This document summarizes the author's research trip to Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands to study children's outdoor play. Some key findings include: 1) The Swedish government funds universal, low-cost childcare and generous parental leave policies, enabling more shared parenting responsibilities. 2) Swedish culture highly values outdoor space and nature. Cities have ample parks and green spaces. Playgrounds are well-funded and staffed. 3) Preschools emphasize outdoor, child-led free play regardless of weather. Staff are respected professionals with advanced degrees in early childhood education.

1. Sweden Adventures
In 2011 I was granted funding by the Lady Allen Trust to investigate Children’s Play
in Scandanvia. Establishing best practise models for use within my roles in the Play
sector and to disseminate to other Play organisations.
To start with, I spent 2 weeks in Sweden, followed by a week in Denmark and
another in Holland, visiting playgrounds and preschools all focused on outdoor
activities with children. This write up covers the main points that contribute to
advancing children’s development using nature and outside experience which we do
not implement in this country. My research was subjective and gathered from micro
based engagements, so the bulk of the information gathered is founded on
conversation with the professionals I worked with.
There is a vast array of factors affecting children’s outdoor play and experiences. In
this document I will begin with the largest influences reducing down to the smaller
scale. The latter topics are easier to implement, whereas subjects at the forefront of
the essay will take perseverance and major changes in the way we structure and view
our society requiring full overhauling of our general zeitgeist, governmental values
and general priorities. All of which may be possible through unanimous
determination.
Government
The biggest and most significant societal difference implemented by Scandanvian
governments is the funded contributions to the cost of childcare. All parents pay a
percentage of their wages, the more money they earn the more they must contribute.
However, the maximum fees incurred for any child at full time childcare is the
equivalent of £80 a month. This is a strikingly different situation to the cost of
childcare in Britain. Enabling all settings to build and improve as they have regular
set incomes.
Another government structure that differs from those found in this country is
maternity and paternity leave. Maternity is a minimum of 80 days, with more
available should you work at least one day a week during this time. The days can be

2. used up until the child is aged 8. The main comparison I was struck by was fathers
being given very similar opportunities, making parenting much more of a shared role.
Often mothers will take first 6 months off, then fathers the next 6 months. Dads in
parks with children are a routine everyday sight. Again this is a major difference to
that of the leave granted to parents in this country.
Government clearly hold power, however they in theory must reflect the attitudes of
its voters. It is difficult to distinguish in Sweden what is government motivation and
what are the desires of the masses. But what is clear is that the outdoors has held a
large degree of prestige within society for a long time. For example in the 1970’s the
government funded and instigated the promotion of allotments in the capital,
Stockholm, for those living in poverty in order for them to become healthier. The
allotments are still in many of the main parks today and lined one of the central river
banks in the city. All the ones I saw were in pristine condition and well looked after.
As much as this says about the government, it also marks the people’s willingness to
grow and engage with nature and the outdoors whilst also happy to take responsibility
for keeping themselves healthy (slide 15).
The government’s desire to help people get outside is found not only for the younger
members of society but also more recently the elderly. For example there is new
stationary equipment being created in playgrounds based on simple exercises to keep
the body moving and active (Slide 12). In Tissino Park when these items were first
installed the elderly reportedly complained as younger ones used it more than they
did, but these problems have since been resolved.
Playgrounds originally appeared on the government agenda in the 1970’s, as a
reaction to an increase in the number of roads being built consuming children’s play
spaces. Playgrounds were part of a fight to keep children’s outdoor play opportunities
in cities. They did their job well; there is a fabulous well used playground at every
corner you turn in the capital city. But the staffed play grounds have been on the
decline in the last 40 years reducing from 160 to 32 in Stockholm. The playgrounds I
visited were staffed, and the government not only paid their wages but pay for and
maintain the stationary equipment, conducting all the necessary risk assessments,
replacing any faulty equipment and they are responsible for all the insurances. This is

