Course Summary
Build your team’s confidence in using outdoor learning as part of everyday teaching and provision.
This practical starter course is designed to help leaders, teachers and Early Years practitioners support staff who may feel unsure, overwhelmed or inexperienced outdoors. It focuses on making outdoor learning feel simple, purposeful and achievable for everyone.
The course explores how to develop a shared approach, reduce common barriers, support reluctant staff and create realistic expectations that work across different spaces, ages and weather conditions.
Upgrade to a Gold Account to Access this Course
Course Level
Starter Level
Ideal for settings beginning their outdoor learning journey or wanting to improve staff confidence and consistency.
Time to Complete
Complete the course online and work through each module at your own pace.
What’s Included?
- Practical training videos
- Inspiring podcast content
- Reflective tasks for leaders and teams
- Simple strategies for improving staff confidence
- Guidance for supporting reluctant or less-experienced staff
- Ideas for creating a shared outdoor learning approach
- Advice for reducing workload and unnecessary preparation
- Support for using sustainable, affordable resources
- Downloadable prompts and planning support
- A CPD certificate on completion
- A special course crest to display within your setting or business
- Upgrade to a Gold Account to Access this Course
Module Content
Module 1: Why Staff Confidence Matters
Explore how staff confidence, attitudes and previous experiences can affect the quality of outdoor provision.
Learn why some adults may feel uncomfortable outdoors and how leaders can respond with encouragement rather than pressure.
Module 2: Understanding Common Barriers
Identify the most common reasons staff avoid outdoor learning, including weather, behaviour concerns, lack of ideas, limited space, workload and uncertainty about curriculum links.
Learn how to separate genuine practical issues from barriers that can be solved through simple changes.
Module 3: Creating a Shared Outdoor Learning Vision
Develop a clear and realistic vision for what outdoor learning should look like in your setting.
Explore how to agree expectations as a team so staff understand that outdoor learning is not an extra subject or a completely separate way of teaching.
Module 4: Making Outdoor Learning Simple
Discover how to use familiar resources such as hoops, cones, rope, chalk, clipboards, sticks, leaves and stones.
Learn how simple routines and repeatable activity structures can help staff feel prepared without creating more planning or marking.
Module 5: Supporting Reluctant Staff
Explore practical ways to support colleagues who lack confidence or do not yet see the value of outdoor learning.
Learn how modelling, team teaching, observation, small first steps and positive feedback can help staff develop confidence gradually.
Module 6: Managing Behaviour Outdoors
Understand how clear boundaries, predictable routines and purposeful activities can support positive behaviour outside.
Explore how outdoor learning can help some children regulate, move and engage more successfully, particularly those who find indoor learning difficult.
Module 7: Working in Different Spaces and Weather
Learn how to make outdoor learning work in playgrounds, small yards, nursery gardens, fields and concrete spaces.
Explore realistic approaches to clothing, wet weather, heat, storage and seasonal changes.
Module 8: Creating a Practical Staff Toolkit
Develop a simple outdoor learning toolkit that staff can access quickly.
Consider storage, shared resources, activity cards, visual prompts and grab-and-go equipment that reduce preparation time.
Module 9: Coaching and Developing Your Team
Explore how leaders can support staff through short demonstrations, team discussions, peer observations and practical training.
Learn how to keep professional development encouraging, manageable and linked to everyday practice.
Module 10: Your Staff Development Challenge
Choose one area of outdoor practice to improve within your setting.
Create a simple action plan, trial one change with your team and reflect on what helped staff feel more confident and supported.
Who Is It For?
- Early Years leaders
- Nursery managers
- Reception teachers
- Outdoor learning leads
- Phase leaders
- Headteachers
- Teaching assistants
- Childminders working with assistants
- SEND leaders and practitioners
- Anyone responsible for developing staff practice outdoors
What Will You Learn?
By the end of the course, you will understand how to create a more confident, consistent and positive staff approach to outdoor learning.
You will be able to identify barriers, support reluctant colleagues, introduce manageable routines and help staff use outdoor spaces without increasing their workload.
What Will You Receive?
