The Special Nature of the Outdoors: Its Contribution to the Education of Children Aged 3-11‪.‬

Abstract There are many forms of outdoor learning. In the UK outdoor adventures, residential centres, field studies, Forest School and play in the outdoors are all available to some extent for the three to eleven age group. Each type has distinct aims and purposes but there are however some commonalities which may point to what the special nature of the outdoors has to offer. In this paper we use a typology of values in nature to investigate some possible dimensions within this. The interplay between these characteristics and the pedagogies employed in two forms of outdoor provision is explored. We will firstly clarify our definitions of the concepts of the outdoors, outdoor learning, and pedagogy. We review literature relating to outdoor education and pedagogy. A critical discussion is informed by our recent research in Forest School and a residential outdoor education centre and will help to determine whether outdoor learning may make a unique contribution to the education of children and the methods employed by practitioners. This will help to identify areas for potential research into outdoor learning in the early years which has been thus far overlooked.