Kirsty Carling Early Childhood Advisor Sport Bay of Plenty

I am an avid reader – at any one time I have about 3 books on the go! I have always loved and am a strong advocate for inspiring our youngest to experience the joy a good book can bring.

However, the theme of this article is not about books for the Under Fives!

Recently I was given a book by Joseph Cornell - Sharing Nature with Children.

Nature and our environment is another area I am passionate about and using our fantastic outdoors as a classroom and backdrop to learning is something I love reading about.

A news article recently informed us that children in the UK are spending less than 3 hours per week playing outdoors and that it is often at the parent's instigation. This horrifies me especially when the outdoors offers so much to children's learning and enjoyment.

In New Zealand we are blessed with a moderate climate and access to the most beautiful countryside. The outdoors lets children develop:

× Locomotive skills; walking, running and jumping

× Self esteem and confidence

× Balance skills; spinning, swinging and rocking

× Upper body strength through climbing, hanging, and swinging

× Problem solving, sharing and co-operation.

× Imaginative Play: Young children have vivid imaginations; many outdoor activities promote this.

Your own back garden is brimming with opportunities to be active – from water play, planting a vege garden, blowing bubbles, collecting piles of leaves, looking for bird's nests, treasure hunts, kicking a ball and playing in the sand pit, there are many options.

Local councils provide free parks and playgrounds and they often have a range of slides, swings, ladders and climbing frames creating perfect opportunities for movement. Parks provide children with space to run around, fly kites, play games and have fun.

There are council run swimming pools, walkways and sports fields which are low cost or free, and a great place to take children to. Local pathways are available for walking - take the pushchair, but if the child is old enough encourage them to walk and point out interesting things on the way.

Our beaches are great places to be active – young children enjoy playing in the sand, feeling the different textures of wet and dry. They enjoy splashing in shallow water, picking up different shaped shells and sticks and exploring rock pools.

Joseph Cornell talks about our role as teachers when exploring nature with children. He has five beliefs around outdoor teaching that helped him channel children's lively energies towards constructive pursuits. Underlying his beliefs are basic attitudes of respect for children and reverence for nature – attitudes which children respond to.

• Teach less and share more
• Be receptive
• Focus the child's attention without delay
• Look and experience first, talk later
• A sense of joy should permeate the experience

I won't go into too much detail but if you get the chance to read the book, I recommend it!

In the meantime – dress up warm and head outside - it'll be worth it.