Bilateral negotiations are underway to move the historic federal commitment to a Canada-wide early learning and child-care system from vision to reality. Expanding access for all young children in Canada will require creating and licensing more physical spaces where children learn and are cared for. But what kinds of spaces will these be"
In the face of the growing body of research that reveals how outdoor early learning has significant developmental benefits for children, early childhood educators across the country are reimagining early learning and care in the outdoors.
Governments need to take note of this burgeoning grassroots movement because there are implications for capital infrastructure, regulations and early childhood educator training. Optimal conditions for learning
In the outdoors children can move freely, follow their interests, take risks and test their limits. This translates into children who are happier, more active, curious, confident and collaborative. High-quality outdoor environments create optimal conditions for learning.
In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the outdoors as a health-promoting environment that mitigates the risk of spreading airborne viruses ? something we can continue to benefit from in the future.
My doctoral research is about the philosophy, practice and policy of outdoor early learning in Ontario. I have become convinced that high-quality outdoor learning should be a significant part of every early learning and...