Ways to take classroom learning outdoors
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Jun 5 2023
Taking learning outdoors can be beneficial for pupils for a variety of reasons, from engaging children who struggle with classroom learning to applying taught concepts to the real world. Any subject can be moved outside and taught right in the school playground. Some might have more obvious links to nature than others, so we’ve put together some of our favourite ways you can swap the classroom for the great outdoors.
English
Make use of the environment around you to help pupils explore adjectives. Encourage pupils to think about the smells, sounds, colours and textures of the outdoors and the words they could use to describe them. For older students, try a creative writing exercise based on what’s around them in the playground. For younger pupils, find a storybook that can be read and brought to life in the playground, helping them connect with the world around them.
Maths
The playground is a great environment to learn about maths. Use things like sticks or leaves to help younger children get to grips with addition and subtraction, or help older children learn things like the Fibonacci sequence using natural materials like pinecones and flowers. As well as this, pupils can apply trigonometry or geometry to the physical world, measuring angles and perimeters, or mapping grid coordinates.
Design and Technology
There are plenty of opportunities to explore design when outdoors. If you have the space and the materials, try den building to help children learn about how to create strong, stable structures. As well as this, younger children just discovering cooking can learn about where food comes from, and if you have the facilities, you could even try growing your own fruits and vegetables. Support your D&T lessons with a visit to Runway’s End or Tile Barn to try cooking and shelter building the bushcraft way.
Art and Design
Primary school pupils can try making art out of natural materials they can collect from the playground, like a collage from fallen leaves or a small sculpture from twigs. Bark rubbings are also a fantastic way to explore different textures. For secondary school pupils, take them outside to give them the opportunity to practice their landscape work.
Music
The soundscape of the outdoors is unique, varying depending on location, season, and even time of day. Encourage pupils to think about the sounds they can hear in the playground, like birdsongs and the sound of trees in the wind, paying attention to aspects like rhythm and tone. Older pupils could even draw upon these sounds as inspiration for composing their own pieces of music.
There are a variety of ways lessons can be moved from the classroom to outside, providing an opportunity to explore the cross-curricular links between subjects too. If you’ve been inspired to take your class outside and want to build upon what you’ve learned, why not book a day at one of our outdoor centres.
