Outdoor Learning
Out to Play
Out to Play is Eco Drama’s award-winning arts-based outdoor learning project, in which Drama Artists collaborate with partner schools and nurseries to explore and promote the role of Drama, Storytelling and Creativity in Outdoor Learning and Learning for Sustainability.
Out to Play has a strong Continued Professional Development (CPD) element for Teachers and Early Years practitioners, designed to ensure a lasting legacy with the advancement of staff knowledge, confidence and skills.
First piloted in 2015, Out to Play has to date reached 81 schools and nurseries, 8,000 children and 2,100 teachers and early years practitioners, improving children and young people’s health, wellbeing and educational outcomes, particularly in relation to Learning for Sustainability.
Watch the Out to Play video
Book now for your school
Contact our Schools Project Manager
Tel: 0141 552 9920
Email: suzanne@ecodrama.co.uk
Why we go Out to Play
According to recent studies, 75% of UK children now spend less time outdoors than prison inmates, with many spending under 16 minutes outside each day. Fortunately, Outdoor Learning and Learning for Sustainability are growing in significance within the Curriculum for Excellence, and the need to re-connect children with nature is becoming increasingly important. Eco Drama supports schools and nurseries in this area through our arts-based outdoor learning project Out to Play.
The Out to Play project facilitates interaction with the natural world through quality artistic experiences, re-thinking traditional views of nature and noticing and appreciating nature within built-up city environments. Drama Artists create and deliver sessions which are tailored to the unique surroundings of each school, and through imaginative play and adventurous learning, Out to Play deepens children and young people’s connection to our natural world.
Headline achievements
- Since 2015 over 8,000 pupils have participated in Out to Play residencies.
- We have worked in-depth across 81 primary schools, nurseries and ASN schools in Glasgow, with thousands of arts-based outdoor learning sessions delivered to date.
- Over 2,100 teachers and educators have participated in Out to Play residencies and CPD Workshops
- Out to Play won the Glasgow City Council Best Environmental Initiative Award.
- Almost 3,000 copies of the Out to Play Resource Packs have been distributed throughout Glasgow, Scotland and in countries across the world.
- Out to Play has been commissioned by Glasgow City Council on a long term basis since 2021, with all 236 nurseries in Glasgow participating in various ways, reaching hundreds of children and early years practitioners across the city.
Where do we work?
Out to Play can be delivered in any primary school, nursery or ASN setting, with tailored sessions for children aged 3-11. We tend to focus on engaging with children and young people who experience socio-economic challenges, due to growing evidence that those living in certain areas across city environments have less access to green spaces and fewer opportunities to engage in regular outdoor play. For many children, playing outdoors at school may be the only opportunity they have to play safely and freely. Moreover, it may be the only involvement they have in the arts.
The Out to Play programme can be delivered throughout the central belt of Scotland. CPD and Out to Play in a Day sessions can be delivered all over Scotland. Our webinar sessions attract worldwide participation.
Evaluation
Evaluation of Out to Play has been essential to enable us to develop the programme since it was launched in 2015. Evaluation reports are available here.
