POEMS domains

Physical Environment

The physical environment must be designed in such a way that children can test their abilities in an environment that offers many types and levels of challenge and stimulation. The physical surroundings must engage and entice children’s sense of inquiry, stimulate their imaginations, invite exploration, communicate a sense of belonging and cultural identity, and support their sense of developing competencies over time. The outdoors is integrated with the building and other facilities such as the parking lot and entrance areas. Special consideration should be given to circulation including pathways and traffic patterns and all adjacent areas located near the facility including air quality (dust, fumes) and safety (proximity to highways for example). The Physical Environment includes both the context of the outdoor play area and how the building and play area have been placed on the site.

Interactions

Children learn by interacting with other children, with adults, and with objects and natural materials found in the environment (play props, toys, small animals, plants, pebbles, sand, etc). The environment can serve a valuable purpose when it is set-up to expose children to opportunities to explore, question, and develop theories about how things work. The outdoor environment can provide many opportunities for social interactions with other children and with adults. Negotiation, language development, and cooperation are all skills that develop through diverse opportunities.

A rich interaction environment creates a positive tone that supports a child’s natural curiosity to play outdoors. Outdoor time is maximized through an intentional, well-planned approach to arranging the space and using outdoor time. The site must be safe and scaled to a child’s size while offering children choices and the freedom to select safe materials to use outdoors. Adults should follow the lead of the child while not being overly intrusive but involved enough with children to notice what children want to explore and learn about in their surroundings. Enough play time must be allowed so that undue stress is not created by the transitions outdoors then back indoors so children have time to engage in meaningful and elaborate play. It is also valuable for children to be allowed to take parts of the outdoors inside and to take traditional "indoor materials" into the outdoor environment.

Play & Learning Settings

Play and learning settings are defined spaces that support specific activities or groups of activities with a common theme. Examples might include an active play area, a storytelling circle, sand and water play, a tricycle path, or a vegetable garden. Moveable, temporary, and loose parts (pine cones, smooth stones, tubs, large blocks, bird houses, banners, sand toys) each should be considered for their contribution to activity areas. If only large equipment is available for outdoor play, then children’s experiences and opportunities for well-rounded development are severely limited.

Program

Teachers must realize that the outdoors is an extension of the classroom. The effective use of outdoors as a learning space occurs when the environment is prepared to maximize learning opportunities. Diverse settings within the environment extend child investigation, encourage spontaneous exploration and movement, and enrich interactions. Diverse materials (textures, colors, natural plants, etc.) provide children with stimuli for new discoveries and new ways of expressing themselves. Planned activities as well as emerging ideas that occur within the outdoor environment can be used to develop the curriculum. Teachers who closely observe children playing and learning and who listen to see what children are inquiring about, are better able to plan an effective program. Children with choices in their outdoor environments will expand their experiences into broader areas of curriculum. This means choices beyond only playing extensively on basic, anchored equipment and open play areas. In addition,

outdoor special events and seasonal activities enhance children’s connection with the regional culture and the environment (plants, animals, meteorological phenomena, customs).

The outdoor space and program should address the child as a whole (physical, emotional, cognitive, and social).

Teacher/ Caregiver Role

Teachers/caregivers who can apply their knowledge about children's learning are better able to create effective outdoor programs and to improve the physical environment based on developmental and individual needs. Teacher/caregivers who are either uninvolved or too intrusive, judgmental, or focus on rules, limit the creative learning opportunities that children seek. For example, teacher/caregivers who are uninvolved and non-interactive, or involved in unrelated tasks (like reading a magazine) are missing opportunities to engage with children in play and learning activities, and cannot safely supervise children. Evidence of teacher forethought and preparation to arrange space and activities for children combined with evidence that teachers are applying what they know about children’s development to outdoor play, is key. Teachers who are willing to explore and have a personal sense of wonder and engagement with children in their world draw children into learning, while teachers who pass on their fears or inhibitions to children may constrain children’s exploration. Teachers should devote less time to teacher-led group activities and more time to opportunities for individuals, pairs, or larger groups of children to engage in their own self-directed learning. The outdoors provides an opportunity for engagement and growth beyond the parameters of the classroom. Teachers who see the possibilities are the ones who will nurture the sense of wonder in the children with whom they interact.