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Mapping your outdoor space

As you map this area, put in the natural elements and other equipment, such as slides, swings, water, and sandboxes. If you are lucky, you have more than the minimum outdoor space for children. Children need to be outside and interact with the land. Where else can you go so children experience big movement and connection to natural elements? What community green spaces are in your neighborhood?  

Analyze whether your space allows for: 

  • promoting movement, fast, slow, stretch, crouch, jump, etc.,
  • exploring outdoor life—worms, bugs, plants, bushes, trees,
  • providing places to dig,
  • offering water to fill holes or make mud or to water plants,
  • presenting an ability to feel the wind, the rain, the snow, the sun,
  • providing shade for hot days,
  • having places for calm play, and
  • allowing space for flexibility and relationships.

Susan Herrington created The Outdoor Playbook, which can be found on the Outdoor Play Canada Website, which is an excellent resource for thinking about your outdoor place. The 7 C’s are: (1) character, (2) context, (3) connectivity, (4)  change, (5) choice, (6) clarity and (7) challenge. Herrington's work encourages you to think carefully about your outdoor space. She offers seven principles which can guide you in your thinking.

  1. character–the overall feel and intent of the outdoor space
  2. context–how does the play space interact with the larger landscape in which the program is situated
  3. connectivity–linking inside and outside and creating pathways that link the outdoor spaces into a whole
  4. change–range of spaces that can accommodate different children in different size groups, as well as materials that may change over the seasons
  5. chance–open-endedness or flexibility, can children impact the space or discover possibilities
  6. clarity–physical legibility and ability to see the whole and how it works together
  7. challenge–physical and cognitive encounters which provide risk-taking and challenges

The 7 C’s looks at the physical condition of outdoor play. Which principle speaks to you?  Herrington speaks about the developmental needs of the children and being open to offerings that can adapt, offer support and guide children to create spaces that are their own. The space should allow children to move freely in between spaces. Ask yourself if your outdoor play spaces are inclusive to all abilities, and ages regardless of their biological age. Can children make the space their own?

Spend time reading and reflecting on The 7 C’s Outdoor Play Book. 

Return to your map and consider what changes or enhancements you can make to enrich your spaces. 

Reference

Herrington, S., Lesmeister, C., Nicholls, J., & Stefuk, K. (2007). Seven Cs: An informational guide to young children’s outdoor play spaces. Consortium for Health, Intervention, Learning and Development (CHILD). https://sala.ubc.ca/wp-content/uploads/documents/7Cs.pdf

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