her colleague. After that, you will then move on to thinking about two of Terry Gould's criteria in more detail by considering in particular what effective outdoor services are for under twos and what stimuli can be introduced to outdoor environments to provoke and pique young children's interest.
And then, finally, you'll be thinking about people and places. You will look at what both practitioners and parents can be doing in the outdoor space to foster the learning and development of babies and toddlers. Then, you will look at how developing effective practice for babies and toddlers means taking them on off site visits too.
At the end of this session, childminder Sharon Powell will share details of the outdoor opportunities that she offers to the under twos in her setting and her tips on how others can develop their outdoor provision for young children.
By the end of this session, you will be able to:
- describe the principles of engaging outdoor provision for babies and toddlers
- outline what effective outdoor spaces may look like in relation to their surfaces and stimuli
- describe the role of the adult in engaging outdoor provision for babies and young children.