Skye is 2 years 5 months: we see her foraging and exploring her nursery garden environment, exploring objects and materials. We see her taking risks physically and socially in an environment that she feels comfortable in.
At the end of this sequence, we hear Skye complaining about having to go indoors. Young children need to know that they will be able to go outdoors every single day, without fail, preferably several times a day, and to have very gentle transitions between indoor and outdoor time. The most effective and satisfying outdoor play occurs when children have free and easy access to the outdoor environment, or at the least, when adults take children outside whenever that child needs it.
Risk management is vital to safe, satisfying and effective provision, both indoors and out, but must take into account the benefits of an experience for the child (for example, by employing risk-benefit assessment [Ball, Gill & Spiegal 2008]).
Although quite small, this nursery garden has lots of difference spaces, places and materials.
Small, private spaces are deeply significant places for young children.
As we see from the sequence with Skye and Sophie, the child’s need and right to feel ‘out of sight’ is beginning to matter at this age. When practitioners feel that they must be able to see children at all times, they send unintended negative messages to the child about their competence to look after themselves and that they are not trusted.
Adults working with this age group must have large repertoires of songs and action rhymes, both traditional and popular, that can be drawn on spontaneously, whenever the right moment arises.
Effective outdoor provision requires an ethos and vision, underpinned by a strong rationale that is fully shared by parents, that two year-olds must have access to outdoor environments for plenty of time each day, every day of the year.
Parents may be understandably concerned about the risks of their two year old playing adventurously, and having daunting or scary feelings.
