Tim Waller is Editor of this book, and Professor of Child and Family Studies at Anglia Ruskin University. The majority of the contributors are based at the University of Northampton, and this is very much a team book.

Waller et al have given us a remarkable book that presents the impact of globalization on outdoor play around the world, skillfully bringing together local research, pedagogy and policy in the context of global "playgrounds" or outdoor play spaces. Diverse worldviews on outdoor play are examined along cultural values such as spirituality, gender roles, age veneration, sustainability, and children’s rights which, together with a section on research methodology for studying young children’s outdoor play, make it especially relevant to the field. This book is a must read for all early childhood educators around the world!

• Introduction - Tim Waller, Eva Ärlemalm-Hagsér, Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter, Libby Lee-Hammond, Kristi Lekies and Shirley WyverPART ONE: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORKS & CONCEPTUAL APPROACHES - SECTION EDITOR - SHIRLEY WYVERChapter 1: Theoretical Framework of Developmental Theories of Play - Olivia SarachoChapter 2: Affordance Theory in Outdoor Play - Jane WatersChapter 3: Technology and Outdoor Play: Concerns and Opportunities - Doris BergenChapter 4: Outdoor Play in Recess Time - Robyn M Holmes & Kristen E KohmChapter 5: Outdoor Play and Cognitive Development - Shirley WyverChapter 6: Forest School for the Early Years in England - Sara KnightPART TWO: CRITICAL REFLECTIONS ON POLICY & REGULATION - SECTION EDITOR - ELLEN HANSEN SANDSETERChapter 7: Risk and Safety in Outdoor Play - Ellen Beate Hansen Sandseter, Helen Little, David Ball, David Eager and Mariana BrussoniChapter 8: The Evolution of Policy on Risk Management in Outdoor Play - Tim GillChapter 9: Outdoor Play Spaces In Canada: As If Children Mattered - Susan Herrington, Sara Brunelle, Mariana BrussoniChapter 10: The Rise of Outdoor Play and Education Issues in Preschools in South Korea - Kwi-Ok NahChapter 11: Outdoor Play in Latin American Early Childhood and Elementary Schools: A Review of the Literature - Pelusa Orellana & Maria Francisca ValenzuelaChapter 12: How to Revitalize American Playgrounds - Susan SolomonPART THREE: CHILDREN′S ENGAGEMENT WITH NATURE, SUSTAINABILITY & CHILDREN′S GEOGRAPHIES - SECTION EDITOR - EVA ARLEMALM-HAGSERChapter 13: Early Childhood Education for Sustainability. The Relationship Between Young Children’s Participation and Agency – Children and Nature - Eva Ärlemalm-Hagsér & Anette SandbergChapter 14: Considering Children’s Opportunities for Exploration of Their Local Environment and Engagement with Nature - Sarah MacQuarrie, Clare NugentChapter 15: Nature Preschools in Denmark, Sweden, Germany and Norway: Characteristics and Differences - Olav LysklettChapter 16: Places for Symbolic Play in Nature Environments - Eva ÄnggårdChapter 17: Assessing Free Play Behavior in Urban Play Spaces - Antje LuchsChapter 18: Nature Pedagogy – An Exploration of the Storied Narratives Which Illustrate Its Application Across Spaces Inside, Outside And Beyond - Claire WardenChapter 19: An Australian Perspective: Seeking Sustainability in Early Childhood Outdoor Playspaces - Sue ElliottPART FOUR: DIVERSE CONTEXTS & INCLUSION IN CHILDREN′S OUTDOOR PLAY ENVIRONMENTS - SECTION EDITOR - LIBBY LEE-HAMMONDChapter 20: Belonging in Nature: Spirituality, Indigenous Cultures and Biophilia - Libby Lee-HammondChapter 21: Along Paths of Movement: Sámi Children and Early Childhood Student Teachers as Wayfarers - Ylva Jannok NuttiChapter 22: Gender Issues in Outdoor Play - Feyza Tantekin Erden, Zisan Guner AlpaslanChapter 23: Outdoor play and Learning in the Landscape of Children’s Rights - Theresa CaseyChapter 24: Multilingual Development and Outdoor Play - Georgianna Duarte, Greta FreemanChapter 25: Thinking with Land/Working with Elders: Accessing Indigenous Knowledges in Early Childhood Education Through Outdoor Experiences - Mary Caroline RowanChapter 26: "Men and Women in Outdoor Play – The Gender Perspective" - Bernhard Koch, Kari EmilsenPART FIVE: METHODOLOGIES FOR RESEARCHING OUTDOOR PLAY & LEARNING - SECTION EDITOR - TIM WALLERChapter 27: Participatory Research with Very Young Children - Angeliki Bitou, Tim WallerChapter 28: Developing the Pedagogic Method Narrative Journey - Philip WatersChapter 29: Take Two: Using Video as an Analysis Tool for Outdoor Play - Natalie CanningChapter 30: The Importance of Randomised Control Trials as an Evidence Base - Shirley WyverChapter 31: Indigenous Methodologies in Education Research: Case Study of Children’s Play in Solomon Islands - Libby Lee-Hammond, Yeshe ColliverChapter 32: “Naturalizar Educativamente”: The Chilean Quest for Introducing Outdoor Learning and Play in Early Childhood Education - Josefina PrietoChapter 33: Indigenising Outdoor Play in New Zealand - Dr Amanda Bateman, Professor Margie Hohepa, Tim BennetPART SIX: LINKS BETWEEN RESEARCH & PRACTICE - SECTION EDITOR - KRISTI LEKIESChapter 34: Investigating Children’s Collecting Behavior Outdoors - Kristi Lekies, Thomas Beery, Jed BrensingerChapter 35: Enhancing the Outdoor Learning Spaces for Pre-Primary Classes in Western Ethiopia - Dr Valerie HugginsChapter 36: Outdoor Play and Learning in Preschools in South Africa - Judy Van Heerden, Marie BothaChapter 37: Early Childhood Teachers’ (Pre- and Compulsory School Teachers) Use of the Outdoor Environment in Children’s Learning About Living Beings - Kristín Norðdahl, Jóhanna Einarsdóttir and Gunnhildur ÓskarsdóttirChapter 38: Storied Landscapes: Children’s Experiences and The ‘Sense’ of Place - Kari JorgensenChapter 39: The Magic of Outdoor Play: A Phenomenological Hermeneutic Approach - Merete Lund FastingChapter 40: What Children Are Learning During Outdoor Play Activities? Examining the Free Play Activities - Sachiko Kitano