How a slippery log offers more than a seesaw, and our ambitious new project for 170 early years settings

LtL’s Claire Abercrombie explains how nature will always be more inspiring, as our new My Nature Play project opens to early years settings.

“Imagine playing with the same fallen log on different days. If you have friends with you, perhaps you’ll use it as a table in an imaginative role-play game. Maybe the next day, you’ll climb or balance — you might even jump off! But the day after that, it’s raining. The log is wet, making it slippery and difficult to balance on. Perhaps you practice balancing anyway, walking slowly but not jumping this time — because you’ve used your risk assessment skills.

“You might become observant, watching small insects trying to find shelter on the log, making up imaginative stories about where they’re going. You could incorporate the log into den building or a game of hide-and-seek. Maybe it is simply a place to sit and observe others sometimes.”

Nature-based play will always win out

“In our family, we tend to spend a lot less time at a playpark than a natural space. Fixed equipment is enticing for a while, but there are only so many times you can repeat the same activity — climb this part, swing on here — unless you have someone to play with.

“Often play equipment is surrounded by safety surface to reduce the risk of injuries, but these surfaces can get hot. As our climate changes and we see increased temperatures, some fixed play equipment may become unusable on the sunniest days.

“Every type of location can provide opportunities to play, but for me, nature-based play will always win out. It is powerful, proven, and a joyful way to support wellbeing. There is a richness of experience — nature is simply a fascinating thing to explore.”

Using nature-rich spaces in early years settings

Natural outdoor spaces change with the seasons, inviting curiosity and the chance for even the youngest children to make interesting observations.

This type of nature-based play should be a part of every child’s day. We know that young children are happier and healthier when they have regular opportunities to play outdoors. Playing in nature supports children’s personal, social, emotional and language development, and schools and early years settings have a vital role to play to ensure equitable access to nature. This is where children spend so much of their lives!

But the amount of time children spend outdoors has declined by 50% in a generation

According to the Raising the Nation Play Commission’s ‘Everything to Play For’ report, 55% of parents say that their youngest child plays outside less than they did as a child.

For me, nature-based play will always win out. It is powerful, proven, and a joyful way to support wellbeing

— LtL’s Claire Abercrombie

By making good use of outdoor spaces, schools and early years settings can offer a lot of valuable time in nature to all children, along with all the benefits of learning and playing outdoors. However, we know that teachers and practitioners face barriers to taking children outdoors during the day — a lack of suitable clothing, a lack of outdoor space, fears around risk, and low teacher confidence, especially in unfamiliar surroundings.

The message is clear: there is still work to be done to ensure that schools and early years settings feel empowered to use natural outdoor spaces for play and learning regularly.

How My Nature Play could support more nature-based play in your early years setting

From February 2026, our new My Nature Play project will be delivered across 170 early years settings throughout England, Wales and Scotland. This 12-week, hands-on programme is designed to transform how early years settings use nature and outdoor spaces for playful learning, creating long-lasting benefits for children’s development, wellbeing, and connection to the natural world.

Each participating setting will receive:

• Six in-person training sessions, delivered onsite during the day by an LtL early years specialist
• A high-quality outdoor clothing library for staff and children
• A personalised My Nature Play plan developed during follow-up visits, ensuring that playful outdoor learning becomes an embedded, sustainable part of daily practice
• The confidence to facilitate high-quality outdoor play and make the most of outdoor spaces and local green spaces in all weathers

Applications for My Nature Play are open to early years settings in England, Wales, and Scotland until midnight on 4 January, 2026. Apply now, or visit the project page to download a copy of the application questions and find out more about what it entails.

Make sure to sign up to our newsletter to stay up to date with the latest school grounds, outdoor learning and play news. If you’re seeking help with taking your outdoor space further, our expert team can provide advice and support through our advisory visit service for schools and early years settings, as well as our outdoor learning and play training.