Join the Outdoor Play Movement

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Join the Outdoor Play Movement

• What is it?
• Why now?
• Who is a part of this?
• How can I contribute?

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Restless Kids?

• Go Outside!

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Messy Activity?

• Try it outside!

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Science, Math or Reading Time?

• Do them Outside!

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Too Much TV for Kids?

• Go Outside!

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Fearing the Results of Child Inactivity?

• Play Outside!

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Why?

• Children who are exposed to natural environments
  attend better for longer periods of time
• Children learning about how they fit in the world
  fare better outside

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Research

• The outdoors facilitates children's ability to
  expand their sense of wonder and spiritual
  connections.
• (Bohlink-Phillippi)

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North Carolinas Initial Response

• Gather a group of professionals to work on it!
• Divide into work groups
• Call yourself by a name - Outdoor Learning
  Environments Alliance
• Report back, Solve this!!
• Start a website - http//www.osr.nc.gov/OLE

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North Carolina Outdoor Learning Environments
(OLE) Alliance

• Three work groups
• Professional Development Technical Assistance
• Policy Regulation
• Public Awareness Advocacy
• Leadership Team (2 reps from each work group)

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OLE Alliance Purpose

• To improve the quality of outdoor environments
  for children in child care and public school
  pre-K settings through the state.
• Organizational collaboration
• Stay abreast of developments
• Policy recommendations
• Professional guidance and technical assistance
• Advocacy for high quality outdoor environments

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!!Its a Ground Swell!!

• Research is emerging daily
• Practices must change from recess to enhanced
  learning spaces
• Teacher education is needed
• Additional tools and strategies are needed
• Families and other professional groups must join
  ECE!

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Next Steps

• Resource list already compiled
• Logo and public awareness available
• Research bullets available
• Establishing baseline of current conditions and
  practices
• Identification of model settings

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We need you!

• Join a work group
• Stay in touch with what is happening
• Question your own practices
• Become familiar with suggested resources
• Incorporate new practices and language

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Play Outside!
Play Outside
Play Outside
Play Outside