Theorising universal design for learning to create more inclusive outdoor play spaces: a preliminary review

Outdoor play can be linked to numerous health, cognitive, and social benefits for children. All children must have opportunities to engage in regular outdoor play experiences. Despite this, some children, including those with different abilities, are less likely to participate in outdoor play. Educator-led outdoor play programs, including those in schools and early childhood centres, “bush schools”, and other initiatives, may increase time spent playing outdoors for all children, as learned activities generalise to the home environment. However, effective inclusion in these programs requires practices that are flexible enough to welcome all children, of all abilities. Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a framework designed to support flexible and inclusive learning environments, offers an inclusive approach. UDL provides a tool which has the potential to assist educators in creating flexible learning processes for their students and has been used across a range of curriculum areas. To explore this further and to investigate the use of UDL in educator-led outdoor play programs, the authors undertook a preliminary review of literature that mapped the field and identified 10 relevant studies related to both UDL and outdoor play programs. From this review, three themes were identified: the critical importance of including all children in outdoor play, the potential of UDL to support this inclusion, and the need for specific UDL resources tailored to outdoor play. Finally, we argue that integrating UDL into educator-led outdoor play initiatives may enhance accessibility and participation for children with unique needs. This review suggests an explicit agenda for future research and practice for professionals in the field.