The outdoors and the licence to play freely there is the greatest resource that parents and practitioners can offer to young children, writes Paddy Beels
Children and staff are now returning to nursery and school with the memories of their summer holidays. For as long as I can remember - as a child, a parent and a teacher - when the summer term ended, the holidays stretched out before me as if they would go on forever.
I can remember when for a child the holidays consisted of weeks with little organisation. My friends and I played games like hide and seek, hopscotch and jacks, built dens with a clotheshorse and blanket, cooked mud pies, created miniature gardens and perfume with rose petals, walked on precarious stilts made from golden syrup tins, and played in the long grass of the 'side patch'. We played outdoors throughout the summer. I am sure that these experiences influenced my life and my attitude to children and their learning.
Now, many children will have had this summer holiday organised for them: play schemes, special activities, theme parks, McDonald's and shopping. Many children now have bedrooms resembling entertainment centres.
In many respects, I suppose, there has never been a better time to be a child. Their lives are loaded with stimulation. But sadly, there is no time or space left to simply 'be' - to freely play, talk, observe, reflect, imagine, in their own world or with friends. Indoor, sedentary lifestyles and fatty diets are also leading to more than 20 per cent of under-fives being overweight and some showing signs of potential heart disease.
It is not just physical health that suffers when outdoor play is restricted. When children are cooped up indoors at home, nursery or school, with no opportunity to let off steam or develop physically, they are often perceived to be 'naughty' or 'hyperactive'. Many problems experienced by today's children are the result of the lifestyles imposed upon them by adults, both practitioners and parents.
At the beginning of the last century, nursery educator Margaret McMillan said, 'The best classroom and the widest cupboard is roofed only by the sky', maintaining that children need outdoor space as much as food and air.
Outdoor play is an essential element for healthy development, physically, socially, emotionally and intellectually. If we support children's intellectual development then we have to give them opportunities for gross physical activity. Children whose learning style is kinaesthetic, especially boys, learn more happily and effectively outdoors, where behaviour issues diminish.
If children are to benefit fully from their outdoor experiences, the attitudes and values of adults are crucial. Many of the areas of concern and anxiety to be overcome are safety, health, weather, behaviour, curriculum and learning. The key, as always, is relationships - trust, respect, understanding and involvement. It is our professional responsibility to reassure parents of the benefits of regular access to quality outdoor provision. Time to discuss what has been happening, children's interests and learning, maybe using photos, video and observations, is valuable for parents.
Children need to be safe and secure, but they also need opportunities to take risks and tackle challenges, developing confidence and self-esteem. Having considered potential risks and hazards and taken suitable action, have faith in children's competence!
Adults and children both need to be comfortable, warm, dry and shaded, to enjoy our range of weather. Wellies, waterproofs, warm clothes and sunhats are essential kit for all settings.
Outdoor play, with appropriate, accessible resources in a well-organised environment, balancing children's freedom with adult involvement, offers children rich learning opportunities across the whole curriculum.
It is our joint responsibility as practitioners and parents to ensure that quality play experiences are a memorable part of childhood.