3. a similar situation for the preschools I visited, although all were self run cooperatives,
the site area was the responsibility of the local council and they came to deal with any
reported problems.
Evidently the government plays a huge role in the success of outdoor play provision
supporting it in many ways.
Space
On my first journey in Sweden, from the airport to Stockholm I was struck by the vast
natural landscape. There seemed to be never ending pine and evergreen trees, none of
which were particularly old. I later learned many are forest farms grown to be
chopped. The sites I visited where forestry had recently taken place, it had been done
responsibly, taking the biggest branches and filling in the giant tracks left by the
machinery, making it easier for others to enjoy being in the surroundings.
Walking in Stockholm city, there is park after park next to green space, and then in
the centre the national park: outdoor space is ample and easily accessible to all. So
much so that one centre I visited, Utisken, used the council land on their doorstep for
their activities;thus providing a public sand pit, and large woodland only a short walk
away. Other groups also use the area for free. These were fabulous resources again
very easily accessed.
Local Councils monitor space used by Children’s Centres and maintain any necessary
upkeep to the tree’s fencing and so on.
Culture
It is hard to distinguish if the amount of space and natural areas encourage affiliations
to it, or if the people love the land and that is why so much is available.
But there is a definite society wide recognition of the value of the outdoors. Despite
this, some of the more mature staff of playgrounds recalls longer days of outdoor
independent play in their childhood. So the feel of decline in children’s autonomous
time spent outside is present in Sweden as it is in the UK.
At many of the centres I visited staff reported that parents sent their children to the “Ir
or Skur” (Rain or Shine) centres because they did not take their own children out as
much as they would like. The staff felt this was poor effort on the parent’s part, but it

4. does show the universal recognition of the benefits and importance of contact with
nature.
As a Playworker who works with children living in poverty in social housing, I was
aware there were not many schemes that targeted those in need, so I went in search of
playgrounds in the less well off areas. I found lovely huge well maintained parks
(slide 15 and 16), and nice houses, schools with basic playgrounds but well attuned
with play. In terms of indicators of poverty, there was one smashed window and
graffiti that said “tak tak” (“thank you”; slide 17). This does not compare to the
poverty in England. There is a much smaller gap between the rich and the poor in
Sweden. Some of the settings I worked in seemed embarrassed that they did not
actively cater for those in need, and felt more should be done. It maybe this quality
that allows the lovely allotments to be very loose on security and remain intact
suffering no vandalism and the publically used sandpit keeps all the toys out or in an
unlocked box. At the Tissino Park building which had been there since the 1970’s in
central Stockholm there was no vandalism at all and they can recall very few
incidences of theft over the last 30 years. Whilst I was being told this in the centre, a
child minder was present and she was clearly extremely shocked that anything at all
had been taken. The culture is obviously much more trusting with low crime. This is
no great surprise with less poverty, and better standards of living across the board.
Also care for the environment is higher; I saw very little littering and the rivers that
run through Stockholm are so clean people swim in them.
There is a Swedish tradition to take your shoes off at the front door, or in larger
buildings place shoe covers on top of your shoes. This tradition is very useful for
outdoor settings, where muddy feet are in and out. Although the concept is not
complicated, the implications of it mean general everyday runnings are made much
easier.
Playgrounds
The playgrounds have well maintained buildings, stationary equipment, animal huts
(in some) and great loose parts and water pools in almost all spaces. All of which is
subsidized by government funding (slides 2-17) . All staff wages come from
government money, as does the insurance and responsibility for all equipment. The
staffed play provision is valued in the nation as being important enough to pay for.

