An inspiring outdoor learning zone is to be created at this year’s Childcare Expo to help early years professionals make the most of outside spaces.

All areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage can be delivered outdoors – and if you’re short of good ideas a day out at Childcare Expo in September should give you plenty of inspiration.

Learning through Landscapes, a UK charity dedicated to enhancing outdoor learning and play for children, has teamed up with early years supplier TTS to create the feature area at this year’s event, which takes place at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on 16th and 17th September 2011.

“This exciting new partnership aims to develop resources and share ideas that will support high-quality outdoor play in early years settings,” said Julie Mountain, Operations Director at Learning Through Landscapes.

“Our teams get to visit some of the most innovative early years settings across the UK, and this fantastic feature at Childcare Expo will enable visitors to share in some of the truly inspirational approaches the most ground-breaking settings are using outdoors.”

The feature area – Early Years Outdoors: Magical Journeys – will showcase a range of ideas for outdoor play and learning to inspire early years practitioners and send them away with practical, affordable ideas for improving the quality of outdoor play at their own settings.

“We know that money and time are tight, so Early Years Outdoors: Magical Journeys will demonstrate dozens of ways settings can deliver the Early Years Foundation Stage outdoors,” said Julie.

“If you fancy building a den at Childcare Expo, getting messy in the garden or snuggling up in our cosy corner then come along to Early Years Outdoors: Magical Journeys and be inspired by fantastic examples of outdoor resources and approaches.”

Learning Through Landscapes will also be running short seminars and offering pre-bookable one-to-one surgery sessions for visitors to the event.

Research by Learning Through Landscapes reports the following benefits at schools which have improved their grounds:

· 85% of teachers said it resulted in more creative learning and environmental awareness

· 85% said that healthy active play had increased

· 65% observed improved attitudes to learning.

· 73% said behaviour had improved

· 64% reported reduced bullying

· 84% reported improved social interaction

For more information please visit: www.childcareexpo.co.uk

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