Our booklet makes the case that young children must be able to play outside a great deal, every single day, throughout their childhood years.
Written by Professor Jan White, Early Years Outdoors expert.
Produced by Liz Edwards, founder & director of Muddy Faces.
Extracts from the Introduction...
The science can help us to think more deeply about the question. As part of a series presenting the very many reasons that our youngest children need to be outdoors so much, this booklet attends to what is currently understood about the neuro-physiological aspects of child development and brain/body functioning that require the conditions provided by the outdoor environment - and which are usually limited or absent indoors.
It draws together scientific studies in the biology of early childhood development, the researched effects of being outdoors, and how healthy child development is supported by active play in the outdoors. The focus here is on the biochemical process in brains and bodies that are influenced both by the conditions of the outdoor environment itself and by the ways children can be when they are outside. Evolution happened outside and development requires the outdoors Simply being outside is important!
Just being outside has wide-ranging effects on physical and mental wellbeing, and it is a very different place that provides so much for brains, bodies and spirits. For almost all of the long history of human evolution (including of course the ancestors of the first homo sapiens), children and adults spent almost all of each day outside, so our evolution has been significantly shaped by the conditions of these outdoor environments.
The booklet addresses the following areas • Natural light • Vitamin D and the immune system • Cool, fresh air • Forest bathing and aromatherapy • Highly sensory, multi-sensory, embodied learning • Sensory development • Sensory integration • Developing good vision • Supporting healthy eyes and sight • The importance of being active • Active play does so much! • Moving makes children happy • Movement supports thinking and learning.
Reasons To Be Outside makes the case that young children must be able to play outside a great deal, every single day, throughout their childhood years.
Opening up the outdoors builds on the remarkable success of Jan White and Liz Edwards' previous Mud Play initiative, which aimed to deepen the understanding, importance, value and range of experiences from mud play.
Putting Values into Practice is one of the 'establishing beliefs' booklets that underpin the understanding and thinking about being outdoors in the early years. This forms part of the Opening Up the Outdoors initiative developed by Professor Jan White and Liz ...
This Loose Parts Play booklet aims to help you to establish your own clear vision, together with core values for loose parts play outdoors that are shared in your setting. Building from this firm base, you will then be able to ...
This booklet gives guidelines and ideas on how to develop your mud kitchen, what you might need and ideas on how to use it!
Mental health & being outdoors
Articles & reports on the impact of spending time outdoors on mental health.
Read More about Mental health & being outdoors
Child led play
At Muddy Faces we feel it is vitally important to consider a child-led approach when making activities available to your groups.
We asked Jan White, internationally-recognised consultant and speaker for outdoor provision in the early years, to explain.
Read More about Child led play
Outdoor play
Outdoor play, natural play and nature play are different terms used to describe children 'being' outdoors. Being allowed to lead their own play, explore, investigate, be curious and take risks in a natural/outdoor environment.
Jan White introduces this section and details the importance and benefits of child-led and child-initiated play.
This section is filled with information surrounding the theory and practice of outdoor play - articles, policies, books and research.