Download our Outdoor Learning Bunting to brighten up your Early Years outdoor space and celebrate learning through nature, movement and play.
This printable bunting is ideal for nurseries, preschools, Reception classes, childminders and anyone developing their Early Years outdoors provision. Hang it around your outdoor classroom, mud kitchen, nature area, construction zone or garden to create a cheerful and welcoming place for children to explore.
New to outdoor learning? Begin with our complete Beginner’s Guide to Early Years Outdoors.
Outdoor Bunting for Nurseries, Preschools and EYFS
Creating an engaging outdoor area does not require expensive equipment or complicated displays. A few carefully chosen resources can help children feel that their outdoor space is valued as an important place for learning.
Our EYFS Outdoor Learning Bunting is a simple way to:
- Welcome children into the outdoor area
- Give different areas a clear identity
- Celebrate outdoor play and exploration
- Refresh tired outdoor provision
- Create an inviting backdrop for activities
- Support a whole-setting outdoor learning approach
Print the bunting, cut out the individual pieces and attach them to string, ribbon or natural twine. You can laminate the pieces if you would like to reuse them outside.
Explore more resources in our EYFS Outdoor Learning Hub.
Where Can I Use Outdoor Learning Bunting?
The bunting can be used across your Early Years outdoor provision, including:
- Mud kitchens
- Outdoor reading areas
- Nature investigation stations
- Loose-parts play areas
- Outdoor art spaces
- Construction zones
- Water-play areas
- Mark-making stations
- Storytelling areas
- Calm and sensory spaces
- Gardening areas
- Covered outdoor classrooms
It can also be used to decorate an entrance, outdoor noticeboard, family event, nature day or outdoor learning celebration.
For more simple, child-led inspiration, visit our Outdoor Play Ideas and Resources.
Supporting Early Years Outdoors
Outdoor learning is about much more than moving indoor activities outside. A high-quality outdoor environment gives children space to move, investigate, communicate, create and follow their own ideas.
The best Early Years outdoor spaces are not necessarily the fullest. At The Muddy Puddle Teacher®, we encourage settings to use a stripped-back approach with natural, open-ended and upcycled resources.
Outdoor bunting can help make the area feel welcoming without filling children’s play space with unnecessary equipment. Combine it with simple resources such as:
- Sticks, leaves and stones
- Wooden discs and logs
- Pots, pans and bowls
- Crates and cardboard boxes
- Chalk and chalk pens
- Fabric and colourful ropes
- Bamboo canes
- Buckets and containers
These flexible resources can be used repeatedly for art, storytelling, mathematics, communication, construction and imaginative play.
Creative Ways to Use Your Outdoor Learning Bunting
The bunting does not have to be purely decorative. Practitioners can also use it as a starting point for meaningful learning.
Make Your Own Outdoor Bunting
Invite children to create additional bunting using recycled card, fabric scraps or natural materials. Children could add drawings, patterns, symbols or marks inspired by the outdoor environment.
Create a Nature Colour Hunt
Look at the colours on the bunting and challenge children to find similar colours in nature. Can they find a green leaf, a brown stick, a yellow flower or a grey stone?
Encourage Outdoor Mark Making
Provide blank triangular pieces for children to decorate using chalk, crayons, paint or natural pigments. Display their finished designs alongside the printable bunting.
Discover more creative ideas in our Early Years Expressive Arts and Design Outdoors collection.
Support Communication and Language
Use the bunting as a conversation starter:
- Where should we hang it?
- Which colour or design do you like?
- How many pieces do we need?
- What could we call this outdoor area?
- What message could we add?
Children can share ideas, make decisions together and help transform their outdoor space.
Build a Sense of Belonging
Allowing children to help prepare and decorate the outdoor environment can give them a stronger sense of ownership. This can support confidence, cooperation and care for shared spaces.
Explore more activities supporting wellbeing and relationships in our Early Years PSED Outdoors section.
A Simple Addition to Outdoor Continuous Provision
Outdoor displays should support the environment without distracting children from their play. Position the bunting where it can be seen but will not restrict movement, block observation or interfere with climbing and active play.
You might hang it:
- Along a secure outdoor fence
- Beneath a covered area
- Across the front of a mud kitchen
- Around an outdoor storytelling space
- Above a nature collection table
- On an outdoor display board
Always attach bunting securely and position it away from children’s neck height, climbing equipment and active pathways. Check it regularly for damage caused by wind or wet weather.
Download Your Outdoor Learning Bunting
Download, print and display this cheerful Outdoor Learning Bunting to help make your Early Years outdoor area feel welcoming, playful and valued.
The resource is suitable for:
- Early Years practitioners
- Nursery and preschool teams
- Reception teachers
- Childminders
- SEND settings
- Home educators
- Outdoor learning leaders
Members can download this resource alongside thousands of practical outdoor learning activities, lesson ideas and Early Years resources.
Start your free 60-day trial and discover more simple, sustainable ways to take learning outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Outdoor Learning Bunting?
Outdoor Learning Bunting is a printable display resource designed to make nursery, preschool and Reception outdoor areas feel colourful, welcoming and purposeful.
Is this bunting suitable for Early Years?
Yes. It has been created for Early Years outdoor spaces, including nurseries, preschools, Reception classes and childminding settings.
Can I use the bunting outside?
Yes. For longer use, print it onto card or laminate the individual pieces. Attach it securely and check it regularly, particularly following wet or windy weather.
Where should I display outdoor bunting?
It can be displayed around a mud kitchen, nature area, outdoor reading corner, creative station, construction zone or covered outdoor classroom. Keep it away from climbing equipment and busy movement routes.
Does bunting improve outdoor provision?
Bunting alone does not improve the quality of provision, but it can help create a welcoming environment and give different areas a clearer identity. The most important elements remain space, purposeful resources, child-led play and supportive adults.
Where can I find more Early Years outdoor ideas?
Visit our Beginner’s Guide to Early Years Outdoors, browse the EYFS Outdoor Learning Hub or explore our Outdoor Play Resources.
