Outdoor Play Environments
Oneness with Nature
Vanishing Habitats for Outdoor Play Traffic severely limits outdoor play More people, less play space School and work schedule
Outdoor Play Offers Unique Opportunities Children knowledge of the outdoors Children are multisensory, active physical beings Humans evolved outdoors Freedom in the outdoors The democracy of the outdoors Outdoors connects to the community
Considerations in Designing Play Areas Taking an inventory Clarifying goals for children Analyzing play space More play leading to more activities Zoning the playground
Five Zones of Activities (Guddemi and Eriksen) Nature Adventure Active Play Quiet Play & Quiet Learning happen everywhere
Active
Nature
Adventure
Zones Dispersed Within Outdoor Environments
Consider Providing Loose Parts
More Considerations in Design Local climate and weather
Ensuring Staff Involvement
Creativity Planning on Asphalt
Ensuring Staff Involvement
Ensuring Children in Planning
Further Considerations Making an overall action plan Provide play leaders Maintaining the outdoor environment
Bring the Great Outdoors to Your School The great delight and learning that await children in the outdoors are too precious to relinquish. Yet, for many children, school is the only place where such play is still possible Mary Rivkin