Qualification: NCFE CACHE Level 3 Diploma for the Early Years Educator
Unit: Unit 3.4: Contribute to enabling play environments
Learning outcome: Understand how the characteristics of an enabling outdoor play environment meet the age, stage and needs of children
Assessment criteria: Explain the characteristics of an enabling outdoor play environment
The characteristics of an enabling outdoor play environment are very similar to an enabling indoor play environment, as discussed in the previous section.
In addition, outdoor environments often have a lot more space for children to explore and develop gross motor skills, such as running and throwing.
The outdoor environment should be as safe as possible but still allow children to take risks, such as navigating a climbing frame. There will also be many opportunities to learn about nature and interact with natural materials, such as leaves and stones. Children will also have the chance to experience different kinds of weather.