Exploring the Taken-for-Granted Advantage of Outdoor Play in Norwegian Early Childhood Education.

The study investigates how the perception of nature and outdoor life as an important arena for children's cultural formation can be challenged by changes in kindergartens and modern society. The research question is: What conflicts can arise between kindergarten teachers' values and motives for outdoor play, in relation to contextual conditions and demands on personal, institutional and cultural levels, as well as in the perception of nature?

The analysis shows that the perception of nature as a valued arena for cultural formation through play may not be as clear as expected in a Norwegian kindergarten context. There are personal conflicts between the benefits of outdoor play and the need for a skilled kindergarten teacher. At the institutional level, there are tensions between learning in nature and other tasks in kindergarten. Culturally, there are differences between what parents and politicians expect and free outdoor play. When it comes to views on nature, opinions are divided on whether nature is safe or dangerous, and about its role in learning.

The data material consists of observations of activities with adults and children from a Norwegian kindergarten. Five kindergarten teachers made video recordings to illustrate children's activities that they thought were particularly interesting and valuable. The video clips were followed up by comments from the kindergarten teachers and the children that were filmed. In addition, fifteen interviews were conducted with the kindergarten teachers.

Grindheim, L. T. (2021). "Exploring the Taken-for-Granted Advantage of Outdoor Play in Norwegian Early Childhood Education". I Outdoor Learning and Play: Pedagogical Practices and Children’s Cultural Formation (s. 129-144). Cham: Springer International Publishing.