Review

Playing and Learning Outdoors: making provision for high-quality experiences in the outdoor environment with children 3-7

Professional Books
By Jan White (Routledge, £17.99)

Jan White is a respected expert on the outdoors and this second edition of her popular text has been updated to reflect the latest thinking on the importance of outdoor play. The emphasis is on ensuring that all-weather play is accessible to every child in a setting and the need for practitioners who are enthusiastic and confident about this area.

The book starts with how to provide natural materials outdoors, moving on to areas such as providing experiences of the living world, setting up water play, encouraging physical play and movement and providing imaginative and creative play. There is also a chapter on construction and den play outdoors.

A new chapter goes beyond the boundaries of the nursery with a guide to 'Providing experiences beyond the garden walls', designed to encourage practitioners to look to their community and locality when it comes to providing children with valuable outdoor play experiences.

It is all about understanding a holistic approach to the outdoors and possessing the practical know-how to make it happen.