Free Video: Julie Mountain on Designing an Effective Play Area

Julie Mountain is qualified in landscape design and specialises in supporting schools and Early Years settings so that they can make the most of the potential of outdoors for learning and play.

As an experienced trainer and facilitator, Julie launched Play Learning Life in 2010 in order to focus on outdoor projects in and with schools, settings and families.

Julie Mountain shares her systematic approach to creating outdoor spaces that truly serve children’s development needs. Rather than starting with equipment lists, Julie guides you through a professional four-stage design process that begins with understanding how your current space is actually used and managed, then moves to identifying what children genuinely need from their outdoor environment.

In this episode you’ll:

• Discover the four-stage cyclical design process used by professional landscape designers
• Learn how to audit your current outdoor provision with fresh eyes using collaborative observation
• Understand why focusing on children’s movement needs creates better outcomes than equipment shopping
• Explore how well-designed storage and maintenance systems reduce practitioner workload
• See why connecting outdoor development to your setting’s improvement plan creates lasting change

Watch this episode to transform your approach from “we need a slide” to “what movements do we want children to experience” and discover practical strategies that make outdoor provision work harder for both children and practitioners.

Episode Links:

Julie’s website, with more case studies, is here: http://www.plloutdoors.org.uk

The Nursery World articles with the 7 Cs is here:

7Cs 1 of 4: https://www.earlyyears.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/7Cs-1-of-4.pdf

7Cs 2 of 4: https://www.earlyyears.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/7Cs-2-of-4.pdf

7Cs 3 of 4: https://www.earlyyears.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/7Cs-3-of-4.pdf

7Cs 4 of 4: https://www.earlyyears.tv/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/7Cs-4-of-4.pdf

Herrington, Susan & Lesmeister, Chandra. (2006). The design of landscapes at child-care centres: Seven Cs. Landscape Research – LANDSC RES. 31. 63-82. 10.1080/01426390500448575.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/248993926_The_design_of_landscapes_at_child-care_centres_Seven_Cs

HOS Landscapes: https://hoslandscapes.com

Every Child a Mover by Jan White and Outdoors and Active by Julie Mountain Combo-Pack: https://www.early-education.org.uk/every-child-mover-and-outdoors-and-active-combo-pack