Nursery World - Special Report: Strategies to make play experiences inclusive

Ensuring that outdoors learning and play experiences are available to all children regardless of need and ability is a priority at some early years settings. By Karen Hart

Outdoor play is by its nature child-led, explorative, challenging and unpredictable. And as the most powerful environment for learning and development, it is essential that all children have the opportunity to benefit from it.

An outdoor space should deliver more than the sum of its parts – but those parts should be accessible to all. A child’s use of the outdoors will be as unique as they are themselves. Keen observations, supported by being open-minded, are essential to a ‘can do’ mindset. It’s not just about focusing on a child’s ability to use equipment and move around the area. It’s about understanding what they can do, rather than what they can’t – and particularly what they want to do, so their individuality and choices are not sidelined.

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