Course Summary

Build your confidence in supporting meaningful outdoor play with this practical and flexible Level 1 starter course.

This course will help you understand why outdoor play matters and how to create simple, engaging play experiences using the space and resources already available within your setting.

You will explore how outdoor play supports communication, confidence, creativity, physical development, emotional wellbeing, problem-solving and relationships. You will also discover how to encourage richer play without relying on expensive equipment, heavily themed activities or constant adult direction.

The course focuses on achievable changes that can be introduced in nurseries, schools, wraparound provision, childminding settings, gardens, playgrounds and other everyday outdoor spaces.

Course Level

Level 1: Starter Level

Ideal for practitioners who are new to outdoor play or would like straightforward ideas to strengthen their current provision.

Time to Complete

Complete the course online and work through each module at your own pace.

You can pause between modules, try the ideas within your own setting and return to the course when you are ready.

What’s Included?

Practical training videos, inspiring podcast content, simple outdoor play tasks to try in your setting, demonstrations using natural and reusable resources, guidance for supporting different ages and abilities, ideas for developing communication and child-led play, downloadable prompts and practical planning support, a CPD certificate on completion and a special course crest to display within your setting, website or business.

Module Content

Module 1: What Is Outdoor Play?

Explore what meaningful outdoor play looks like and how it differs from outdoor lessons, adult-led activities and Forest School.

Learn why children need time, space and freedom to move, explore, imagine, communicate and develop their own ideas.

Discover how outdoor play can happen in playgrounds, gardens, courtyards and small outdoor spaces without specialist facilities.

Module 2: Why Outdoor Play Matters

Explore how outdoor play supports children’s physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.

Learn how play can encourage confidence, creativity, communication, independence, problem-solving, resilience and positive relationships.

This module also considers why children need opportunities to experience appropriate challenge, movement and choice.

Module 3: Creating a Simple Outdoor Play Toolkit

Discover how to support play using flexible, affordable and reusable resources.

Explore the possibilities offered by hoops, cones, rope, chalk, buckets, crates, fabric, cardboard tubes, bamboo canes, sticks, stones, leaves and other open-ended materials.

Learn why simple resources often encourage deeper play than toys with one fixed purpose.

Module 4: Supporting Child-Led Play

Learn how to step back and allow children to develop their own games, stories and ideas.

Explore the difference between supporting play and controlling it.

Discover when to observe, when to join in, when to introduce vocabulary and when to allow children to solve problems independently.

Module 5: Communication and Language Through Play

Explore how outdoor play can create rich opportunities for speaking, listening, storytelling, negotiation and imaginative language.

Learn how adults can extend communication by commenting, wondering aloud and introducing useful vocabulary without interrupting the flow of play.

Activities include role play, den building, small-world play, movement games and shared imaginative scenarios.

Module 6: Physical Development Outdoors

Discover how outdoor play supports balance, coordination, strength, spatial awareness and confidence in movement.

Explore ways to encourage climbing, carrying, pulling, pushing, balancing, throwing, digging and large-scale construction.

Learn how to provide challenge while considering supervision, space and individual physical needs.

Module 7: Creative and Imaginative Outdoor Play

Explore simple ways to encourage storytelling, role play, art, music, construction and creative thinking outdoors.

Children can build dens, create imaginary worlds, make temporary artwork, invent games and transform ordinary resources through their imagination.

This module focuses on providing possibilities rather than preparing a finished activity for children to copy.

Module 8: Nature and Sensory Play

Discover how natural materials, weather, water, mud, sand, plants and seasonal change can enrich outdoor play.

Learn how sensory experiences can support curiosity and exploration while recognising that children have different preferences and sensitivities.

Explore ways to offer choice without requiring every child to touch mud, water, insects or unfamiliar natural materials.

Module 9: Supporting Positive Relationships and Behaviour

Learn how outdoor play can help children cooperate, negotiate, take turns, manage disagreement and develop friendships.

Explore how clear boundaries, predictable routines and well-organised spaces can support positive behaviour.

This module also considers how adults can respond to conflict without solving every problem for children immediately.

Module 10: Inclusive Outdoor Play

Discover how to adapt outdoor play for children with SEND, sensory differences, communication needs, physical disabilities and varying levels of confidence.

Learn how visual prompts, quieter areas, larger equipment, predictable routines and flexible participation can help more children engage successfully.

The aim is not for every child to play in the same way, but for every child to have meaningful opportunities to participate.

Module 11: Managing Risk and Safety

Develop confidence in supporting appropriate challenge outdoors.

Explore boundaries, supervision, equipment checks, weather, clothing, hygiene and the difference between a hazard and a manageable risk.

Learn how children can gradually develop judgement, confidence and responsibility through well-supported play.

Module 12: Your Outdoor Play Challenge

Complete a practical task within your own setting by planning and introducing one simple improvement to outdoor play.

This may involve creating a small loose-parts collection, changing the way adults interact, introducing a den-building area or offering children more time to develop their own games.

Reflect on what changed, how the children responded and what you would develop next.

Upgrade to a Gold Account to Access This Course

Who Is It For?

This course is ideal for nursery practitioners, Reception teachers, teaching assistants, childminders, Early Years leaders, wraparound and holiday-club staff, playworkers, SEND practitioners, parents, home educators and anyone who wants to make outdoor play more meaningful, inclusive and child-led.