5. The main roles the staff perform are maintenance and management of all resources on
site, animal care (where needed), organising events and supporting parents and
children. Like other open access play provision, they are not there to provide child
care, all young children attend with adults, and the staffs ensure the play is possible.
Every person who steps foot into their buildings is greeted with a smile and will laugh
at least once whilst talking to the staff. As one manager said to me “happy parents,
makes happy children”, it is a lovely environment to be part of. Other organisations
use the parks; many preschools bring groups, as do child minders, and children and
young people in breaks and after school. As with the preschools, finances make staff
run playgrounds easier to manage equipment is insured and maintained by the local
councils (Stockholm SD), staff report to them when things need fixing and they come
to fix it.
In terms of evaluation and monitoring, I’m sure it differs from park to park but the
main concern of recording seems to be numbers of people using the facilities. I did
not come across much of the in depth evidence and proof based methods we use to
support the work.
Pre-schools
The staff at preschools are seen as professionals and respected as such also reflected
in their wages. They complete degree equivalents qualifications in Early Years
teaching that all leaders must have to work in the industry. There are child carers at
some settings, this role requires college qualifications only. Comparatively, preschool
childcare and work in the UK has minimal compulsory education requirements to
work in the field, and subsequently could be said to be less respectful as an
occupation. Often workers are young women who move onto to other roles as they get
older, whereas the leaders in Scandinavia were mixed ages and tend to stay in the
profession for long periods.
The staff I met were extremely capable and efficient at dealing with the children, they
were calming and facilitated child led play in many ways. In one setting when a child
tripped over in the woods they would say “what have you found down there”
immediately drawing the attention away from the fall, rather than making a fuss and
potentially indirectly encouraging attention seeking behaviour. I did not hear a raised
voice at any of the settings once, all the children’s inputs are valued and acted upon.
The child led ethos is so engrained it is not mentioned in conversation it just is how it

6. is. Sessions take place at the children’s pace, they decide that they want to paint
leaves and twigs and they do. Regular consultation discreetly occurs, often the
children are asked to paint what they enjoy the most at the setting. When the children
present their arty creations to the staff, rather than over praising they ask them
questions about what they were thinking of when they made it. Often there is a story
or significant logic behind it. The leaders mentioned that they were careful not to
concentrate on any of the girls pretty clothing, instead remarking on how warm and
practical items are as they do not want to encourage best dressed competitions.
The weather deterred many people from attending the play grounds, but not at their Ir
Ur Skur centres. One day at Skogsgridden it had rained a great deal the night before
and the midgies were out in force, some children were bitten. But hats were donned
and the session continued, it will always take place outside regardless of weather or
any other challenges nature poses.
Friluftsframjandet and Mulle
All of the Ir Ur Skur centres I visited were part of an organisation called
Friluftsframjandet. This body is a core promoter of all things outdoors and for its
members (80,000), organising leaders to run outdoor adventures and over 200 Ir Ur
Skur Centres to run outdoor provision for early years (up to age 7). Many of the staff
at the Ir Ur Skurs I visited began their career in childcare outdoor play workers as
volunteer leaders for Friluftsframjandet. Friluftsframjandet regulate a quest theme of a
character which embodies the entire world of nature called ‘Mulle’. All children at the
centres are introduced to him from a young age, he is a bit of a legend like Father
Christmas, all the children want to help him and get engrossed in stories about him
and his friends. Many activities are organised to fit with the concept: litter picking to
keep Mulle happy and clean, bug hunting to understand Mulle’s friends and life and
running games using sayings Mulle says. Leaders occasionally dress up as him and he
visits the children with new songs and stories. The idea is spread amongst non Ir Ur
Skur centres also, children learn and have him in their lives till age 9 when they are in
schools where the idea is around then phased out. I was told of a Ir Ur SKur in the
north of Sweden that works with teenagers, the leader who told me this felt more with
this age group could be done. I find it strange that so much outdoor nature based play
concentrated on the younger ages, yet this seems to significantly reduce once the
children pass 8 years old.

