Outdoor Classroom Day is just around the corner! This May 23rd, thousands of schools worldwide will be taking learning outside. In this month’s blog, we’re taking a look at ideas to take different areas of the curriculum outside. Let’s get started with the Core subjects – English, Maths and Science!
English:
Reading – Storytelling Circle: Have the students sit in a circle and take turns telling stories they know or making up their own stories. The outdoor setting can provide inspiration for their stories. This is a great idea that requires little planning, time or resources – one to try if you are new to outdoor learning!
Writing – Nature Journaling: Encourage students to observe and describe the nature around them in a journal. They can write descriptions, make sketches, or record their thoughts about what they see. You could use Outdoor Classroom Day as the ideal opportunity to launch nature journals across your settings.
Maths:
Number and Place Value: Take children outside and ask them to find groups of objects, such as flowers or pebbles, and then count and record how many there are in each group. Then, ask them to order the groups based on the number of objects in each group from smallest to largest.
Addition and Subtraction: Give children a set of outdoor objects such as sticks, stones, or leaves. Ask them to create addition or subtraction problems using these objects and then solve them. For example, “If I have 3 sticks and I find 2 more, how many sticks do I have in total?”
Multiplication and Division: Use the natural environment to teach children about multiplication and division. For example, ask them to count the number of petals on a flower and then find out how many petals there are in total by multiplying the number of petals on one flower by the number of flowers in the field.
Fractions: Take children outside and ask them to collect a variety of objects such as leaves, pebbles, or twigs. Then, ask them to divide these objects into halves, quarters, or thirds.
Science:
Plants – In this activity, children will investigate how plants grow in different conditions. They can work in pairs or small groups to plant seeds in different areas of the outdoor environment, such as in the sun, shade, or near water. They can then observe and record the growth of the plants over time.
Animals, including Human – In this activity, children will investigate the habitats of different animals in the outdoor environment. They can work in pairs or small groups to observe and record the types of animals they see, the characteristics of their habitats, and how the animals use their habitats.
Everyday Materials – In this activity, children will go on a materials scavenger hunt to find and identify different materials in the outdoor environment. They can work in pairs or small groups to classify and record the materials they find, such as wood, metal, or plastic.
Are you ready to join thousands of schools around the world in celebrating outdoor learning and play? Sign up for Outdoor Classroom Day and share your plans with us using the #OutdoorClassroomDay and #TeachOutdoors hashtags!
Let’s make this Outdoor Classroom Day the best one yet! 🌿📚✨