When planning children’s outdoor environments, it is important to remember to put the children first. Planning outdoor spaces to meet the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of children should be the primary focus. Well-designed outdoor spaces can help provide for children’s developmental needs in each of these developmental areas.

Creating this design takes deliberate planning. The process should be dynamic not static. While the needs of the children should always be kept as the most important consideration, available resources and agency requirements must not be forgotten. The planning process should involve many individuals. The planning team should include educators, para-educators, administrators, parents, maintenance personnel, emergency personnel (including the school nurse), and community members.