Dr.

Beverly Dietze
Outdoor Play Provocations

Benefits of being outside:

-fitter and leaner
-stronger immune systems
-express more imagination and stronger communication skills
-more freedom to explore
-lower stress levels, and more self-regulatory behaviours
-multi-faceted, more intriguing play
-develop play partner relationships
-higher levels of curiosity and wonderment

Outside experiences
-vitamin D
-myopia reduction
-spatial working memory

Cycle of curiosity

-need to complete the cycle of curiosity...if repetition is stopped=surface learning

-exploration, wonderment & questions, experiment & discovery, repetition to test discovery,
new ideas, skills, learning, confidence and security, new questions & ideas

-flexible thinking develops when children use the left and right hand side of the brain together

Provocation: materials that trigger children’s interests or in response to their interests

-progressive provocation…materials gradually added to the provocation

-invitations can trigger new ideas for the children

-materials that are not typically introduced together
-mirrors and reflections add to invitation set ups
People think in two ways

-vertical blinds…think in a sequence…used in solving problems…follow a series of steps…

challenges: doesn’t leave space for creativity…only one ways to do things, get stuck

Horizontal thinking…go wider and not deeper…challenges…educator may need to let go of their
thought processes…adult cannot control

Strong pathways are developed in the brain when children focus and attend.

Placing items on a white background provides more contrast, visual acuity

Fairy letters introduce different options for the children like scavenger hunts etc.

Outdoor magazine
www.playoutdoorsmagazine.ca