Outdoor Play in Early Childhood: Why It’s Essential for Learning and Development
The Power of Outdoor Play at Small Sprouts
At Small Sprouts, outdoor play is an essential part of our daily rhythm. We see firsthand how tamariki grow, learn, and develop confidence when given the space to explore the natural world. While outdoor play is undeniably fun, it’s also a powerful learning tool, supporting physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development in meaningful ways.
We don’t just take learning outside—we embed the natural environment into our everyday experiences, creating opportunities for tamariki to move, discover, and connect with te taiao (the environment).
How Outdoor Play Supports Learning & Development at Small Sprouts
🌱 Physical Development & Well-being
Outdoor play naturally supports physical movement, helping tamariki develop strength, coordination, and resilience.
Climbing & Balancing: Our tamariki climb trees, balance on logs, and navigate natural play spaces, strengthening their gross motor skills and confidence.
Gardening & Digging: In our centre garden, children dig, plant, and harvest fresh produce, building fine motor skills and a connection to food.
Active Exploration: We encourage barefoot play on grass, sand, and mud, giving tamariki the chance to experience different textures while building muscle strength and coordination.
Example: During our outdoor sessions, we often set up obstacle courses using natural materials like logs, ropes, and hay bales. Tamariki love the challenge, and it helps them develop balance, agility, and perseverance.
🌞 Cognitive & Sensory Learning
Nature provides a rich sensory environment that supports early brain development, creativity, and problem-solving.
Sensory Exploration: Tamariki feel the roughness of tree bark, listen to birdsong, and smell fresh herbs from our garden. These experiences strengthen sensory processing and observational skills.
Loose Parts Play: Using leaves, shells, and sticks, tamariki design, build, and experiment, developing early maths and engineering skills.
Curiosity & Problem-Solving: Outdoor play sparks natural inquiry—a puddle becomes a science experiment, and a bug hunt turns into an adventure in classification and discovery.
Example: On rainy days, rather than staying inside, we put on gumboots and explore puddles. Tamariki observe how water moves, test what floats and sinks, and experiment with making mud pies—all valuable STEM learning experiences!
👫 Social & Emotional Growth
Outdoor play offers endless opportunities for tamariki to connect, collaborate, and build resilience.
Teamwork & Communication: Whether working together to build a hut, create a pretend marketplace, or navigate a climbing challenge, tamariki practice negotiation, leadership, and cooperation.
Confidence & Risk-Taking: The outdoors naturally invites challenges—whether it’s deciding how high to climb or figuring out the safest way to jump down. We encourage tamariki to assess risks and make their own decisions, fostering confidence and self-awareness.
Emotional Regulation: Open spaces, fresh air, and movement help children process emotions and self-regulate. A run in the open field, digging in the sandpit, or swinging on the monkey bars supports well-being and reduces stress.
Example: When we see a child hesitant to climb higher on a tree, we don’t say, "Be careful." Instead, we ask, "Where do you feel safe? What do you want to try next?" This empowers them to make their own choices and build self-trust.
🌿 Connection to Nature & Sustainability
We want tamariki to grow up with a deep respect for te taiao (the environment) and a sense of kaitiakitanga (guardianship).
🔹 Seasonal Changes: Through daily outdoor play, children observe nature’s rhythms, noticing how leaves change, rain nourishes the garden, and insects move through their lifecycle.
🔹 Caring for Our Earth: Tamariki actively participate in composting food scraps, collecting rainwater, and planting trees, understanding their role in protecting the environment.
🔹 Free & Open-Ended Play: Sticks become fishing rods, leaves turn into money, and tree stumps transform into thrones—nature fuels creativity!
💡 Example: Our tamariki love collecting leaves, flowers, and twigs to make natural art and decorations. They learn that nature provides beauty, and we can respectfully use resources without waste.
Outdoor Play is at the Heart of Small Sprouts
At Small Sprouts, outdoor play isn’t just an activity—it’s a fundamental part of our learning philosophy. We know that tamariki flourish when given the freedom to move, explore, and connect with the natural world.
By integrating risky play, sensory learning, teamwork, and environmental care, we create rich, engaging experiences that help children grow into confident, capable learners.