After successfully completing the course, you will receive a CPD certificate and an exclusive Supporting Staff Outdoors course crest to display within your setting, website or business.
This demonstrates your commitment to developing staff confidence and providing high-quality outdoor learning across your team.
Outdoor Learning Training: Supporting Staff Outdoors in Early Years
Our Outdoor Learning Training: Supporting Staff Outdoors in Early Years is designed to help leaders and practitioners build confident, consistent, and skilled teams delivering high-quality outdoor learning. At The Muddy Puddle Teacher, we focus on developing staff understanding, practical skills, and confidence—so outdoor learning becomes purposeful, effective, and embedded in everyday practice.
What Is Outdoor Learning Training for Supporting Staff?
This outdoor learning training course focuses on how to support, guide, and develop staff working in outdoor environments within EYFS settings.
It’s not just about what children do outdoors—it’s about how adults facilitate learning, interact with children, and create meaningful experiences.
You’ll learn how to:
- Build staff confidence in delivering outdoor learning
- Ensure consistency in practice across your team
- Support high-quality interactions and teaching outdoors
- Create a shared understanding of expectations and outcomes
- Reveal more helpful tips and tricks in our Outdoor Learning Training Hub.
Why Supporting Staff Outdoors Matters
In early years, the quality of teaching and learning is directly linked to the confidence and skill of practitioners. Outdoors, this can often vary—some staff may feel less confident or unsure of their role.
This training helps to:
- Remove uncertainty around outdoor learning
- Develop a consistent approach across your setting
- Improve the quality of adult-child interactions
- Ensure outdoor provision is purposeful, not just free play
When staff feel confident, children benefit from richer, more meaningful learning experiences.
Building Staff Confidence in Outdoor Learning
A key focus of this training is helping staff feel comfortable and capable outdoors.
We support teams to:
- Understand their role in outdoor learning
- Move beyond supervision to active teaching
- Use the environment as a learning tool
- Feel confident managing behaviour and risk
We also introduce our soft resources toolkit—a set of simple, adaptable resources that help staff facilitate learning without overcomplicating activities or overwhelming children.
What You’ll Learn
This outdoor learning training course is practical, supportive, and designed for real settings:
🌿 Understanding the Role of Adults Outdoors
- What effective outdoor teaching looks like
- Balancing child-led play and adult interaction
- Knowing when to step in and when to step back
🌿 Developing Consistent Practice Across Teams
- Creating shared expectations
- Supporting staff with different confidence levels
- Embedding outdoor learning into daily routines
🌿 Using the Environment as a Teaching Tool
- Turning everyday outdoor spaces into learning opportunities
- Making learning visible and meaningful
🌿 Supporting Behaviour and Engagement Outdoors
- Strategies for managing behaviour in open environments
- Encouraging positive engagement and participation
🌿 Using the Soft Resources Toolkit
- Simple, low-demand resources to support staff delivery
- Helping practitioners feel confident leading activities
- Supporting inclusive practice for all learners
Who Is This Training For?
This course is ideal for:
- EYFS leads and managers
- Nursery and preschool staff
- Early years practitioners
- Teaching assistants
- Schools and settings developing outdoor provision
It is particularly valuable for settings where staff confidence outdoors varies.
Benefits of This Outdoor Learning Training
By the end of the course, your team will:
- Feel more confident delivering outdoor learning
- Have a clear understanding of their role outdoors
- Provide more consistent, high-quality practice
- Be able to support a wide range of learners
- Improve engagement, behaviour, and learning outcomes
Why Choose The Muddy Puddle Teacher?
We specialise in outdoor learning training for early years, offering:
- Practical, easy-to-implement strategies
- Support for whole staff teams
- A unique soft resources toolkit approach
- Training grounded in real experience
We help turn uncertainty into confidence—so your outdoor provision truly works.
Book Your Outdoor Learning Training Today
If you want to build a confident, consistent team delivering high-quality outdoor learning, this training is the perfect place to start.
Get in touch today to book your Outdoor Learning Training: Supporting Staff Outdoors in Early Years and strengthen your team’s practice.
