Children below age three develop rapidly and often learn through unstructured exploration of their environments.  Outdoor learning environments can support child development through intentional design that focuses on developmental domains and supporting zones. 
 
This project reimagines the lifeless courtyard space at a Center for Early Head Start by focusing on four developmental domains: language development, motor and perceptual skills development, cognitive development, and social & emotional development.  The courtyard contains five zones that support the developmental domains: art, literature, and music; physical activity; loose parts play; nature play and observation; and sand and water play.  There is also a dedicated space for infants to engage in developmental play and learning.   
 
The developmental domains and supporting zones were created through a systematic review of the literature, focus group discussions, generation of a playground measurement scale using Qualtrics, and survey of the existing site.  The information and data collected formed the basis for our design proposal, which was presented to the administrators, teachers, and caregivers at the Center. 
 
The courtyard design is inclusive for all children under three years.  The design allows for children to have unique experiences each day and provides many learning affordances.  The ADA accessible looped pathway encourages all children to explore the entire courtyard, and secondary pathways provide opportunities for additional exploration and adventure.  The environment creates engaging opportunities for parallel play, nature learning, small group interaction, and appropriate challenges that support child development. 
 
While the literature is sparse on guidelines for outdoor learning environments for children ages 0 to 3 years, this design encourages child development across four developmental domains and creates an engaging, explorative, and supportive environment for all children in this age group to learn and play and serves as an excellent blueprint for outdoor learning environments focused on younger children.