{"alias":"blogEntry","byline":"Libby Waite, Scouts HQ","standfirst":"Outdoor learning and exploration are wildly positive for Early Years development.","content":{"layouts":[{"type":"singleColumn","areas":[{"items":[{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/19207/squirrel-holding-branch.jpg","width":7000,"height":4667,"altText":"A Squirrel wearing a red jumper holds onto a leafy branch while walking across grass.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003EWe already know that Scouts provides young people with some of the best outdoor experiences imaginable.\u00A0\u00A0\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EFor Early Years, so our youngest Squirrel Scouts, outside explorations and outdoor learning are also brilliant for development. Discovering nature supports gross motor skills, wellbeing and personal/social development.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow that spring\u0027s here, and we\u2019re moving in to summer, there\u2019s even more reason for your Squirrel Drey to get out and grow, as the seasons change around you.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlthough, a den is a great place to start, outdoor learning isn\u2019t just about den building and there\u2019s so much more for you to explore, wherever your meeting place is.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch3\u003EHere\u2019s our six tips to planning outdoor activities:\u003C/h3\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch4\u003E1. Take up space and get messy\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EEven a small outdoor space will double, or maybe even triple, the size of your indoor space, so make use of the space around you. Wherever your based, you might visit a small woodland, use a school playground, go to a nature reserve or find a local park. Just being out and about under the sky opens a whole new world of play.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou can do everything on a bigger scale and try messier activities outside, which means more freedom and development of gross motor skills. Try to plan your games and activities around taking up space or ones that you can\u2019t do as easily indoors, such as wide games, sports days, chalk painting or gardening. Take a look at our Squirrels \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities?category=Game\u0026amp;section=Squirrels\u0022\u003Eoutdoor games\u003C/a\u003E and \u003Ca href=\u0022https://www.scouts.org.uk/activities?name=nature\u0026amp;section=Squirrels\u0022\u003Enature activities\u003C/a\u003E.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERemember to always take your litter home, leave the space how you found it and tidy up.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E2. Save room for the unknown\u0026nbsp;\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ERunning outdoor meetings provides more opportunities for open-ended sessions, as young people may get distracted by the world around them. These can create authentic experiences for the whole group and will make your session more immersive, so you need to leave room in your planning for the unknown.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EOutdoor learning is curiosity-led, less controllable and experiential, giving room for youth-led investigation. A less controlled environment will also mean you can run the same session twice, with different results.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMaybe there\u2019s a ladybird, a funny shaped cloud or interesting leaf that sparks the imagination of young people and wants to take the session in another direction, so let it.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;You could go on a bug hunt, learn to make instruments from natural objects, or spend time cloud-spotting and make what you see from cotton wool.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E3. Make some noise\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYoung people should be seen and heard, loud and clear. Being outdoors means that there are less restrictions on noise, while being considerate to neighbours and those in the group who may be sensitive to loud noises. It\u2019s an opportunity for young people to express their excitement without limitations, so do encourage that. It\u2019s freeing and affirming. You could also be super quiet and listen to the noises of nature.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E4. Get treasure hunting\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe outside world is brimming with treasures, waiting to be found by scavenging Squirrels. For a four-year-old, finding a feather, a stone or an acorn is like striking gold. Treasure hunts that lean into the sense of magic that these found objects hold can spark imaginations.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETreasure hunts are also an excellent way to continue learning by bringing the outdoors, indoors. You might decide to run subsequent sessions with some of the found objects, exploring texture, weight and colour. Or, you could even create characters with the objects to help tell stories.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETo protect your local environment, make sure you take back your treasures after you\u2019ve finished learning with them. Returning treasure is a whole new session, too!\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E5. Risky play\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIf we want young people to grow into confident, capable and courageous young people, then we need to help them to calculate their own risks.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EWhen playing outdoors, try to avoid saying \u2018be careful\u2019. This puts young people\u0026nbsp;on edge, knocks confidence, instils fear and tells them they aren\u2019t capable.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt\u2019s also non-specific,\u0026nbsp;and can start to become meaningless if young people are told to \u2018be careful\u2019 again and again. What do they need to be careful of?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThat of course doesn\u2019t mean we should encourage dangerous behaviour. To cultivate a positive sense of self, try using:\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u2018Do you feel\u2026 (safe, stable, in control?)\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u2018Look around you\u2026\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u2018Can you notice\u2026 (rocks, branches, other people running)\u2019\u0026nbsp;\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003E\u2018Are you feeling\u2026 (safe, tired, excited)\u2019\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Ch4\u003E6.\u0026nbsp;Reflections\u003C/h4\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EReflecting on experiences outside will help to foster a love of nature. Helping them to notice the difference between the outdoors and the indoors will help young people to develop a language for the natural world.\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EYou could ask them:\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cul\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EHow does it feel different inside to outside?\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWhat colours do we see indoors and what colours did we see outside?\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWhat animals/objects/smells did you notice and how did they make you feel?\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003Cli\u003EWhat do you like about the indoors and what do you like about the outdoors?\u003C/li\u003E\n\u003C/ul\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EListen to the things they loved the most to help you to plan future sessions, where you can explore even more.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/19191/squirrels-hugging.jpg","width":7000,"height":4667,"altText":"Three Squirrels in red jumpers smile while putting their arms around each other in a circle.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Ch3\u003EStories from Squirrel Dreys\u003C/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018The Squirrels love to get outside. We often go on daytrips to Thetford Forest - it\u0027s an amazing space and free to visit. At our meeting place, we only have a concrete pad and grass field but the forest is just a five-minute walk away. We visited back in February for some early spring bird and deer spotting. Our Squirrels get to run wild in the woods, make Dens with the fallen branches and play on the rope swings. Just being allowed to explore is what they love. Lots of them don\u2019t have access to outdoor space at home, so we know it\u2019s really important to bring them outside as much as we can. The forest has lots of new trails that we\u2019re excited to venture out to this spring.\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ELesley, Bowthorpe Scout Group\u00A0\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/19165/squirrels-outside-with-scout.jpg","width":7000,"height":4667,"altText":"Four Squirrels stand in the middle of a wooded area while talking to a Scout.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We took the Squirrels stargazing at Dartmoor. Sadly, we couldn\u2019t see the stars due to cloud cover, but we improvised! We used some software on the tablets to look at the constellations and learn about which stars were above us in the dusky sky, and which were below. After exploring the sky and finding the planets, we played games as night crept in and lined up like planets around the sun. The Squirrels favorite part of the session was finding the stars that were shaped like animals!\u2019\u003C/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EDanielle, 1st Keyham Scout Group\u00A0\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/p\u003E","gtmId":"","gtmClass":""},{"gridType":"gridImageBlock","gtmId":"gtmId","gtmClass":"gtmClass","image":"/media/19157/squirrel-with-stick.jpg","width":7000,"height":4667,"altText":"A Squirrel wearing a red jumper carries a large stick while walking through a wooded area.","caption":"","link":null},{"gridType":"RichTextBlock","content":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022TextRun SCXW248742286 BCX0\u0022 data-contrast=\u0022none\u0022\u003E\u003Cspan class=\u0022NormalTextRun SCXW248742286 BCX0\u0022 data-ccp-parastyle=\u0022Body\u0022 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