Despite the emphasis on outdoor learning in the Early Years Foundation Stage, experts say there is a generation gap among early years practitioners in their understanding of the value and importance of taking children outside.
'We have gone through a "loss of use" of the outside as part of everyday culture for a very large percentage of the nation,' says Jacky Brewer, senior early years officer at Learning through Landscapes (LTL). 'This, in turn, has desensitised generations of people who have not had role models to help them use the outside space as part of their normal everyday living and practice.'
She adds, 'There are pockets of excellence and there are a lot of people who are Outdoor Learning Champions. But from my experience, there has been a huge decline in the knowledge and understanding of the importance for children of going outside.'
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