Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
Children’s play in nature is highly valued, has an impact on children’s joy and well-being and is essential for healthy child development. However, some previous studies have found that early childhood education and care (ECEC) educators do not feel competent in influencing, facilitating and supporting children’s play in nature. This study aimed to assess the characteristics of ECEC educators’ role in children’s play in nature through focus group discussions among 22 Norwegian ECEC educators. The collective thematic analysis (CTA) identified the following three clusters of themes that emerged through those discussions: ‘places in nature’, ‘facilitate’ and ‘presence and commitment’. From the perspectives of ‘participation’, ‘safety and trust’ and ‘dynamic leadership’, the findings indicated that the educator’s pedagogical, bodily and communicative knowledge together with flexibility and pedagogical tact are essential characteristics that support their meaningful interactions with children in their play in nature.
Fasting et al. (Tue,) studied this question.