As we reflect on the Anti-Bullying Week activities that have taken place in schools across the country this week, we’ve taken some time to consider the impact of bullying on pupils within our schools. In Ofcom’s latest research into online bullying, it reports that 39% of children aged 8-17 have experienced bullying, and that most often (84% of the time) this bullying happens via a device. There can be no doubt that, in an age of increasing reliance on technology and exposure to social media, online bullying is on the rise. So what can we do to combat this?
39% of children aged 8-17 have experienced bullying, and that most often (84% of the time) this bullying happens via a device.
OFCOM
At Teach Outdoors, we know that our outside spaces present endless opportunities to combat bullying, along with the consequential feelings of low self-confidence and self-esteem that it leads to. As a starting point, outdoor learning allows children some time away from the technology that is often at the root of bullying. But in addition to this, outdoor learning can also have a hugely positive impact on mental health and wellbeing.
Here are some of our favourite activities for promoting positive mental health through using outdoor spaces:
- Plant and Grow
The sense of achievement that you can feel when you have successfully grown a plant can be amazing – even for adults! Setting up opportunities for your classes to grow their own plants, flowers or vegetables is a perfect way to promote self-esteem and a sense of responsibility. This can be as simple as sowing cress seeds or planting a bulb in a pot, or it might lead to a full-scale vegetable patch!
2. Teamwork
Outdoor spaces can present endless opportunities for problem-solving, negotiation, team-work and conflict resolution. This activity will get your pupils thinking carefully, but they’ll also need to work together and listen to each other’s ideas.
- Place a ‘prize’ in a cordoned off section of your outside space – this could be a PE cone or something similar. Use whatever space is available to you – it might be that you place your cone up a tree in a wooded area, or it might be at the top of a basketball hoop on your playground.
- Give the children a few resources to help them retrieve the prize. They cannot enter the cordoned-off area, or use any other resources. A good resource to use might be sheets of newspaper and sellotape to create some kind of retrieval device.
- The children need to work together to retrieve the prize. Award extra points for the demonstration of listening and teamwork skills.
3. Getting in touch with nature
Really connecting with nature can be a fantastic way for children to let go of the stresses and pressures that they might be carrying with them. Research shows that feeling connected to nature reduces stress, but also improves concentration. This activity involves children fully immersing themselves in nature through the senses.
- Hearing – Ask children to find a space to lie down and close their eyes. Ask them to focus on the sounds they can hear. As each new sound comes to them, ask the children to tune into it and picture in their mind what they think it might be.
- Sight – Hand out some magnifying glasses and ask children to take a closer look at their surroundings. They might zoom in on the veins of a leaf or the bark of a tree. What can they see when they take a really close look?
- Smell – Demonstrate rubbing grass or leaves together in your hands and then taking in the scent of nature. Challenge children to find different scents in the outdoor space. Ask them to think about what each scent reminds them of. Does it bring back any good memories?
- Touch – Ask children to find examples of different textures in the outdoor space by rubbing their hands over various objects. Can they feel the rough bark of a tree? A smooth pebble? How do the leaves feel amongst their fingers?
4. Mindful Mandalas
Studies have shown that the benefits of practising mindfulness can be wide-ranging for children – from increasing motivation and attention to decreasing anxiety and disruptive behaviour. As teachers, we’ve all heard of mindfulness colouring – but why not take this outside with this activity?
- Show children various images of mandala-based artwork.
- Ask children to collect various natural materials to create their own mandala. Explain that they will be making their mandala symmetrical, so it is important that they collect multiples of their items.
- Give children some time to create their symmetrical mandala pattern using the materials they have found.
The key thing to remember when considering anti-bullying strategies, confidence and self-esteem enhancement, and wellbeing in your school is consistency. Taking children outside for one session on developing team-working skills is a good start – but work on building this into your school’s culture until it becomes part of the fabric of your school life.
Outdoor Learning Conference 2023
We are excited to announce that tickets are now on sale for the Outdoor Learning Conference. Click here for more information.
