Exploring the Outdoor Space as a Vehicle for Children’s Spiritual Development and Transformation in Early Childhood Education

Abstract

Although the rhetoric of children’s spirituality is absent in Early Childhood educational policy in England and Wales, considering its relationship with the outdoor space, it might be deemed an implicit yet essential aspect of learning with and caring for young children. This article posits that the outdoor space provides a locus for the nurture of spirituality, including fostering a sense of self and well-being, encouraging existential questioning, and embracing responsibility. Exploring three meta-dimensions of spirituality – relation through inclusive play, creativity, and reflection - and considering the notion of transformation in learning, it is proposed that the outdoor space might provide opportunities for children in all global contexts to receive care and in turn become citizens who care for natural world and others.