Take early education outdoors – even in winter

Midwinter, post-Christmas, cold, dark and damp mornings and evenings.Probably the last thing a lot of teachers feel like doing is being on outdoor play duty, let alone spending a considerable part of the day outside.However, if you teach in the early years, you will no doubt understand that most children don’t quite share an adult’s distaste of freezing, murky weather. And as facilitators of their learning, we should be actively encouraging their outdoor play for a variety of reasons.Let’s start with the learning. The Scottish government has produced a document for educators simply called ‘Outdoor Learning’, and it is essential reading.Amid much talk about "knowledge-rich curriculums" and "retaining more knowledge", the document points out that “the multi-sensory experience outdoors helps children and young people to retain knowledge more effectively. There are opportunities for pupils to learn with their whole bodies on a large scale.”A lot of early years pedagogy relates to experiential learning, linking back to Piaget and Dewey. Montessori practitioners cite experiential learning as an "essential constituent" of the teaching method. And it is not only school/nursery-based education that offers experiential outdoor learning: the Forestry Commission runs sessions on Experiential Learning and Outdoor Play, promoting getting families outdoors.