March 17, 2026
Outdoor learning in Early Years: how child-led learning helps children thrive
Kym Wythe
Early Years Coordinator
Did you know?
Children are up to 20% more engaged when learning outdoors compared to traditional classroom settings!
When children step outside, learning stops being something delivered to them. Instead, it becomes something they actively create. Outdoor classrooms are perfect for child-led learning, where curiosity, movement, and exploration take the lead.
Why outdoor learning matters
Research consistently shows that outdoor learning boosts concentration, motivation, and involvement. Children who can make choices about their play and exploration often stay engaged for longer and dive deeper into learning experiences.
For example, a study by O’Brien & Murray (2007)1 found that children in outdoor child-led programs showed higher problem-solving skills and more social interaction than those in structured indoor activities. Outdoor spaces naturally spark curiosity and invite children to explore in their own way.
What is child-led learning?
In early years settings, child-led learning is when children initiate their own play and learning based on their interests. They decide what to explore, how to engage, and how long to spend on it.
Practitioners observe, support, and extend learning rather than directing it. This approach gives children ownership over their learning, encouraging confidence and independence.
Child-led learning in outdoor settings
Outdoor environments provide the ideal setting for child-led learning, as they naturally invite exploration and self-directed play. In practice, child-led learning in the outdoor classroom allows children to follow their own interests while engaging in meaningful experiences. Research by Helen Bilton (2010)2 demonstrates that outdoor environments promote higher levels of engagement, physical competence and wellbeing, reinforcing the importance of daily outdoor provision.
In our Early Years setting, outdoor learning is a vital part of our curriculum. Our children access daily outdoor learning opportunities. For us, it is key how we carefully plan and organise the outdoor provision to enable rich, child-led experiences. We provide loose parts, open-ended resources, natural materials and flexible spaces that encourage children to explore, create, problem-solve and take managed risks.
Our outdoor environment is carefully organised into purposeful areas that promote exploration, creativity, independence and, most importantly, the development of children’s agency, a key priority at our school. When I see children displaying agency, I feel amazed at their confidence and independence—the way they make choices, solve problems, and take responsibility for their actions.
Our mud kitchen provides opportunities for imaginative play, where children use natural resources such as leaves, sticks, stones and herbs to create their own recipes and potions. This area supports communication and language development, cooperation and sensory exploration.
In our construction area, children access a wide range of loose parts to design and build houses, cars, castles and their own imaginative structures. This encourages problem-solving, teamwork, early mathematical thinking and resilience as they test and adapt their ideas.
Our sand and water areas invite children to investigate texture, capacity, movement and change. Through pouring, mixing, measuring and transporting, children develop scientific curiosity and early mathematical understanding in a hands-on way.
We also provide physical development resources that allow children to design and build their own obstacle courses. By moving planks, crates and tyres, they develop strength, balance, coordination and confidence while learning to assess and manage risk safely. Our bikes promote cooperative play, as children must communicate and work together, with one pedalling and others pushing.
Across all areas, children are empowered to lead their own learning. Adults observe, support and extend play through sensitive questioning and sustained shared thinking, ensuring that the outdoor provision remains both child-led and purposeful. This is also an excellent time that we use to observe children’s interest and plan accordingly.
Conclusion
Child-led learning in the outdoor classroom provides rich, engaging, and developmentally meaningful experiences for young children. By stepping back and allowing children to lead, practitioners can foster curiosity, independence, and resilience, while still supporting learning outcomes across the EYFS.
For us, embracing outdoor child-led learning is a powerful way to nurture confident, capable, and curious learners.