Taking the First Steps Outside

Bilton, Helen; Bento, Gabriela; Dias, Gisela

doi:10.4324/9781315687551

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

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“…Her main research interest relates to 'outdoor play' policies and practices in early years' education. Among her most recent publications is the book 'Taking the first steps outside -Under threes learning and developing in the natural environment' (Bilton et al, 2017). Since 2012 she has worked with different educational settings to support better pedagogical practices.…”

Section: Fundingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…home, neighbourhood, day-care centres, preschools, schools), in this article special attention is given to the outdoor area of educational settings. Going one step further on previous research about the influence of outdoor play for learning and development (Canning, 2010;Fjortoft, 2004;Maynard, Waters, & Clement, 2013;McClain & Vandermaas-Peeler, 2015;Stephenson, 2002;Waller, 2007), this study explores the possible pedagogical outcomes for under threes playing outside, trying to counteract the lack of studies related to this age group (Bilton, Bento, & Dias, 2017). Recently, in Portugal, there has been a political investment in zero to three education and official guidelines are being conceived to support childcare practices.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Outdoor play as a mean to achieve educational goals - a case study in a Portuguese day-care group

Bento

Costa

2018

Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning

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This study aims to explore the pedagogical potential of outdoor play situations, considering the educational goals established in the Portuguese Pedagogical Guidelines for 0-3-year-old children (ongoing work), namely development of a sense of security and positive selfesteem; development of curiosity and exploratory impetus; and development of social and communication skills. Following a qualitative methodology, during a period of 9 months, the outdoor play experiences of 14 children from a day-care centre were observed and monitored and the professionals were interviewed. The data shows that outdoor experiences can contribute to the achievement of the educational goals, enlarging opportunities for creative play, problem solving, experimentation, inquiry, dialogues and collaboration. The achievement of the educational goals is facilitated through supportive and positive relationships with adults and peers, provision for proper equipment, and contact with nature. This study offers a deep insight into how educational policies can be put into practice in the outdoor area.

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Section: Fundingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Outdoor play as a mean to achieve educational goals - a case study in a Portuguese day-care group

Bento

Costa

2018

Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning

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“…While play can occur both indoors and outdoors, engaging in outdoor play has additional benefits to child development. Outdoor play has been shown to increase learning opportunities [ 11 , 12 ], enhance cooperation and decrease conflict between peers [ 13 ], and may increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviours [ 14 ]. Recognizing the importance of outdoor play, organizations such as Outdoor Play Canada [ 15 ] have released positional statements that recommend children have equal and equitable access to active play opportunities outdoors and in nature.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Children’s Usage of Inclusive Playgrounds: A Naturalistic Observation Study of Play

James

Jianopoulos

Ross

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Inclusive playgrounds that are designed to be physically accessible and welcoming to children with disabilities may provide equal and equitable access to play for all children. Using a naturalistic observational design, this study examines children’s use of a playground designed to be accessible and inclusive for all ages and abilities. A modified version of the System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities was used to collect child data on observed gender, age, play behaviour types, social interactions, and activity levels. A relatively equal number of female (52%) and male (48%) observations was made, and the majority (96%) of children observed appeared to be under 12 years of age. Most children (71%) were observed to be engaging in active play. Functional play (e.g., climbing, swinging, running) was the predominant play behaviour observed on the playground (88%), and the majority of social interactions were with peers (48%) or an adult (26%). These findings provide information on how children use a playground designed to be inclusive for children of all ages and abilities. This information can be used to help inform the design of inclusive play spaces as well as types of programming that may occur within such settings.

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“…Firstly, we explore outdoor provision in the English context which is defined by an absence of educational policy support. Secondly, our interest is in the experiences of babies and toddlers attending formal daycare as this is a particularly neglected area of study (Bilton, Bento, and Dias 2017). This focus is significant because of the number of under twos who attend childcare settings both in England and beyond; recent data produced by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reveals that one-third of children aged 0-2 are enrolled in ECEC across the member states (OECD 2019).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Outdoor provision for babies and toddlers: exploring the practice/policy/research nexus in English ECEC settings

Josephidou

Kemp

Durrant

2021

European Early Childhood Education Research Journal

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A wealth of research evidences the positive impact of the outdoors for young children. Yet there is little relating to the experiences of babies and toddlers who attend daycare settings. This paper offers new knowledge about outdoor provision for under twos in the English context where there is a lack of explicit policy support for outdoor practice. Findings, captured through an online survey from Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings in one geographically diverse county, reveal a generally positive picture. This suggests that practice is ahead of research. However, the survey also highlights significant variability in outdoor provision. We suggest that, in the absence of a strong policy driver ECEC settings may be inadvertently laying the foundations for inequality of access to the outdoors. Furthermore, a lack of research evidence to inform practice may be contributing to an underdevelopment of the pedagogic value of outdoor environments.

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Taking the First Steps Outside

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

Outdoor play as a mean to achieve educational goals - a case study in a Portuguese day-care group

Outdoor play as a mean to achieve educational goals - a case study in a Portuguese day-care group

Children’s Usage of Inclusive Playgrounds: A Naturalistic Observation Study of Play

Outdoor provision for babies and toddlers: exploring the practice/policy/research nexus in English ECEC settings

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