Posted: April 17, 2026
As Earth Day encourages communities to imagine new ways of caring for the planet, outdoor learning offers a practical and joyful place to begin.
An inviting outdoor play space featuring a variety of activities woven into the landscape and vegetation.
Outdoor play fosters early habits of stewardship. Earth Day values don’t grow from lessons, but from lived experiences with soil, weather, water, and engaging with nature as a playmate.
Better Kid Care recently joined Rusty Keeler and the Stramash team for a remarkable study tour of outdoor learning environments across Scotland. The experience was called "Mission Outdoor Play: The Scottish Way" and it lived up to its name. Led by Cameron, Josh, Haimish, and Rusty, we explored eight unique sites. Some were perched on dramatic coastal cliffs, while others were nestled into busy city parks or developing neighborhoods with only a few shade trees.
No matter the setting, one powerful theme appeared again and again: children played an active role in shaping their learning environments. Their ideas, observations, and preferences influenced every design choice, and educators honored those contributions with pride and intention.
Why outdoor time matters for children
In a world where screens and schedules often monopolize our attention, time outside has become more valuable than ever. Outdoor environments offer children (and adults!) the chance to move, explore, take healthy risks, slow down, and build a deep connection with their community and environment. Outdoor play also fosters early habits of stewardship. These values grow not from lessons but from lived experiences with soil, weather, water, and engaging with nature as a playmate. The Scottish government recognizes these benefits and has incorporated them into their ECE policies. Many U.S. states have begun updating licensing standards to support more outdoor learning, and others are working toward similar changes. For programs considering this shift, the benefits are powerful and the barriers are more solvable than many might think.
If you're curious about expanding outdoor learning in your own program but feeling unsure where to begin, you're not alone. Below are some of the most common challenges and how Scottish educators have addressed them in inspiring, practical ways.
Benefit–risk thinking: rethinking hazards
One of the best aspects of the tour was the variety of challenging climbing structures we encountered. Many were intentionally designed with three “challenge levels”: easy, medium, and hard. This leveling gives children the chance to self-assess, build confidence, and work toward new skills at their own pace.
Educators explained their benefit–risk approach:
- Identify the developmental benefits of a proposed feature.
- Examine its risks.
- Modify the environment so the benefits outweigh the remaining risks.
This approach shifts the focus from avoiding all risk to embracing appropriate risk, an essential ingredient in children's physical and cognitive growth. In fact, some sites offered only a "hard" climbing route on certain taller structures. This ensured that only children whose balance and coordination were truly ready could access the top.
This climbing structure includes an easy side and a more challenging side. From another angle, you can also see the medium challenge option.
Practical solutions to common outdoor challenges
Restrooms
Programs found creative, flexible ways to ensure access to bathroom facilities outdoors. Some designed spaces where indoor and outdoor environments flowed together, allowing children to move between them under structured supervision. Others used composting toilets in outdoor play areas. One forest program even brought a pop‑up tent and portable camp toilet along on hikes.
A temporary outdoor restroom. A thermos of warm water and handwashing supplies sit nearby.
Handwashing
Hand hygiene requirements can absolutely be met outdoors. Warm water, soap, paper towels, waste receptacles, and signage were all present at the sites we visited, sometimes in innovative portable or DIY setups that kept children safe and healthy while staying completely immersed outdoors.
An example of a well-designed outdoor handwashing station with two 10-gallon water jugs, sinks, and laminated signs with proper handwashing steps.
Weather preparedness
Perhaps the greatest inspiration came from watching children thrive in 30–40°F weather, rain, and wind. With proper outdoor gear (insulated rain jackets, waterproof pants, boots) children remained joyful, focused, and fully engaged with their play. Each site offered shelters such as yurts with wood stoves, small cabins with infrared heaters, or cozy nooks where children could rest, warm up, or reset, but we mostly observed the children happily outside. Staff were equally well-dressed and prepared, role modeling how to engage with the elements. Some programs even included drying closets, so children's gear was warm and ready for the next day.
An indoor area with sinks, a low bench, and a row of hooks with many hanging outdoor jackets.
Bringing the inspiration home
Outdoor learning environments offer endless possibilities for curiosity, creativity, resilience, and community connection. What we observed in Scotland was not simply beautiful landscapes or clever design, it was a powerful philosophy of trust. Children were seen as capable, imaginative learners whose ideas shaped their world. Educators embraced outdoor challenges not as obstacles but as opportunities for growth.
For programs in the United States considering integrating more outdoor learning, the message is inspirational: You don't need vast natural spaces or perfect conditions to begin. Small changes like an added shelter, an outdoor handwash station, or a willingness to play in all weather can open the door to transformative experiences for children and educators alike. Let these stories spark your imagination, fuel your courage, and remind you that outdoor learning is not just a possibility… it's a gift for children and educators waiting to be expanded in every ECE community.
