ABSTRACT
By providing a context to enable children to find out about themselves, where they live, what people around them do and how they make sense of the environment you are helping children to make sense of the world . You are recognising that 'children learn most effectively when they are actively involved and interested' (Ball 1994). In this chapter 1 will be looking at learning in this area in an holistic manner. I realise that by doing this I may be perpetuating the difficulties practitioners find in providing appropriate activities. However, I believe it is essential to do this for the following reasons:
• the nature of the experience, whether it is adult-led or child-ini tiated is paramount;
• learning about the world around them will always require child ren to use many skills and to develop many ideas.
