Leave No Child Inside!A Study of ECE Outdoor Program Environments

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Harvest Resourceswww.ecetrainers.com

How do you think about playgrounds for children?

Do you see them as places to blow-off steam, giving children a break from the important lessons you plan for your classroom? Leave No Child Inside invites you to transform conventional thinking about outdoor environments, and to plan them as thoughtfully as your indoor environments for learning.

In his important book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Children from Nature Deficit Disorder, Richard Louv reminds us that unlike television (and we might add school), nature does not steal time. It amplifies it. It offers new possibilities.

The out-of-doors offers a larger world for children. It can provide places for freedom, exploring, and solace.Being in natural outdoor environments helps children thrive not only physically, but socially, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually.

Likewise, there are human costs that come with alienation from nature. Today’s children are experiencing the symptoms: stress, obesity, fear, depression, and ADHD.

Well designed playgrounds help change these conditions for children—reducing stress, sharpening their concentration, and promoting creative problem solving. We can nurture children’s enthusiasm for the out-of-doors and their commitment to protecting nature for generations to come.

Beyond safety guidelines and risk management, this study guide invites you to consider these elements when planning outdoor environments for young children:

Connecting children to natureCaring for plants and creatures

Landscaping for adventure and dramaCreating places to feel powerful & competentDesigning cozy spaces and gathering placesEnhancing play with props and activitiesDefining spaces for people and things

Connecting Children to Nature

Why is the natural world important for children?

• Learning to notice the details of texture, color, smell, and sound

• Finding one’s place in the cycle of life• Becoming a steward of plants and

creatures• Finding the joys of water, dirt, and sand

Learning to notice the details…

What colors & textures can you find?

How would you feel in this place?

Finding one’s place in the cycle of life

Becoming a steward of plants and creatures

Finding the joys of water, dirt, & sand

Moving water

Adding more dimensions

INSPIRATION

Conserving water with a dog lick

Sand beyond the box

And don’t forget…

the value of dirt

And the joys of excavation!

Landscaping for Adventure and Drama

Landscaping for adventure and drama

Look around your outdoor play area. Are there places thatengage a sense of wonderprovoke curiosity and a desire to investigate?

Can children do the work of a scientistan ecologistor archeologist?

Can they conquer fears, take risks,develop courage and become heroes?

Building in pathways

guide children to journeys, mysteries, destinations, and discoveries.

Pathways

draw children

to explore, soar, and discover

how to focus their

physical energy and

imagination.

Pathways

INSPIRATION

Where could you add a pathway in

your play area?

INSPIRATION

Adding platforms

Places to get up

Places to get under

Creating places to feel powerful and competent

Building muscles

Building confidence

Building imaginations

INSPIRATION

INSPIRATION

Learning to keep yourself safe when you take risks

INSPIRATION

Designing cozy spaces & gathering places

The outdoors is not just for big energy, but also for relaxing, letting nature be your nest.

Do you have cozy places in your play yard?

Places where a few can gather ?

INSPIRATION

INSPIRATION

Places for an audience when it’s time for a show?

INSPIRATION

Being in the fresh air clears your head and opens your heart.

Enhancing play with props & activities

When you bring indoor things outside,

you expand the possibilities with

A different quality of lightMore space

Less worry about mess.

Loose parts can travel and become tools, forts, props for representing

ideas and extending dramas.

Defining spaces for people and things

Some final thoughts about outdoor environments

Fences and gates should not only protect a playground, but also foster good feelings.Define each outdoor play area as carefully as you do indoor areas.

Create storage and clean up systems in convenient locations.

Even when your space is small, you can plan for different interest areas.

Storage systems

Clean-up systems

And, one more thing…

Create outdoor spaces for families and teachers too!

As you study the ideas herebegin to make a plan for your program.

What can you do differently tomorrow?

What could you have in place in a month?

What is your goal for the next few years?

Connecting children to natureCaring for plants and creatures

Landscaping for adventure and dramaCreating places to feel powerful & competentDesigning cozy spaces and gathering placesEnhancing play with props and activitiesDefining spaces for people and things

Leave no child inside.

For further inspiration, readRichard Louv (2006), Last Child in the Woods.

Saving Our Children from Nature Deficit DisorderNY: Algonguin

You can prevent nature deficit disorder!

Visit Harvest Resources for ongoing information.

www.ecetrainers.com