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Children and families across Scotland will soon benefit from expanded outdoor play opportunities, as 41 organisations receive funding to develop local initiatives.  The Outdoor Community Play Fund, managed by Inspiring Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, supports free, child-led outdoor play in communities where it can have the greatest impact.   Outdoor play is essential for healthy childhoods, stronger families,…

Photo credit: Robert Kennedy, Baltic Street Adventure Playground Across Glasgow, Thrive Outdoors is supporting a range of innovative and diverse outdoor community play projects. Last month, our Learning and Development Lead, Henry Mathias, had the opportunity to share this work with Robyn Monro Miller, president of Play Australia and the International Play Association. They were…

Applications Open: 1 September 2025 Deadline: 12 noon, 22 September 2025  Inspiring Scotland, on behalf of the Scottish Government, is inviting expressions of interest for the Outdoor Community Play Incubator Programme 2026–28. This fund supports small community groups in rural and remote areas to deliver free, child-led outdoor play that improves children’s health and wellbeing.  We’re looking…

Thrive Outdoors has joined 1% for the Planet as an environmental partner! We hope that this partnership will enable us to work with businesses to advance the aims of our mission and Scotland’s National Position Statement for Outdoor Play and Learning. 1% for the Planet is an accountability partner for businesses that are ready to reject…

There is widespread acknowledgement that being outdoors (especially in greenspace) has a positive impact on our health and wellbeing. No matter our age, we can all benefit from time spent in nature.  Being outdoors, particularly in natural spaces, has multiple benefits for our physical and emotional wellbeing. Babies and young children who develop a connection…

Developing or enhancing outdoor and nature-based play opportunities within Early Learning and Childcare settings seems simple, just step outside the door, right?   But our experience of supporting practitioners and leaders to create more, or richer, outdoor play and learning experiences for children in nursery settings for almost a decade has shown us that it is…

For Thrive Outdoors, our vision for a sustainable Scotland where our children and young people can play, learn and thrive outdoors can only be realised by also working to create opportunities for adults to extend and strengthen their skills and understanding in facilitating great outdoor learning experiences.  We also believe in the power of partnerships…

The Thrive Outdoors Leadership Programme, launched in 2022, is a bespoke six-month programme designed to empower leaders in the outdoor play and learning sector. Developed by Inspiring Scotland and funded by various investors, including the Scottish Government, the programme addresses key leadership topics such as authentic leadership, organisational culture, and strategic planning. Participants also worked…