This paper recognises the importance of adults paying attention to the views of children by attuning to their multimodal means of communicating. Attunement is defined as being ‘in tune’ with a child, actively watching and listening to them to understand what they’re feeling (Early Childhood Australia, 2023). A key contribution of the research presented here is its exploration of the multiple ways to access children’s views, lived experiences, ideas and understandings about their outdoor play using different participatory research methods. Drawing from mixed methods research conducted with children aged from 5 to 12 years in an Australian primary school together with case study research (utilising the mosaic approach) conducted in an Australian early childhood long day-care setting (3–5 years), we argue for multiple ways to access the views of children using participatory research methods. The aim was to authentically gather and present children’s views of outdoor play. Key themes important to the participatory research process were identified through the research as (1) view of the child, respect and power, (2) accessibility and appropriateness, (3) shared understanding and (4) stages of engagement. The findings highlight the importance of tuning into children and listening to their multiple languages and ways of expressing themselves to create shared understanding and collaborative approaches to risk and challenge in outdoor play.