This outdoor play training for early years practitioners explores why time outside is such a crucial element of a child’s development — and how to make the most of it in your setting. Outdoor play is recommended in Development Matters as a teaching tool that supports all seven areas of learning, and it should be a regular feature of every child’s day, not an occasional treat when the weather behaves.
The course covers all aspects of outdoor provision, from physical play and constructive play to investigating the world, and gives your team practical ideas they can put to work straight away — whatever the size or shape of your outdoor space.
What you’ll learn
- The importance of outdoor play in children’s early development
- What the EYFS curriculum says about outdoor play and learning
- The different types of outdoor play, including physical play, constructive play and investigating the world
- The key to effective practice in outdoor play
- Common challenges to accessing the outdoor environment — and practical resolutions
- How outdoor play supports all areas of Development Matters
- How outdoor play supports all areas of the Characteristics of Effective Learning (CoEL)
Who this course is for
This course is ideal for early years practitioners and room leaders who want to maximise the impact of outdoor play and make it a genuinely purposeful part of their provision — rather than simply “garden time” between indoor activities.
Why this training matters
Development Matters advises outdoor play as a teaching tool that supports all seven areas of learning, so confident outdoor practice sits at the heart of delivering the EYFS well. Practitioners who understand how the outdoors supports both Development Matters and the Characteristics of Effective Learning can turn every session outside into rich, intentional learning — and can overcome the everyday barriers that stop settings using their outdoor space fully.
How the course works
The course is delivered fully online with media-rich content and voiceovers throughout. Your team can complete it at their own pace, on any device, fitting the learning around nursery life rather than the other way round.
Your certificate
Successful candidates are awarded the National Nursery Training Outdoor Play in Early Years Course Completion Certificate, which can be used as evidence for compliance and audit and counts towards continuing professional development (CPD). National Nursery Training is an NFAQ-accredited provider and an accredited CPD Training Provider (#776846) with the CPD Accreditation Group.
