Young children's perspectives of outdoor learning spaces: What matters?

Outdoor spaces are a feature of most Australian early learning settings and have potential for many learning opportunities. This article reports on a study that investigated three- and four- year old children’s perspectives of the outdoor environment in their early childhood education setting. The r...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Merewether, Jane
Format: Journal Article
Published: Early Childhood Australia Inc. 2015
Online Access:http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=975222265851876;res=IELHSS
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/35163
Description
Summary:Outdoor spaces are a feature of most Australian early learning settings and have potential for many learning opportunities. This article reports on a study that investigated three- and four- year old children’s perspectives of the outdoor environment in their early childhood education setting. The research was conducted using multi-method approaches including child-led tours and photography, photographic elicitation, and conversations. Findings emphasise the importance for children of being able to pretend, move, observe, and be social. These findings have implications for designers of both curriculum and outdoor spaces for young children.