ABSTRACT
This chapter explores some of the ways practitioners can make the most of their time with young children outside, regardless of the space they have available. It looks at the lasting impact of not experiencing the outdoors freely in the years following infancy and what practitioners can do to ensure that they give children the best experience of the outdoors. Outdoor learning within the UK is fundamentally different to that in countries such as those in the Scandinavian region, Denmark and Finland. Forest school provision is different to outdoor learning in that settings using the forest school title, must have a qualified forest school practitioner and follow a set of guiding principles. One of the biggest hurdles to outdoor play in early years is the attitudes of parents and their engagement with the importance of outdoor play at the setting.
