Playing outdoors : spaces and places, risk and challenge

Young children seek adventure and challenge in their play outdoors.

They seek places they can explore and spaces they can transform and adults to share their ideas and thinking.

However provision for exciting and challenging play outdoors can be restricted often because of an over-emphasis on safety and because the value and purpose of the outdoor environment is not well understood. "Playing Outdoors" offers a clear rationale for why outdoor play is essential in young children's lives and learning.

It asks fundamental questions about what sort of environments we want for young children as well as examining controversial issues of risk and safety.

The author identifies key principles underpinning appropriate design of outdoor play space and examines how children use and transform space to create their own imaginary worlds.

The essential roles of adults in supporting children's free play and extending children's learning outdoors are examined and implications for practice identified. "Playing Outdoors" is an important contribution to current and controversial issues in the debate on outdoor environments for young children.It brings together research from a range of different disciplines as well as illustrative examples and observations of children's play and talk outdoors.

It offers informed guidance for those seeking to design, develop or extend their outdoor play areas.

It is key reading for early childhood practitioners, teachers, students, architects, planners, playworkers, parents, and policy makers.