What Will You Learn?

By the end of the course, you will feel more confident creating and supporting outdoor play experiences using ordinary spaces and simple resources.

You will understand how to encourage child-led ideas, communication, creativity, movement and problem-solving without feeling that adults must constantly entertain children.

You will also learn how to organise resources, support positive relationships, manage appropriate risk and adapt play for different ages, interests and needs.

What Will You Receive?

After successfully completing the course, you will receive a CPD certificate and an exclusive Level 1 Outdoor Play Course crest to display within your setting, website, business or professional portfolio.

Why Choose The Muddy Puddle Teacher®?

The Muddy Puddle Teacher® approach is designed for real educational and childcare settings.

You do not need woodland, expensive play structures or a large outdoor area.

We help practitioners make better use of playgrounds, gardens, courtyards and everyday outdoor spaces through simple, sustainable and reusable resources.

Our training supports adults in creating the conditions for richer play while allowing children more ownership, freedom and opportunities to develop their own ideas.

Begin Your Outdoor Play Training

Start with small, achievable changes and develop an outdoor environment where children can move, communicate, imagine, create and play with greater confidence and independence.

Upgrade to a Gold Account to Access This Course

Uncover more practical guidance, training and inspiration in our Outdoor Learning Training Hub.

Outdoor Learning Training: Let’s Learn Programme for EYFS

Our Outdoor Learning Training: Let’s Learn Programme for EYFS is designed to help early years practitioners confidently deliver high-quality, purposeful outdoor learning. At The Muddy Puddle Teacher, we combine practical strategies, child development knowledge, and our soft resources toolkit to support focused teaching in EYFS through engaging, play-based outdoor experiences.

What Is This Outdoor Learning Training?

This specialised outdoor learning training course focuses on how to use outdoor environments to deliver intentional, focused teaching within the EYFS framework.

You’ll learn how to move beyond unstructured outdoor play and instead create meaningful learning opportunities that support early development across all areas of learning.

Our approach blends:

• Outdoor learning principles
• EYFS curriculum knowledge
• Play-based, child-led learning
• Use of our soft resources toolkit to support engagement and inclusion

Unlock more helpful tips and tricks in our Outdoor Learning Training Hub.

Why Outdoor Learning Is Essential in EYFS

Outdoor learning plays a vital role in early years development. Young children learn best through movement, exploration, and hands-on experiences—all of which are naturally supported outdoors.

This training will help you:

• Deliver focused teaching outdoors, not just free play
• Support communication, language, and social development
• Improve engagement and concentration
• Create calm, regulated learning environments
• Meet EYFS outcomes in a meaningful, practical way

What Is Focused Teaching Outdoors?

Focused teaching in EYFS means having a clear learning intention while still allowing children to explore, play, and lead their own learning.

Through this training, you’ll learn how to:

• Plan outdoor activities with clear learning goals
• Balance adult-led and child-initiated learning
• Use questioning and interaction to extend learning
• Observe and assess progress in outdoor environments

Using Our Soft Resources Toolkit

A key feature of our Let’s Learn training is the use of our soft resources toolkit.

These are carefully selected, low-demand, open-ended resources that:

• Support engagement without overwhelming children
• Encourage curiosity and exploration
• Help scaffold learning and communication
• Provide structure while maintaining flexibility

This approach is especially effective for supporting a wide range of learners, including those with additional needs.

What You’ll Learn

This outdoor learning training course is practical, hands-on, and designed for immediate impact:

🌿 Planning for Outdoor Learning in EYFS

• Linking activities to EYFS outcomes
• Creating purposeful, engaging sessions
• Making the most of your outdoor space

🌿 Delivering Focused Teaching Outdoors

• Strategies for adult-led learning
• Extending child-initiated play
• Effective questioning and interaction

🌿 Supporting Communication & Language

• Using outdoor environments to develop language skills
• Encouraging interaction and storytelling

🌿 Using the Soft Resources Toolkit

• How and when to introduce resources
• Supporting engagement and inclusion
• Adapting for different needs

🌿 Observation & Assessment

• Capturing learning outdoors
• Identifying progress and next steps

Who Is This Training For?

This course is ideal for:

• EYFS teachers
• Early years practitioners
• Nursery and preschool staff
• Childminders
• School leaders and EYFS leads

Whether you’re new to outdoor learning or looking to refine your approach, this training will give you the confidence and tools to deliver high-quality practice.

Benefits of This Outdoor Learning Training

By the end of the course, you will:

• Feel confident delivering focused teaching outdoors
• Understand how to link outdoor learning to EYFS outcomes
• Have practical ideas you can use immediately
• Be able to support a wider range of learners
• Improve engagement, behaviour, and learning outcomes

Why Choose The Muddy Puddle Teacher?

We specialise in outdoor learning training for EYFS, offering:

• Practical, easy-to-implement strategies
• A unique soft resources toolkit approach
• Expertise in early years development
• Training designed for real-world settings

We don’t just talk about outdoor learning—we show you how to make it work.

Book Your Outdoor Learning Training Today

If you’re ready to take your EYFS practice outdoors and deliver focused, meaningful learning, our Let’s Learn trainingis the perfect place to start.

Get in touch today to book your Outdoor Learning Training for EYFS and transform your outdoor provision.