play and pedagogy: Outdoor Play in Australia: Undervalued and Underadvocated

play and pedagogy: Outdoor Play in Australia: Undervalued and Underadvocated

An exceptionally interesting and insightful piece by Emily Clark. 

Emily states she asked educators,  "What barriers do you face in your context that prevent or limit children from engaging in outdoor/nature play?

".... I was convinced that the key barrier would be aligned with attributes of physical environments, such as; artificial play spaces, limited space, building structures, lack of shade etc. While these issues were raised in the responses, I was surprised to discover that the dominant barriers were the attitudes of families and staff, which prevented using the outdoor space to its full potential. Some of the staff and parental concerns expressed included;

· Children getting dirty.
· A belief that children should not access the outdoors in certain types of weather (e.g. rain, wind,           cold).

· A belief that illnesses are caused from being outside.
· Aspects of outdoor play perceived as ‘too risky’
· Difficulties in ensuring children are appropriately dressed

How kid-friendly urban design makes cities better for all - Curbed

How kid-friendly urban design makes cities better for all - Curbed

The full article can be read through the hyperlink above

Most importantly, it suggests a child-friendly lens can help leaders, planners, and designers envision a better city for everyone, one that offers a wealth of social benefits (society gains $8 in benefits for every $1 spent on early play-based education.

“Perhaps uniquely, a child‐friendly approach has the potential to unite a range of progressive agendas—including health and wellbeing, sustainability, resilience and safety—and to act as a catalyst for urban innovation,”