By carefully planning for outdoor play, adults can help ensure that outdoor experiences are challenging and safe for young children. Creative outdoor play should encourage healthy risk taking; offer graduated challenges; include variety in types of play; focus on child-centered and child-planned activities; and include the use of moveable…

This resource package was designed to provide activities that will improve student knowledge of and skill in wintertime and out-of-doors recreational pursuits. Winter games and sports appropriate for children from kindergarten through grade 10 are described. Teaching methods and learning objectives are discussed and sample lesson plans are…

Describes use of play crates, containers holding items that connect activities to a particular theme, in the outdoor classroom. Describes using crates to plan more creatively, enhance children's independence, and build spontaneous and individual interests. Provides direction in assembling and implementing play crates, and extending outdoor…

Discusses the importance of providing enough activity choices for young children during outdoor play. Defines simple, complex, and super play units. Describes the application of an equation for determining the number of available play spaces in a playground. (RJC)

Notes that, although staff should always watch for playground hazards, routine checks for playground hazards should be conducted monthly. Presents a 51-item safety checklist developed by the American National Red Cross that allows child care workers to assess the safety of elements of the play environment such as playground design and arrangement,…

Discusses how outdoor play can be as effective as indoor play in facilitating young children's development. Offers advice on selection of toys and materials; organization of play spaces; addition of movable toys and equipment; ways to stimulate imaginative outdoor play; and playground safety. (TJQ)

Describes how problems with water drainage on the playground, and the resulting puddles, provided a wealth of learning opportunities, children's fun, family-school communication, and challenges for one early childhood program. (KB)

Examined the size, purpose, and use of three outdoor playgrounds attached to nursery schools, focusing on the attitudes of teachers to these outdoor areas the poor design of playgrounds in general. Concludes that more attention needs to be directed to the design and role of nursery school playgrounds. (MDM)

The articles in this book offer ideas that could be used to initiate a plan of action designed to change elementary school playgrounds. They provide a broad scope of information needed for adequately providing for the needs of children who play on school playgrounds. The following articles are presented: (1) "Child Development and Playgrounds" (J.…

Outdoor games and recreational activities for students from kindergarten to grade 12 are described. A suggested scope and sequence of playground activities is given for: hardtop; field; ice activities; and snow activities. The activities are divided into three groups according to age: early years (K-4); middle years (grades 5-9); and senior years…

Tells how hummingbirds can serve as a source of information and fun for children, including a rationale for attracting and teaching about hummingbirds and the outdoors. Explains that children need first-hand knowledge of nature and gives details on attracting hummingbirds and selecting safe plants for a hummingbird garden. (BGC)

This booklet provides non-professionals with the guidelines, information, and procedures necessary to design, plan and build stimulating outdoor play environments for children. Information on technical issues related to site selection, play area design, landform and drainage, climate, lighting, safety and vandalism are provided in Chapter I.…

Argues that there are three areas to evaluate when creating safer playgrounds for children: environment, supervision, and education. Discusses the importance of safe and properly installed equipment, resilient surfacing, removal of hazards, proper maintenance, appropriate adult-to-child ratio, and enforcement of proper playground safety and injury…

Suggests that contrary to popular perception, children are becoming increasingly alienated from the natural environment, especially for play. A study done in Leeds, United Kingdom investigates how the outdoor play of today's children differs from that of their parents' generation. Findings include issues for planners and landscape architects…

Describes constructive play and its importance to young children. Offers suggestions for facilitating constructive play outdoors including: (1) providing access on the playground; (2) bringing the classroom outside; and (3) addressing the challenges of loose articles outside. Calls for reversing current trends that discourage outdoor constructive…