What is outdoor learning? Is it playing football on the village green? Is it taking part in organised outings to your local National Trust property’s gardens or is it picking flowers in the garden? It’s all of these things and much more – in short,it’s every single time your child spends a few minutes or hours outdoors.
Opportunities for outdoor learning are everywhere and the beauty of outdoor learning is that most children don’t even notice that they’re learning at all! The benefits are numerous. In their physical bodies children grow capable and strong with the challenge of long walks, sports games or climbing and in their minds they harvest more knowledge than they might if they were sitting at home looking at a screen.
Here are some ideas for easy outdoor learning for your child.• Nature walks – gather as many different natural artefacts as possible• Treasure hunts – hide clues around the garden and have your child solve each one to reach a prize at the end• Races with yourself – time your child as they run between two points with the aim being to beat their first result• Build a garden pond – from digging it out to populating it with local wildlife this is a longer-term project but it’sone that keeps on giving• Shoot hoops – install a basketball or netball hoop, most children will keep practising until they’ve mastered the art• Archaeology – find out where you can dig up fossils locally and set off for a stint as amateur archaeologists
There are so many things to do with children outdoors that it’s relatively easy to hone in on something that appeals to your child’s particular interest. Try something different every few days and your child might discover a new hobby!
As this independent school in Buckinghamshire says, children thrive when given plenty of opportunities to learn in different environments. You don’t even need to travel very far to help your child enjoy new outdoor experiences.
The child who has plenty of time outdoors will also become more resilient – gaining confidence as well as physical strength and agility. Invest in good waterproof clothing too so that you’re never limited by the weather.
