By Will Bollwerk
Imagine a group of three to five year olds running around a playground while teachers sit idly
by, monitoring yet engaging each other in conversation or taking the time to check their text
messages. The playground is a reasonably safe place. It is clean and sterile. The equipment
composed of hard plastic and brightly colored metal pieces. The children running around on the
black rubber matting. Nearby, a field as large as a football stadium, lays unused. The grass is
soft and inviting. The trees sway in the autumn breeze. Countless insects are waiting to be
found by curious eyes.
Why is the field going unused? Are the teachers unaware that is exists? Perhaps they aren’t
allowed by the agency to take children anywhere but the playground. Maybe they have no idea
what treasures a field of grass and trees might hold. More likely than not, the teachers are afraid.
This situation is all too common in the early childhood field. Early childhood educators are overwhelmed with rules and regulations on keeping children safe. These regulations are important as the safety of children is top priority in any classroom. Children need to be safe, but they also need a sense of the natural world and that world isn’t as scary as some might think.
The benefits of outdoor play are emphasized time and time again. Did you know that risk-taking in the outdoors leads to improvement in early literacy skills? According to Trent-Brown et. al.(2011), taking risks in an outdoor environment leads to improved self-efficacy and leads to
taking risks when reading. As a teacher, you are charged with the safety of your students. So
how do you encourage risk-taking while at the same time providing a safe environment?
The North American Association of Environmental Education (NAAEE) has a Early Childhood
Environmental Education Programs: Guideline for Excellence (2010) . The guideline addresses
safety concerns that parents and educators might have in an outdoor environment. As the
teacher, you need to assure parents that “dirt, splinters, wet clothes, and scraped knees are all
part of interacting with our natural world.” Things to consider in the environment:
Keeping these things in mind, how hard would it be to take your students into the grassy field
beyond the playground? What is stopping you?
Imagine a group of three to five year olds running around a playground while teachers sit idly
by, monitoring yet engaging each other in conversation or taking the time to check their text
messages. The playground is a reasonably safe place. It is clean and sterile. The equipment
composed of hard plastic and brightly colored metal pieces. The children running around on the
black rubber matting. Nearby, a field as large as a football stadium, lays unused. The grass is
soft and inviting. The trees sway in the autumn breeze. Countless insects are waiting to be
found by curious eyes.
Why is the field going unused? Are the teachers unaware that is exists? Perhaps they aren’t
allowed by the agency to take children anywhere but the playground. Maybe they have no idea
what treasures a field of grass and trees might hold. More likely than not, the teachers are afraid.
This situation is all too common in the early childhood field. Early childhood educators are overwhelmed with rules and regulations on keeping children safe. These regulations are important as the safety of children is top priority in any classroom. Children need to be safe, but they also need a sense of the natural world and that world isn’t as scary as some might think.The benefits of outdoor play are emphasized time and time again. Did you know that risk-taking in the outdoors leads to improvement in early literacy skills? According to Trent-Brown et. al.(2011), taking risks in an outdoor environment leads to improved self-efficacy and leads to
taking risks when reading. As a teacher, you are charged with the safety of your students. So
how do you encourage risk-taking while at the same time providing a safe environment?
The North American Association of Environmental Education (NAAEE) has a Early Childhood
Environmental Education Programs: Guideline for Excellence (2010) . The guideline addresses
safety concerns that parents and educators might have in an outdoor environment. As the
teacher, you need to assure parents that “dirt, splinters, wet clothes, and scraped knees are all
part of interacting with our natural world.” Things to consider in the environment:
- Evaluate height and slope of natural items and structures
- Test strength of potentially weight-bearing structures (tree limbs, rotted logs, slate outcrop)
- Encourage appropriate clothing, foot- and headwear
- Eliminate sharp drop-offs to water, cutting edges, and potential traps and choking hazards
- Restrict access to vehicular traffic
- Provide vigilant supervision without being overly intrusive
- Discuss simple precautions with kids regularly
- Build skills progressively, extending physical limitation over time
- Be prepared yourself for emergency situations
Keeping these things in mind, how hard would it be to take your students into the grassy field
beyond the playground? What is stopping you?
- Trent-Brown, S. A., Vanderveen, J. D., Cotter, R., Hawkins, K., Schab, A., Dykstra, S., et al. (2011). Effects of a nature-based science enrichment program on preschoolchildren's health, activity preferences, self-efficacy, and cognition: Outdoor Discovery Center Macatawa Greenway. This report may be available via the Outdoor Discovery Center Macatawa Greenway at http://odcofwu.schoolwires.com/odcofwu/site/default.asp (Volume 5)
- North American Association for Environmental Education (2010). Early Childhood Environmental Education Programs: Guidelines for Excellence (p 50);available online at http://eelinked.naaee.net/n/guidelines/posts/Early-Childhood-Environmental-Education-Programs-Guidelines-for-Excellence
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