Children digging channels in sand, negotiating how water will flow, testing ideas together, and discovering Country. This is learning in action, in the great outdoors.
Natural environments can be places where rich complex learning unfolds; where children think deeply, collaborate, take risks, build self-regulation skills and develop a strong sense of identity and belonging.
They can be active learning environments where curiosity is sparked through play, exploration and shared inquiry.
While research suggests that some early childhood services still view outdoor spaces as a place to ‘let off steam’, many are now reframing this thinking, positioning the outdoors as a core part of learning and pedagogy.
What the evidence tells us
Outdoor environments support every domain of learning, offering opportunities for physical development, problem-solving, collaboration, language, and emotional regulation, often all at once.
Time in nature also supports wellbeing, helping children and adults feel calmer, more regulated, and more able to connect with one another.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) reports that nature play, and contact with nature more generally, is particularly influential on the wellbeing of children in the early years (0-5 years). It supports physical and mental health, sleep, resilience and learning.
The AIFS also notes “that children can better self-regulate their emotions when in nature and their mood improves. Young children report many positive mood emotions from playing outdoors, such as feelings of happiness, joy, excitement and relaxation.”
Beyond individual outcomes, outdoor environments create the conditions for complex, integrated learning that cannot be easily replicated indoors.
Image via Nature Explorers Potsville
An essential part of pedagogy and practice
Marjorie Mann Lawley Day Care in Perth takes a Reggio-inspired approach, seeing the environment as ‘teacher’ and as a space that invites thinking. As director Shelley Carlin explains, nature play is not something the service plans as a separate experience. It is part of everyday pedagogy and something that emerges through children’s encounters with the natural environment.
“Nature-inspired learning is something that shapes how we see children, how we work as educators, and how learning unfolds every day,” says Shelley.
“It begins with a belief that children are already capable, already curious, and already full of ideas. Nature gives children the space to show us this.
“When a child digs in the soil, we don’t rush to explain. We wonder with them. When they notice a change in the garden, we stay with that moment. When something doesn’t work, we resist the urge to fix it, giving children time to problem-solve, to persist, and to try again. This is where competence grows.”
Shelley says that when children feel secure in natural environments, and educators slow down enough to stay with their thinking, they are more regulated, willing to take risks, and more socially connected to others and the world around them.
Learning through relationship with the natural world
At Woden Valley Early Learning Centre in Canberra, outdoor learning is not a set of activities, but a philosophy. Guided by nature pedagogy leader, Gabby Millgate, the service has reimagined its environment as a place of connection, responsibility, and shared inquiry.
Gabby defines nature pedagogy as “caring for the land, the animals and the people with the children. It’s about rights and responsibilities.”
She adds, “You are learning with the children and what they're capable of. You're learning what they're interested in, and together, you’re just giving it a go.”
Children are not simply playing in nature. They are learning what it means to be part of it. This relational approach invites them to see themselves as connected to living systems.
The impact is visible in everyday moments. Educators report fewer behaviours that challenge, smoother transitions, and stronger communication skills.
Children spend extended time outdoors, in all weather conditions, digging, planting, building, and caring for living systems. Through water, wood and loose parts, they explore science, sustainability, risk, balance and responsibility in meaningful, self-directed ways.
Gabby Millgate at Woden Valley Early Learning Centre
Problem-solving, collaboration and creativity
A similar pattern is seen in the Nature Explorers program run by Pottsville Community Preschool, where learning unfolds across bush and beach sites on the Tweed Coast.
As early childhood teacher Catherine Underwood explains, this gives children “a diverse range of natural landscapes, flora and fauna to experience and learn about,” creating ongoing opportunities for discovery and connection to place.
Children engage with seasonal change through a cultural calendar developed in collaboration with the local Aboriginal community. They revisit sites across the year, noticing change and deepening their understanding of the land.
Beach environments offer shifting tides, rockpools and open sand for exploration, mark-making and imaginative play, while bush sites invite climbing, weaving, shelter-building and navigation of uneven terrain.
At the heart of the program is the use of natural materials in place of fixed resources. Catherine explains, “natural materials become tools for imaginative play, problem-solving and collaboration,” shifting interactions away from conflict and toward shared exploration and social learning.
A colourful kebab at Potsville Community Preschool's Nature Explorers
Learning shaped by place and community
At Redhead Community Preschool, the beach is an extension of the service’s outdoor space. Through the service’s beach kindy program, children engage directly with their coastal environment, observing tides, exploring marine life, and investigating the impact of human activity.
Learning is shaped by place. It is immediate, relevant, and deeply connected to community. Situated on Awabakal land, the program also creates opportunities to embed respect for Country, local stories, and ongoing learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
“Birabahn the eagle, who is the totem of Awabakal people, is believed to watch over us from his silhouette on the edge of the cliff face, offering protection and guidance during our time at the beach,” says Redhead director, Louise Perrett.
“Before leaving beach kindy, we gather in a circle to reflect, give thanks, and express our gratitude for being able to play and learn in such a beautiful environment.”
These experiences are not just about knowledge acquisition. They help children build identity, belonging, and a sense of responsibility to place and history.
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From supervision to intentional teaching
Across all these examples, one thing is clear. Outdoor learning is not passive.
Educators are co-learners, positioning themselves alongside children rather than as the holders of knowledge. They observe closely, follow children’s interests, and extend thinking through intentional questions and shared inquiry. Learning is shaped in real time by what children explore and wonder about in the moment.
Outdoor environments are places where children develop identity, test ideas, build relationships, and engage with the world in complex ways. They are places where educators practise intentional, responsive pedagogy.
Importantly, these environments are not one size fits all, nor do they need to be perfect. Whether bush, beach, a small yard, or a shared community space, what matters is how the environment is used. It is the intention, relationships, and the opportunities for exploration that shape the learning.
References
Alla, K., & Truong, M. (2024). Nature play and child wellbeing. Australian Institute of Family Studies. https://aifs.gov.au/resources/policy-and-practice-papers/nature-play-and-child-wellbeing
Koepp, A. E., Gershoff, E. T., Castelli, D. M., & Bryan, A. E. (2022). Preschoolers’ executive functions following indoor and outdoor free play. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 28, Article 100182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2022.100182
Frances, L., Quinn, F., Elliott, S., & Bird, J. (2024). Outdoor learning across the early years in Australia: Inconsistencies, challenges, and recommendations. The Australian Educational Researcher, 51(6), 2141–2159. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-023-00685-x
Further reading
Amplify Place based pedagogy: Coastal connections at Redhead Community Preschool
Amplify From comedy to climate care: Gabby Millgate’s nature pedagogy journey
Amplify The role of outdoor environments and documentation in enriching play-based learning
Amplify Do you embrace year-round outdoor sleeping?
Amplify The benefits of year-round outdoor education, plus tips to get started