We had nothing when I started outdoor learning in my school – just concrete and a couple of trees,’ recalls Early Years Outdoor Learning trainer Jackie Slaughter. ‘I would get a bag of leaves from the common and collect sticks at the weekend. I used to ring around big builders’ merchants and ask if they could donate tools. We used to take all the children to B&Q – they were very good at giving us end of range stuff for free.’
Ms Slaughter’s experience captures a key point about outdoor learning: resources can be simple, cheap and easy to source. But as well as educational items, what do practitioners need, and how should resources be stored?
Many settings consider purchasing waterproof clothing and wellies for children. In Scotland, the government has launched an outdoor winter clothing fund for children worth £1 million. But Play Learning Life director Julie Mountain says managers should also equip staff with the right outdoor ware. ‘It sends a really clear message that managers value the time staff spend outdoors. Settings should be providing over-trousers and water- and windproof jackets.’
Ms Mountain recommends staff buy their own footwear, hats, scarfs and gloves, and cites the importance of modelling for children by donning sun hats and cream in the summer. ‘A basket of sun creams of various SPFs and formulations is a good idea,’ she says.
Other resources that can help staff feel more confident about being outside include bells, which they can ring to get children’s attention rather than shouting across large spaces. She also advocates a ‘bag of everythingness: a palm drill, secateurs, mini first-aid kit, ball of twine, cable ties, duct tape, a few permanent markers, a whittler, a knife and large scissors. The bag hangs above children’s reach, on a branch.’
When it comes to choosing educational resources, this all depends on the space available. ‘They need sand, dirt, water and grass,’ states Ms Mountain. ‘Shade and shelter, whether it’s from trees and bushes or a shade sail. And hidey holes – places where children can retreat.’ She recommends mark-making materials be available in several locations, such as hanging pens from a tree. Books can be cut up, laminated and rejoined with treasury tags. And she suggests settings source recycled goods: pans and pots for a mud kitchen donated by parents or bought from charity shops.
When it comes to storage, low-value items can be left where they are in a sand pit, for example, or piled up outside under a tarpaulin. Ms Mountain suggests adding labels and photos of items to help children remember where they belong.
Tidying up is part of the outdoor learning experience, says The Outdoor Teacher founder and managing director Marina Robb. ‘A shed is really helpful. Adding a few shelves and hooks too, or a way to set up access to resources so children know where to get things they need.’
Ms Robb emphasises that basing resources on natural materials, household objects and loose parts will mean there is ‘something for everyone’. And some resources are completely free, such as raindrops, which children can count as they fall on their tongue. ‘You really don’t need many resources to bring outdoor learning to life.’
CASE STUDY: Palace Day Nursery, Milton Keynes
Manager Sayyeda Meghji says her setting had planned to extend its outdoor space, but the coronavirus pandemic prompted it to make the adaptations more quickly. The nursery had a small back garden, and after converting a car park it now has separate areas for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers to maintain bubbles.
First, Ms Meghji secured the space with additional fencing, then created ‘soft’ areas using grass mats. The team hung up mirrors, chalkboards and sensory boards on brick walls, added a mud kitchen, sand pit and a climbing area, and provided outdoor cushions for reading areas, among other additions.
To save money, Ms Meghji contracted a local handyman to fashion a play car from used wooden pallets. He also built hollow building blocks. ‘Our handyman is making us a trolley to store the bricks because we forgot to think about storage of those,’ she says. ‘You can order all these lovely resources, but if they’re not kept well it can be difficult.’
At the end of the day, staff cover larger resources with made-to-measure covers. Ms Meghji is awaiting the delivery of a shed in which to store smaller toys and resources.
The setting provides children with outdoors all-in-ones and wellies. Ms Meghji is also planning to purchase waterproof coats for staff. She says that as a result of Covid precautions, staff are more willing to work outdoors. ‘It’s been a big learning curve,’ she says. ‘All of these resources can be expensive, but not as expensive as I would have thought. Something good has come out of the pandemic.’
