A LITERATURE REVIEW AND KEY INFORMANT INTERVIEW FINDINGS FROM AN OUTDOOR-BASED SCHOOL AGE CHILD CARE PILOT

• Space Design While much is known about the influence of the design components of the outdoor space, the importance of the role and responsibilities of the adult educator has been found to have more of an influence than any aspect of facility design (Mansfield et al, 2020). [...] The creation of multiple zones of activity has been found to allow for alignment with the diverse, and changing, needs and interests of children and educators. [...] While additional research points to the importance of educator training as the most critical component in maximizing the value of outdoor play, there is no requirements in Canada for educators to have this additional training as part of licensing. [...] Equity of Access: A result of the current lack of licensing and policy support for outdoor programs is a fundamental inequity in the accessibility of these programs. [...] Of particular interest is to assess the evidence with respect to the benefit or value of outdoor schools, and what the evidence suggests with respect to best practices and curriculum.