This study aims to examine outdoor play as a phenomenon in a selection of Swedish preschools; the purpose, the teaching that occurs and to explore the term “teaching” through a new materialist lens. We employ a thematic analysis which focuses on issues such as the environment, staff attitudes, materials available together with curriculum aspirations. Through interviews, case studies and blueprints over two schoolyards we have painted a picture that is more complex than at first glance. A new materials interpretation offers a view that there are more aspects at play than simply staffing levels or the availability of an adequate schoolyard. Other agents that shape the outdoor experience include non-human elements such as materials, the environment, discourses and organizational structures as well as phenomena like the weather. The outdoors doesn’t just offer a range of pedagogical opportunities, it also offers vital opportunities for both staff and children to enjoy restoration; a break for both mind and body. Finally, we review and re-interpret the term “teaching” through a new materials perspective. With the inclusion of materials as potential producers of knowledge we broaden this term to acknowledge the importance of children’s interactions with their environment. We posit that this allows children to elevate their own learning experiences to equal or more than the value of learning facilitated by an adult.