By Tracey Hobbs - Early Years Service Officer
Most of us appreciate that for children, connecting with nature and the world around them is life-enhancing.
We therefore strive to make the most of the opportunities to be outdoors within our local community, to promote children's play, learning and development.
We may assume that childminders all have their own garden for children to use, but this is not always the case.
Childminders operate in both rural and urban areas across the country and, like many families, may have limitations resulting from where they live and the space that is available.
Yet childminders are often particularly good at making use of the outdoors to enhance children's opportunities and experiences.
This tells us that although not having a garden might add additional challenges around getting outdoors, we can all become experts at thinking outside the box and create opportunities for the children we care for to explore their immediate environments.
How can we expand on existing outdoor play opportunities?
Outdoor play does not have to be expensive. Being outside is an essential part of the day. Whether it is simple activities like walking the dog, walking to and from school to drop off and pick up other children, or responding to a child’s own needs and interests by taking a trip to the woods, outdoor play-based learning activities can be easily incorporated into the daily routine.
Whether you are a childminder, practitioner, or a parent, and wherever you live, there are opportunities to provide quality, outdoor play-based learning for children.
Questions to consider
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How can you build on what you already do at home, or in your setting to enhance the quality and delivery of outdoor experiences?
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How can you add to existing daily routines or favourite play activities by incorporating your own outdoor space or by accessing outdoor space elsewhere?
Find local green space
There are green spaces to be found even in the most urban communities, sometimes where you least expect them. Search your local maps, or better still, go exploring with children to discover new areas to visit.
Joining and using local allotments can also be very rewarding – visit to find out about allotments in your area.
Use free and found materials
It is not necessary to purchase expensive equipment such as gazebos, playhouses, swings and other outdoor play resources to enable outdoor play.
Such items may make it more convenient to play outdoors and look impressive in a garden, but they have their limitations.
Natural materials and especially those materials we call ‘free and found’ give children far more options for play than a large piece of equipment that often reduces the opportunity for children play in a way that best meets their needs.
Instead, using what you already have to hand can create an environment that encourages children to use their imagination.
For example, children can move around materials such as logs, planks of wood, milk crates, and to create their own challenging obstacles courses or a new habitat. Large cardboard boxes, tarpaulin, ropes, and pegs are great for den building (under supervision of course).
Join a group and share ideas
Another option when thinking about how to extend outdoor play and learning opportunities, is to consider joining up with other childminders, parents or groups to undertake activities together.
Share ideas within your new-found community about good places to take children for outings or walks.
Find out about sites that offer free access, such as your local , or other venues that may be willing to offer a discount to larger groups.
Just get out there!
When children are outdoors they thrive! There is so much to explore, and much more space and freedom to move around, which means children are free to create their own games and make decisions about their play. 
Use the natural environment whenever you can. The world around us is there to be explored and best of all, nature changes with the seasons, offering new possibilities all year round.
Wherever you are, the outdoors is just waiting to be discovered by eager young minds.
— Look out for daily blogs throughout our National Week of Play, as we explore different aspects of play and its benefits, with plenty of ideas on how to support play in the early years along the way.
— And if you want a free resource pack with more ideas, visit our National Week of Play page, register via the online form and you'll get a link to the resource pack. Or just click the button below...
