Outdoor Play in the Early Years: Why It Matters and What to Look For

Moving and growing

Outdoors, children can run, climb, jump, balance, dig and push in ways that are hard to offer indoors. These big movements build strength, coordination and confidence. Fresh air and daylight are good for children's wellbeing, and active play supports good sleep and appetite.

Curiosity and discovery

The outdoors changes with the weather and the seasons, offering endless things to notice: puddles, leaves, insects, shadows, wind and frost. Children ask questions, test ideas and build early understanding of science and nature through hands-on experience.

How it links to Aistear

Aistear, the national curriculum framework for children from birth to six, is built around four themes: Well-being, Identity and Belonging, Communicating, and Exploring and Thinking. Outdoor play supports all four. Children build resilience and physical wellbeing, collaborate with friends, talk and negotiate during games, and explore and solve problems in a rich environment.

Taking safe risks

Children need chances to take manageable risks, such as climbing a little higher or balancing on a log, in order to learn their own limits. Good practitioners supervise carefully while allowing children to challenge themselves. Ask how the creche balances safety and adventure in outdoor play.

• How do you supervise outdoor play?
• How do you support children to try new physical challenges?
• What happens if a child is reluctant to go outside?

What a good outdoor space includes

Outdoor spaces vary widely, especially in urban Dublin, and a large garden is not essential. What matters is how the space is used. Look for variety and loose parts children can move and use creatively.

• Areas for running and riding
• Places to climb, balance and crawl
• Sand, soil or water for digging and pouring
• Plants, a growing area or natural materials
• Shelter and quiet corners for calmer play

All-weather play

Irish weather is famously changeable, and many creches take children outside in most conditions with suitable clothing. Ask about their approach to rain, cold and sunshine, and whether they would like you to provide waterproofs and wellies. If outdoor space is limited, ask about local walks or trips to nearby parks.

Social skills and friendships

Outdoor play gives children space to play together in larger groups and in different ways than indoors. Games of chase, building dens, digging in the sand pit and playing imaginative games all involve negotiation, cooperation and turn-taking. Children learn to read each other's feelings, solve disagreements and invent rules together, often with less adult direction than indoors. For quieter children, the open space of the garden can sometimes make it easier to join in at their own pace.

Supporting outdoor play at home

Outdoor play does not stop at the creche gate. Local parks, beaches, playgrounds and green spaces across Dublin offer plenty of opportunities for exploring at weekends. Simple activities such as collecting leaves, splashing in puddles, spotting birds or walking somewhere new build on what children experience at creche. Ask staff what your child enjoys doing outdoors and look for ways to carry those interests into family time. Dress for the weather, bring a change of clothes and let your child lead the way.