Outdoor Documentation

We'll start with what you already do best: noticing. What did the children do, say, or create? From there, we'll practice tuning into the meaning behind those moments—what were they figuring out? How were they connecting with the world around them?

Using FLIGHT's Holistic Goals and Dispositions to Learn as gentle guides, we'll weave in the things that matter most: well-being, playfulness, communication, and belonging. You'll learn to ground your documentation in the real stuff—children's actions, their relationships, and the environments they explore.

And here's the really good part: you won't be documenting alone. We'll practice adding your reflections alongside the voices of children and families, creating a rich, collaborative story that captures learning from multiple perspectives. Together, we'll explore how documentation can be more than a checklist—it can be a story of becoming, showing each child's unique connection to the land, their identity, and their community.

We'll wrap up with thoughtful, strength-based next steps that keep curiosity and connection alive. By the end, you'll have practical tools to help you slow down, notice deeply, and create documentation that brings the magic of nature and the voice of the child to life—while building stronger partnerships with families along the way.

In this session you will:

• Understand and apply a strength-based documentation cycle that includes observation, interpretation of meaning, FLIGHT framework connections, educator/child/family reflections, and planning next steps.
• Deepen your ability to notice and document sensory-rich moments in outdoor play as expressions of children’s ecological identity, belonging, and connection to place.
• Make meaningful links between outdoor experiences and FLIGHT’s Holistic Goals and Dispositions to Learn, using language that honors children's voices and cultural contexts.
• Reflect critically and creatively on your own role as co-learner and co-storyteller, engaging in pedagogical narration that fosters stronger relationships with families and the land.
• Create vibrant, accessible documentation that celebrates children’s strengths, incorporates family perspectives, and communicates the value of outdoor play-based learning across seasons.