A look at a mud house, the tree house, and the obstacle course made of ladders, boards, and pipes
The importance of outdoor education in kindergarten

Regina Kruse-Özçelik

Early Birds Istanbul Founder & Author

Visitors to Early Birds Istanbul often notice the kindergarten's spacious outdoor area first. I have long been an advocate of outdoor education, and the Early Birds campus is a wonderful example of this.

In fact, it was the "Early Birds" themselves, i.e. the 46 children, who designed this 600 m² outdoor area. Using the project-based learning (PBL) approach, the staff accompanied the children through the phases of dreaming, planning, and implementation. The garden currently features a mud house, a tree house, a sandbox, several raised beds for vegetables, roads, tunnels, and bridges for their bikes, all of which were designed and built (with) by the children.

The benefits of outdoor education and the importance of play have been extensively researched and confirmed; they go far beyond promoting physical development. A nature-based concept and outdoor learning appeal to a child's various senses, increase concentration, and build general physical and mental resilience. It also promotes social-emotional skills, teamwork, and directly supports problem-solving abilities.

What do you need for an outdoor kindergarten concept?

A child balances on a board and straw bales.
A child balances across the ladder course
The EBİ garden with loose boards, a large pipe, and traffic signs as play materials
A child wearing muddy rain gear sits on a large pipe.

A safe outdoor area: Your outdoor area can be a garden, a forest, a beach, a public park, etc. It is important that you familiarize yourself thoroughly with the environment before taking the children there. Above all, it is essential to assess the risks. The environment may contain potential danger zones (deep water, steep slopes, sharp objects, poisonous plants, etc.) that you must actively incorporate into your outdoor concept. You may decide that an area must be completely avoided because you cannot assess the risk. Dealing with risk assessments will become an important part of your outdoor concept. Developing safety rules is an integral part of the educational program, and during their time at kindergarten, children learn to recognize risks before they become dangers.

Two children playing in the mud
A child stands in a muddy puddle wearing rain boots.
A child plays with an old cooking pot in the mud.

Appropriate clothing is a must:

Depending on the climate and environment, water-repellent, warm clothing is just as important for rainy and snowy days as long-sleeved, thin clothing is for protecting against insects (mosquitoes, ticks, etc.). However, children need to protect themselves not only against the cold and rain, but also against the sun. Sun hats and, if necessary, sunscreen are just as important. Only with the right clothing and protection can children enjoy the outdoor concept.

Communication and transparency:

Families must be given insight into your outdoor concept and your objectives. Regular updates on the children's activities and projects are important. Reports on the individual development of each child should be provided in writing at least twice a year.

If you want to develop an outdoor concept, you've come to the right place .