Getting Pupils Outdoors

How can you get your students outdoors more often?

Going outdoors sounds simple enough but as modern humans we spend about 90% of our time inside. So what can we do about it? Get outdoors today!

Out and About

• Do something amazing. Choose a life experience to share with your pupils. Surfing, hiking, camping or flying a kite. And if you can link this to learning topics – ideal!
• Walk and talk. If you take a walk with a small group of pupils whilst you talk about learning, it can be a great way to enjoy the outdoors and connect with your pupils too.
• Take art outdoors. Making art and sculpture from natural materials brings creations to life.
• Read outside. There is something about listening to a story with bird-song and gentle rustle of leaves that makes a book come to life.
• Consider forest and beach schools. Warning: they can cost a fortune! How could you safely use these spaces in your own way?
• Grow something. The joy of planting something and watching it grow due to your care is uplifting. Consider your topics over the year: where will growing something outdoors enhance the learning?
• Build. When pupils are doing design technology, why not use your outdoor space? Taking building resources outside gives you a larger floor space and a fresh environment to get creative.
• Mediate. The benefits are ample. Just three minutes of mindfulness outdoors could change you day completely!

Why is it a good strategy?

Getting outside has many benefits. For more information, read what the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom have to say.

Tip

When mapping out your curriculum, always remember to ask “Ok, when can we ‘get out’?”