Outdoor Play

What can children learn outdoors?

Adapted from The Creative Curriculum for Preschool, 2010

Outdoor Learning Promotes…Social-EmotionalMotorLanguage & LiteracyCognitive

Creating the Environment Hang bird feeders Grow plants Have balls of different sizes Have bubble solution and a variety of wands A parachute Use chalk outside Paint on an easel or paint with water on the building Plastic pies and elbows for water and sand play Create crates for special activities such as a camping

crate, building crate, painting crate, digging crate

Climbing Ball skills -throw, kick, catch, bounce Obstacle course Invite a friend to work or play together Sharing Following safety rules

Social Emotional & Motor

Language & Literacy Listen to the outside sounds and imitate them Names of insects, birds plants, vehicles, play toys Look for signs Descriptors like fuzzy, dirty, sticky, wet, shiny, fast,

slow, hard Ask questions, talk about how to do something

Find bugs, leaves, pine cones, seeds

Watch bubbles floating, plants growing and the seasons changing

Observe weather and seasonal changes

Use a magnifying glass to look more closely at what is outside.

Cognitive

Teaching staff roles Introduce new vocabulary, model correct grammar, and

encourage conversation

Talk about and demonstrate concepts such as size, color, location, and sequence

Use open-ended questions to prompt children to name, describe, and explain

Scaffold interactions between children to support sharing, turn-taking, negotiation, and problem-solving

Teach specific skills when needed