You need a big budget, bigger yard, more storage space and landscaping skills to create change in your outdoor learning environment & activities right? WRONG!
The Let's Go Outside online training course for EC Educators shows you how to make outdoor play interesting again and create more natural learning spaces using low cost and recycled materials, simple ideas, action steps to kickstart progress, real examples, printables, video lessons and colourful e-guides.
If you can follow basic steps using everyday resources and practical strategies then you will easily be able to improve or extend upon your outdoor environment & planning with this course.
ENROL NOW TO CLAIM YOUR BONUS OUTDOOR PLAY POSTER PACK!
Registration Ending Soon
Just $199 for 12 months access to all video sessions, e-books & printables!
Online Professional Development = No Travel. No Deadline.
You have access to all training session videos, handouts, printables & guides for 12 months so no pressure here!
Feel inspired to make changes, try new activities, plan and make your own easy DIY resources for outdoor play. See real examples & ideas from educators just like you!
Who is this course for?
- Early Childhood Educators
- Coordinators
- Childminders
- Family Day Care Educators
- Outside School Hours Care Educators
- Sustainability Officers
- Directors of Early Learning Services
- Students
- Parents wanting to create backyard learning spaces for their children.
- Facilitators
- Child care practitioner
- Room Leaders
- Early Childhood consultants and mentors
- Early Years Teachers
- Kindergarten & Preschool teachers
- Occasional Care Services
Need to enrol more than one participant? Simply add the number of people you require on the payment page and we will then email you to confirm names and contact details for all individuals.
If you are a visual learner with limited time for professional development then you will appreciate the flexibility and practical resources this course provides!
In this course you will learn how to:
- Plan for and set up invitations to play, explore and investigate outside.
- Incorporate intentional and incidental teaching moments and activities outdoors.
- Source, store and present loose parts and open ended play opportunities outdoors.
- Work with the children to create an outdoor environment that invites birds, bugs and other living creatures to care for and investigate.
- Set up simple play areas and small spaces in your yard whether big or large - and why they are important.
- Source and equip outdoor play areas with low cost but engaging and challenging elements.
- Use simple elements and materials to begin creating a more natural environment - even on a budget!
- Create a unified approach to manage risk and create challenges in the outdoor spaces to allow for greater learning opportunities.
- Introduce simple activities and processes to help you include and embed sustainable practice outdoors.
- Get creative with the difficulties of shared outdoor spaces, storage issues and small yards.
- Use a range of play based activity suggestions to incorporate maths, science, drama, social, language, music, movement outdoors.
- Update older outdoor spaces and phase out plastic equipment sustainably.
- Identify and evaluate what works, what doesn't and what the space might need now.
- Add action steps to a quality improvement plan to help guide you.
- Setup and use the outdoor play environment as the '3rd teacher' based Reggio principles.
Bonus a4 Printable Posters on Enrolment!
A helpful way to visually communicate the learning outcomes & benefits for various outdoor play opportunities to both families and educators!
What do I get with this course?
- Access to 18 quick view, easy to understand video sessions.
- PDF Handouts with guides, action steps, templates, posters & printables
- The choice to learn when you want and where you want - you have 12 months to work through the course at your own pace!
- Information, ideas, examples, photos, action steps and strategies that are easy to understand and try yourself - even on a budget!
- A professional development certificate of attendance
Do you find yourself feeling...
Find solutions to all of those issues inside the course! You will also learn how to update older outdoor spaces & begin designing new areas, invite collaboration from families and team members and save time planning by ensuring your outdoor environment promotes early learning everyday.
Who am I & why should you listen to me?
I have had 30 years hands on experience in the early childhood profession and already supported and mentored thousands of educators with their work through my popular website The Empowered Educator and practical blog posts, activity ideas, factsheets, free e-guides, online training, Facebook Community, webinars and e-books.
I have worked in many different roles across the human services and early childhood professions including Case Manager, Project Officer, FDC Coordinator and educator, Occasional Care, Outside School Hours Care, Family Support Manager, IHC Coordinator, Room Leader, Director, Assistant in centre based care and training facilitator to name just a few so it's likely I have already walked in similar shoes to your own! I know what is helpful to educators because I am one too!
