The world is an oyster – and your toddler deserves to discover all of its wonders.

And what’s a better way than to let them step outside their home? The vast outdoors is the perfect kind of playground for your child, better than any swing-set or slide out there. Outdoors offers a wider range of space for free movement and free play. Not only does this improve your child’s gross motor skills, but it also allows them to be more creative when it comes to play. This inevitably builds up their self-confidence and sense of self-awareness altogether.

Despite the multitude of benefits, we’re forgetting the most important one: the outdoors promote learning.

The outdoors expose your child to many different sensations: unique smells, sights, sounds and feelings. They’re something your child has never felt before, so their curiosity is automatically sparked. All of a sudden, they want to experience as much of the outdoors as possible!

Now, the chance is perfect. You can take advantage of this piqued interest in your child, and amplify it to more productive – and more fun! –  kinds of learning:

Go For A Walk

We’re not kidding – take your child out for a walk through a park! Let your child savor the sensory experience: birds chirping, trees rustling, and a steady wind blowing. After a while, prompt them to ask expository questions: how is that bird flying so high? Why is the grass green? How can trees stand on their own?

This kind of learning is more open-ended, but just as fruitful as any other class. You’ll see an improvement when your child starts asking questions on their own.

Set For Some Sensory Exploration

The main reason the outdoors fascinate toddlers so much is because it looks – and feels – so different from their own home. So let them explore the different sensations first hand!

Take them out in a park or your backyard, and show them different things like leaves, flowers, and pebbles. Let them hold it in their hands – now it’s your turn to ask them questions: how does it feel? What does it smell like? What does it remind you of?

With every passing question, your child will catch on the activity; they’ll then become more willing to grab more interesting things to study what they look and feel like. It’s essentially a new kind of sensory play, where a child is learning how to hone their five senses in unique ways.

As a parent, be willing to allow a large degree of freedom, so that they can explore to their heart’s content – just make sure they don’t touch something sharp or creepy!

Practice Counting Outside

Mathematics is practically everywhere around us – and its time your toddler noticed that, too!

When you’re outside, let them collect things they find interesting: stones, sea shells, leaves, or sticks – anything safe works. After they’re done collecting, let them lay their findings out on the ground, and count in sets of ten. By adding an element of exploration and fascination, your child will become more willing to improve on basic math skills.


Nurseries in JLT consider outdoor learning to be as important as indoor learning, if not more fun and exciting. That’s why Oakfield Early Learning Centre focuses on conducting educational field trips outside the classroom, so that children get to learn something new about the world.

Perhaps the most innate sense that children possess is curiosity. That’s why outdoor learning is the easiest – and most effective – kind of learning they will experience in their early years.