Outdoor Play Environments

Oneness with Nature

Vanishing Habitats for Outdoor Play

Traffic severely limits outdoor play

More people, less play space

School and work schedule

Outdoor Play Offers Unique

Opportunities Children knowledge

of the outdoors Children are

multisensory, active physical beings

Humans evolved outdoors

Freedom in the outdoors

The democracy of the outdoors

Outdoors connects to the community

Considerations in Designing Play Areas

Taking an inventory Clarifying goals for children Analyzing play space More play leading to more activities Zoning the playground

Five “Zones” of Activities (Guddemi and Eriksen)

Nature Adventure Active Play

Quiet Play & Quiet Learning happen everywhere

Active

Nature

Adventure

Zones Dispersed Within Outdoor Environments

Consider Providing Loose Parts

More Considerations in Design

Local climate and weather

Ensuring Staff Involvement

Creativity Planning on Asphalt

Ensuring Staff Involvement

Ensuring Children in Planning

Further Considerations

Making an overall action planProvide play leadersMaintaining the outdoor environment

Bring the Great Outdoors to Your School

“The great delight and learning that await children in the outdoors are too precious to relinquish. Yet, for many children, school is the only place where such play is still possible” Mary Rivkin