By offering this e-course I can now take you step by step through the basics of creating simple outdoor play spaces, equipment and budget friendly learning experiences.You will leave the course with plenty of actionable ideas to try and be inspired by photo examples, handouts, mini guides, printables and posters.
What are other educators saying about my online training?
I know you want value for your hard earned money when choosing your professional development so here are a few thoughts from participants of previous outdoor play workshops....
I liked the way you presented this . All of the ideas small and large. The different ways to set up the yard. This was my first online training session and I really enjoyed it."
Jodie, you provided all participants with such relevant detail that went beyond the square. The blend of visual aids with the extremely informative detail provided ...so much food for thought. Thank you. "
I've been asked to add more loose parts and natural elements to our outdoor yard and wasn't sure where to start, now I have lots of ideas I feel I can try pretty easily and even some thoughts on storage solutions which has been annoying all of us! Can't think of anything I would have changed, thanks."
Easy to use inside the course doors!
Last course for 2017!
Take action to create the outdoor environment & experiences you really want to - without a big budget.
Claim your BONUS Outdoor Poster Pack before it's to late!
This course is perfect for you if....
- You are currently bored or tired of your outdoor spaces and activities and need new ideas.
- You are frustrated by the lack of space and storage in your outdoor area.
- You want to find projects and activities that will help children become active participants as they learn about sustainability outdoors.
- You have a limited budget but really want to work towards a more natural environment as soon as possible.
- You work with babies and toddlers or school age children and need some strategies for their different outdoor needs.
- You are not sure what you want to take out of your environment and what the best new equipment to put back in would be.
- You want to redesign your old space or create new from scratch but can't afford a landscaper or other professionals at this time.
- You want to know more about how to source and incorporate loose parts and natural materials into outdoor play.
- You are not sure how to reply when parents ask you what the children are learning when they 'just play outside all day.'
Most importantly, you want to know what to do first, how to do it cost effectively, how to make the most of what you already have and how to bring all the necessary elements together to ensure you offer not just outdoor play but an outdoor learning environment!
What topics will we cover?
Questions? We have answers!
How long will the course take?
The course is made up of 7 modules with 18 video lessons and accompanying action guides, handouts and printable tools. Each video is between 15 - 20 minutes long. It shouldn't take you any longer than half an hour to watch each lesson within a module and complete any action steps using the handouts for that module. You can pause the videos at anytime and stop and start.
Embracing outdoor play and natural spaces is designed so you can squeeze the video's into your day without having to set aside big chunks of time. That is why each video is only 15 to 20 minutes in length.
It is your choice whether to go through and complete the action guides and suggestions or just watch the video session.
Do I have to attend live?
Not at all - this is an online 'virtual training' - so you can login and view each session online when it works for your busy schedule. You have a full 12 months to access all of the modules, action guides and other handouts! Start the course and watch the videos when it works for you and the time you have available.
Can I enrol and pay for more than one person to attend?
Of course! Simply add the number of people you want to enrol when at the checkout and then the Empowered Educator support team will contact you via email after payment to confirm names and details of individual registrants.
Where is the course being held?
This is an online training course so you can attend from the comfort of your own home or workplace anywhere in the world as long as you have access to a computer or tablet device with an internet connection.
How long do I have to complete the course?
You have a full 12 months to access the training course videos and action guides from the date of your purchase. That is plenty of time to run through the course 2-3 times if you wish to revisit, reflect and get things clear in your mind as you begin to put in place what you have learnt.
I'm still completing my studies - is this course suitable for me?
It certainly is! Sometimes it can be a little overwhelming to decipher and understand the barrage of information you are receiving while studying and doing assignments. It can also be difficult to grasp ideas and action steps without real examples from experienced educators. This course walks you step by step through simple processes, ideas and strategies to help you make the most of planning for outdoor play.
I've already been working in EC for years now - is this course suitable for me?
The short answer is YES! No matter how experienced you are - feeling frustrated, unmotivated, needing new ideas or just lacking in confidence to make the changes you have been told are required can happen at any time in our work cycle.
This course will help you clarify what to do first, how to do it cost effectively, how to make the most of what you already have and how to bring all the necessary elements together to ensure you offer not just outdoor play but an outdoor learning environment!
Do I receive a certificate?
You will receive a certificate for professional development completed in the area of Outdoor play, learning & creating natural spaces.
This is a page section