ABSTRACT
The terrain in the Scandinavian countries includes many mountains in the northern parts, especially on the western coast of Norway, and more flat landscape in the southern parts and especially in Denmark. In all three Scandinavian countries, early childhood education and care (ECEC) is placed within the wider educational system as a part of lifelong learning. One of the important values in Scandinavian ECEC is the acknowledgement of outdoor play and outdoor life as an important part of children's lives. The fundamental approach of Scandinavian ECEC settings is that children are naturally curious, and they explore their world and capabilities using their whole bodies. Although Scandinavian ECEC commonly focuses on outdoor education, an increasing trend is also seen for outdoor ECEC provision, so-called outdoor pre-schools, with a particularly strong focus on outdoor play and learning. In Norwegian ECEC, time spent outdoors is closely related to non-organised play and physical activity.
