Outdoor play supports children’s learning across all areas of the Early Level, including health and wellbeing, physical development, literacy, numeracy, and understanding the world. Being outdoors allows children to explore, investigate, problem-solve, and take appropriate risks in a real and meaningful environment.

Health and Wellbeing

Outdoor play promotes physical health, emotional wellbeing, and resilience. Children develop confidence, coordination, and self-regulation as they move freely, experience fresh air, and learn to adapt to changing weather and environments.

Curiosity, Exploration and Inquiry

The outdoor environment offers rich opportunities for curiosity-led learning. Children observe seasonal changes, explore natural materials, and engage in imaginative play that cannot be replicated indoors. These experiences support children to become confident, curious, and motivated learners.

Inclusion and Choice

Outdoor play provides children with choice and autonomy in how and where they learn. It supports different learning styles and allows children to engage in experiences that suit their interests, abilities, and stages of development.

Developing Skills for Life

Through outdoor play, children develop important life skills such as cooperation, problem-solving, perseverance, and respect for the natural environment. These experiences align with the aims of Curriculum for Excellence to support children to become successful learners, confident individuals, responsible citizens, and effective contributors.

All-Weather Play

Children are encouraged to play outdoors throughout the year. Appropriate clothing allows children to experience the benefits of outdoor learning in all seasons, helping them to build resilience and an appreciation of the natural world.

We observe children’s play, capture learning through photos and notes, and use this to plan next steps in line with the Early Level of CfE and Developmental milestones. 

Our staff use EyLog to capture meaningful moments from children’s play and learning. This may include observations, photos, and short notes that reflect children’s interests, achievements, and next steps. These observations help us understand how each child is learning and developing over time.

EyLog allows us to track children’s progress in line with the Curriculum for Excellence and Realising the Ambition. Observations are used to identify strengths, plan experiences that build on children’s interests, and support individual development in a holistic way.

Parents and carers are given secure access to their child’s EyLog account. This allows families to:

• View observations and learning updates

• See photos and achievements from their child’s day

• Share learning from home, creating a fuller picture of the child

We value partnership with families and see EyLog as a key tool in strengthening communication between home and nursery.