Two of the central aims of Early Childhood Outdoors are to connect people and organisations who are working to provide strong outdoor experiences for young children and to dig into what it means to provide education through play outdoors. Dr. Natalie Canning’s research on Children’s Empowerment in Play fits perfectly with these aims, so I’m …
This week I read an excellent post by Elaine Bennett, Sit still, be quiet – and mind the gap! on the Right From the Start website and found myself equally perturbed by the approach described of the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme that is being heavily funded by the Government for children in Reception. Everything …
It’s been some time since we shared another of Kathy Brodie’s 16 interviews from the Spring 2018 Outdoor Play and Learning summit, and this one is so very relevant as we welcome many more families back to early years settings in the UK with a focus on wellbeing and a ‘green recovery’. Alongside the global …
The most powerful trend in early childhood environment design across the world Read More »
One of the aims for Early Childhood Outdoors is to help people committed to working with the outdoors to dig more deeply into what it means to provide education outdoors, thinking further about how in partnering with the outdoors we can nurture wellbeing and growth. For educators, working outdoors seems to prompt a different way of relating …
Supporting autonomy in early childhood settings: The whys and hows Read More »
A strand of work for Early Childhood Outdoors that is currently making great progress is that of supporting and promoting the range of training opportunities providing the kind of personal and setting development practitioners are looking for. There is a need for training that helps us give children more time and wider experiences outdoors, and …
Wellbeing: the self, other, our mental health and nature Read More »
Everyone knows the term Kindergarten, and most likely knows that this term meaning ‘Garden of Children’ was invented by Friedrich Froebel – but not so many will be aware of just how rich and profound Froebel’s thinking was, and just how deeply this understanding is woven into early childhood care and education today. Of course, …
Learning in the outdoors and listening to Froebel Read More »
It’s always fascinating to listen the thinking that sits underneath provision and practice outdoors, and to hear about the journey people have taken and how that happened. A couple of weeks ago, Rachel was part of a small group within the Early Childhood Outdoors meshwork discussing (online) how those involved in all-outdoor nurseries might develop …
Early Childhood Outdoors is keen to share resources that support the mission of “more children thriving outdoors, more often and for longer, benefiting from richer and more meaningful environments offering authentic, rewarding and satisfying experiences”. We are especially enthusiastic when we can share and promote new materials produced by those who are part of the growing ECO …
Continuing with a previous ECO blog theme of harnessing the incredible richness of the locality and community that wraps around every early years setting, Kathryn Solly shares the ‘Expeditions’ practice that developed over several years during her time as ‘head learner’ at Chelsea Open Air Nursery School (COANS) in central London. This is an additional …
Nicola Kemp and Jo Josephidou previously drew our attention to the first report from their two-year Froebel Trust funded research project, ‘A life ‘in and with nature?’ An exploration of outdoor provision in baby rooms’, which summarised their search of the research literature (and the lack of it!) and highlighted some key issues arising from …
Babies and toddlers making connections with their world Read More »
