ABSTRACT
Chapter 9: Creative places and spaces
In this chapter, we consider ways of using outdoor, natural environments to develop, in particular, social aspects of learning in Physical Education such as listening, trust, co-operation, teamwork, decision-making, problem-solving, turn-taking, how to manage risk and ‘to develop a sense of fairness, justice and respect’ (Harris, 2019: 4). We have chosen two outdoor, natural environments to explore as creative places: forest or woodland and beach and offer a variety of activity suggestions. We argue that it is possible to use Physical Education holistically and that these inspiring environments are creative places and offer spaces to teach more integrated aspects of Physical Education, to enable the learners to apply their knowledge, skills and understanding. The use of the natural environments of the forest and the beach can inspire and motivate learners physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively. Learners can develop greater confidence, social skills, vocabulary, physical knowledge and understanding, communication skills, concentration and resilience. Furthermore, such physical and creative opportunities enable learners to develop greater self-awareness, self-regulation and ability to weigh up risk and stay safe. They display intrinsic motivation, empathy and independence, and can recognise that different tasks affect the body in different ways thereby developing greater body awareness and physical literacy.
