how and why did outdoor play become a central focus of scottish early learning and care policy?

abstract

based on a government document review, 25 stakeholder interviews, and 7 site visits, we examined how and why outdoor play became a focus of scottish policy for early learning and care programs; we also documented opportunities and barriers to policy implementation. the outdoor play emphasis began as a bottom-up initiative, with a few early adopters serving as model programs. perceptions that outdoor play programs were of higher quality than traditional indoor nursery programs helped alleviate concerns about children's well-being, and elicited support from key policy actors promoting the policy. an innovative licensing body that shifted from a risk assessment to a risk/benefit approach was key in developing this policy. a number of barriers to implementation, such as parent and educator attitudes, were identified. solutions to these barriers and the implications of our findings are discussed.