Publications

Winter Outdoor Play for Children of Families with Additional Support Needs

Inspiring Scotland’s Thrive Outdoors programme are funding a portfolio of five charity partners to deliver outdoor community play for children with additional support needs (ASN). This programme is funded the Scottish Government’s Outdoor Community Play fund. Alongside delivery, the portfolio are exploring what makes outdoor play truly inclusive.

In 2022-2023 the portfolio of charities from across Scotland have delivered inclusive outdoor play opportunities to over 900 children with ASN and their families. This report is informed by the voices
of 101 families from across the country who face multiple barriers to outdoor play.

Through the Winter Play Survey in February 2023, our charity partners gathered and shared information from families of children with ASN on:

• The importance of playing outdoors all year round
• The barriers to playing outdoors in winter months
• Factors that affect accessibility of outdoor play opportunities
• What an accessible outdoor play session should look like
• How the outdoor play sector and others can make playful opportunities truly accessible

This data was collected through an anonymous online survey and supported by anecdotal evidence from peer support meetings with the portfolio and conversations with parents during online meetings.