7. Mulle and Frilfrutsframjandet was initiated in Sweden but has since become more
global, being found in India, Japan and Germany among others. This organisation and
concept could quite easily be transferred to this country. I discussed this with some of
the leaders I met and they were very excited by the idea and more than willing to
come to the UK to deliver a conference and training. I have been in touch with a
Friluftsframjandet representative in the UK, ideas are being sounded out to the
realities of what is needed and how to fund this proposal. Also I work closely with an
independent forest school charity (Nature Workshops) and they are now on the
lookout for funding to get Friluftsframjandet leaders to our country.
Co-operatives
All of the Ir Ur Skur centres I visited were cooperatively run on various levels, some
had a deal with local councils involving staff running everything but the site and the
building maintenance, while other centres were run by a parent board. All seemed
happy with their working arrangements.
For the parent board organised centre, all parents that send their children there must
sign an agreement to partake in kitchen duties and regular meetings discussing centre
matters. Ultimately the parent board is liable and responsible for the centre. This
system works now, and staff and parents have same values although there was a
settling in period undergone to achieve this harmony.
In another setting which is solely run by the staff, all staff control and determine the
actions of their centre. However parental involvement is very important, they
regularly hold meetings to get the parents to the centre often parents help to improve
the site providing volunteer hours the staff provide food and drinks. Again this
arrangement is outlined in the contract when children join the centre. All centres
seemed proud and pleased that they are independent and in control of their
organisation.
Activities
I witnessed many activities and much free play time, I have selected a few of the best
moments for me.
The challenge of walking part of way to woods in silence, and then being assigned a
tree to sit next too, few minutes later another leader led a children collection train past

8. all the trees for them to board the train. It was a lovely way to the introduce session in
woodlands and add something a bit different to the walk that is done most days.
Lots of singing all the time; a song to mark snack time, songs before food, songs with
games and many songs throughout the day to day in all of the centres. Also story
telling was a huge part of the daily structure, often using beautiful little props to
elaborate the words (slide 44 and 43).
The centres used themes and focused all activities around them, for example:
decomposing; collect materials to bury, investigate bugs that help rot, make bugs etc.
Within the themes I noticed that learning was completed at a more relaxed pace with a
whole 2 hour session concentrated on one letter. But what a great session it was:
children were detectives given a story at the beginning they had to go on a ‘F’ finding
mission (with magnifying glasses), plastic magnetic ‘F’s were hidden, as were many
‘F’eathers on route, then the children had to arrange themselves into the shape of an
‘F’, also an activity involving selecting something from a bag that begins with ‘F’
other children have to ask questions to try and guess what it is, then they did painted
“F”inger prints.
A different way of exploring colours in nature: use old egg boxes and give children
different coloured pens to colour in bottom of egg cups, they then have to collect
things to match the colours to put in each cup of the box.
All centres were free of brightly coloured plastic toys, often with minimal wall
displays and more the atmosphere of a home rather than a centre. The activities used
minimal equipment, regularly engaging with the children’s imagination using nature
as a resource as much as possible.
Critiques of the Scandinavian Model
Although all the government practices do indeed facilitate best practise play in
Playgrounds and Preschools, some people I met were conscious that structures
pressured people to conform to their ideals, for example with maternity leave you get
the best deal if you do some hours in the first year. However you lose out on days if
you do not do some work in the first year. Some felt it important to be aware that
pushing powers were in place.
In terms of Preschools I visited centres that were Ir Ur Skur, I did not visit any regular
Preschools to compare the experience. It could be that I sampled the best and the
others leave more to be desired.

9. Finally, as a Playworker who predominantly works with 5-12 year olds I was very
aware that the focus on outdoor staffed nature play was omnipresent with under 7’s. It
would be interesting to see how the schools are with the children over this ages.
Reflections and Conclusions
On reflection it is difficult to implement significant change rapidly as it is the super
structures placed in society that control them. This article will however be sent out to
the national Play magazine and the national electronic Play magazine, and many
significant Play organisations and individuals. Hopefully it will contribute in the pre
long term fight that Play has endured to remain the focus of governmental agendas.
This piece will also be sent to all Play and Forest School Organisations that registered
an interest for them to influence change in within their capacity. I have already and
will continue to use the knowledge and experience gained to enhance the day to day
natural play in the organisations I work in. I am certainly more focused on quests and
stories now, and I appreciate the endless potential nature has as ‘loose parts’ at our
finger tips. The activity farm I worked at when returning has since implemented more
bug areas for the children to investigate, and more risky play climbing structures.
To conclude, I feel very lucky to have benefited from such wonderful experiences and
to be able to put these into practise across the South West. However I wish there was
an easier way to implement the structural changes needed to make vastly significant
improvements. I look forward to the consequences and effects of disseminating this
research ann pushing thse ideas forward in everything I do.
Appendices
See PowerPoint attachment