Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) places value and benefits on children’s play in nature-based outdoor spaces. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding teachers’ support of play in environments with rugged terrains and natural materials. Therefore, this systematic review aims to locate, present, and discuss research literature on how teachers in ECEC settings can support children’s play in nature-based outdoor spaces. According to the review, teachers’ support of children’s play was described in the literature as encouraging children’s free and unstructured play through facilitating actions addressing the children’s perspectives and the opportunities offered by the physical environment. Furthermore, teacher support was also described as teacher-led and teacher-guided interactions where teachers and children communicate or collaborate in playful situations. Differences and overlapping elements of types of teacher support are discussed, and implications for researchers, practitioners, and ECEC teacher education are provided.

A key responsibility of early childhood teachers is to enhance children’s play experiences. However, more research is needed on how teachers in nature-based settings support play through affordances in rugged terrain, natural materials, and living creatures. Over two months, 11 teachers and 48 children were observed playing in four outdoor locations featuring natural environments. The study focuses on teachers’ actions and statements concerning children’s play. Data collection involved observations, field notes, and conversations with teachers, which were later analyzed thematically. The analysis proposes three themes in how teachers facilitate children’s interactions with affordances in natural environments: (1) joining the play on the children’s terms, (2) providing ‘little pushes’, and (3) keeping their hands behind their backs. The findings suggest that teachers’ joining the play enhanced inclusivity. Providing ‘little pushes’ encourages imagination and learning during play. Additionally, by keeping their hands behind their backs, teachers allowed children to engage first-hand with the natural environment. Implications for nature play researchers, outdoor practitioners, and early childhood teacher educators are provided.