Research, reports and guidance on education outside the classroom and outdoor education, with a plain-English summary of each and a link to the original. New items are added every week.
The library began with Education Outside the Classroom: Applied Research Readings 2010–2017(McNatty & Boyes, University of Otago, 2017). Later items were found, summarised and checked with AI assistance using the same method: every reference is checked against the publisher's record, every summary against the published abstract, and only items rated high confidence by two independent relevance checks are published. Summaries are a guide: read the original before citing it.
42 items
Interviews with ten forest and nature school practitioners explore how they define and manage risky play, and how they handle tensions with regulatory policy.
An abandoned 1958 car in a forest became a year-long prompt for preschoolers and their nature teachers to explore sustainability together.
Toddlers in the same class took very different amounts of risk in nature play, and children whose parents saw outdoor play as riskier tended to be more risk-averse.
Dutch childcare professionals said regulations, organisational protocols and overprotective parents were the main barriers to children's risky play.
Oral histories from NZ early childhood leaders show how ideas of 'safety' have shifted over time and carry paradoxes for teachers who must also support risky play.
A Canadian public school district built a lasting nature kindergarten through community planning, co-created guiding principles, and careful hiring and ongoing support of its educators.
A close look at one bush walk shows how an early childhood teacher and four-year-olds worked together on outdoor features in ways that encouraged risk-taking and resilience.
Six 'touchstones' for wild pedagogies give early childhood environmental educators a way to think about nature as a co-teacher and about letting go of control.
The abstract gives background on Education for Sustainability in early childhood and points to teacher education as one way to address it. It does not state the study's aim, method or findings.
Australian policy increasingly requires natural outdoor spaces in early childhood and schools, yet how these environments shape learning is still under-researched.
In three New Zealand early childhood settings that prioritise regular natural outdoor experiences, children's creativity was supported through meaningful engagement with natural environments.
An Australian edited guide to designing and using early years outdoor spaces for exploration, discovery and risk-taking.
A study of four-to-five-year-olds suggests including natural features in outdoor preschools supports a wider range of cognitive play.
Observations show time outdoors helps young children's physical and social development, including confidence in the face of risk.
The article uses 'curious play' to understand children's free play in nature, seeing children as active explorers who build knowledge.
Children who helped decide how their school ground was built wanted challenge and security, exploration, contact with others, and natural features.
Case studies and discussion with Scottish and Nordic teachers give positive examples and challenges of nature-based early childhood education.
The article discusses declining outdoor play and how adventure playgrounds support learning, independence, self-esteem and positive risk-taking.