Books to Encourage Safe Outdoor Play

The playground; a core part of life at school and one that children build some of their strongest memories from. A safe and inclusive play space is a wonderful thing; helping children to develop confidence, communication, independence, gross and fine motor skills…the list goes on.

The freedom of play fosters such wonderful opportunity for imagination and physical activity. Sadly though, that unrestricted time can also lead to big emotions. When given the space to open up, negative emotions as well as positive ones can be magnified. This means that we often see more friendship fall-outs and arguments in the playground than any where else in school.

It is also a place that can see a lot of mess; from discarded snack wrappers to broken play equipment. Helping children to understand the importance of looking after their school’s outdoor spaces, is part of children’s understanding of respect for their wider environment.

Let’s look at some books that cover these themes:

One Little Word by Joseph Coelho and Allison Colpoys

Age range: EYFS/KS1

As long-time fans of Joseph Coelho, we were delighted to come across this sweet story about two friends who have a BIG monster-sized argument. It describes the feeling of a fall-out perfectly and helps children to understand the power of the word ‘sorry’.

Let’s Play Football by Ben Lerwill and Marina Ruiz

Age Range: EYFS/KS1

A wonderful non-fiction option about football. The difference with this book, and the reason we chose it, is because it celebrates the accessibility of football. Encouraging people from all backgrounds to get involved, this book will help children to see the power of football to bring people together.

Tidy by Emily Gravett

Age Range: KS1

A simple but powerful look at why it is important to look after our surroundings.

Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea by Meena Harris and Sofia Valdez Future Prez by Andrea Beaty

Age Range: LKS2

We’re giving you two recommendations for the price of one here! Both options look how team work and a bit of creativity can turn a neglected space in to something amazing. There is lots of imagery in both of these stories to get children talking about play equipment, how to look after it and how to play safely.

The Egg Incident by Ziggy Hanaor and Daisy Wynter 

Age Range: KS2

A twist on the classic ‘Humpty Dumpty’ story, this book is great for starting a discussion about overcautiousness, independence and safety outdoors.