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How to Facilitate Meaningful Outdoor Learning

Exploring the natural world is a powerful strategy for middle and high school. Here are four ways to get students learning outside.

Toward the end of the academic year, students are eager to step outside and stretch their legs. And in an educational world dominated by standardized tests and worksheets, outdoor education is becoming increasingly important as a tool to help students understand the natural world and their local community. 

Bringing the outdoors to students might seem daunting, but there are practical steps and engaging lessons that can make it possible for many students and teachers to reap its benefits.

Why Outdoor Learning Matters

Numerous studies highlight the positive impacts of spending time outdoors on reducing stress and anxiety. Being outside lowers levels of cortisol , a hormone associated with stress, and decreases overall feelings of depression and anxiety . In today’s high-pressure world, taking students outside can be a simple yet effective way to support their mental health, which is especially important in the midst of what many national medical organizations have deemed a youth mental health crisis .

Movement is another critical factor in students’ mental and physical well-being, and wintertime limits opportunities for exercise. Taking advantage of nicer weather can have a significant impact on students’ ability to focus by facilitating opportunities for active learning—especially important for students who are neurodivergent and struggle with periods of inactivity or for those who favor kinesthetic learning and engagement. 

While it may seem counterintuitive, students are often more focused outdoors. When digital distractions are eliminated, students can focus on the task at hand and immerse themselves in nature, where fresh air and the absence of traditional school walls create an environment for focus and enjoyment. 

Examples of Outdoor Learning in ELA 

There are many approaches to outdoor learning across grade levels and subjects. Some of the activities I favor in my English language arts classes include nature-inspired writing, storytelling and drama, read-alouds; and nature journaling. Below, I share my approaches, which are adjustable for varying levels of difficulty and depth.

For nature-inspired writing, I encourage students to draw inspiration from the natural world while responding to creative writing exercises, such as descriptive paragraphs about observed scenes, short stories featuring encountered plants and animals, and poems that arise from sensory experiences. 

Having students perform short plays, or scenes from longer works, inspires discussions about what it feels like to perform Shakespeare in the open air and how context and setting impact a performance—conversations that connect to classroom explorations of Greek amphitheaters and requisite acting techniques.

Reading aloud in nature, especially a nature-themed book, poem, or short story, further roots us in our surroundings while introducing students to new literature. I have students take turns reading aloud, and it often seems as though students are more willing to share outside than they are in the classroom. As they sit near the flagpole taking turns reading from our book, they experience a connection not only to place but also to each other that fosters presence and engagement. 

Finally, I encourage students to maintain a nature journal, where they record their observations, thoughts, and feelings about their outdoor experiences. This practice helps students develop their writing skills while fostering a greater appreciation for the natural world. These journals may or may not be connected to curricular content; for example, during a 10th-grade unit on Transcendentalism, I would have students read excerpts from Thoreau’s Walden and Whitman’s poems as inspiration for journal entries. Dickinson’s poems, too, touch upon the natural world and could be used as prompts. 

Nature-Based Learning Across the Curriculum

For non-ELA teachers, there are plenty of ways to bring the outdoors into your curriculum. Perhaps students’ journals capture observations of water flow or weather patterns or serve as a think-space for outdoor investigations and experiments. Maybe your learners explore the ecosystem of the surrounding property, study historical aspects of the community surrounding your school, measure and understand the design and shapes of school buildings, or play a student-created game. 

The nice thing about getting outdoors is that different students will notice different things during their time outside. In a rural setting, different animals or insects might come and go; or, in an urban setting, different city sounds might enter students’ sensory landscape. Each stimulus will impact students differently and inform the activities they work on, and sharing their observations and experiences with others will widen everyone’s perspectives.

Teachers unable to venture outside can still weave nature into in-class instruction. For example, you might utilize technology by showcasing nature documentaries or live streams from zoos or national parks. Encourage students to observe nature-related phenomena, such as bird nests or aquariums, through webcam footage. Integrate plant life by maintaining a classroom garden or terrarium (researchers reveal a positive relationship between plants in workspaces and reduced stress levels). 

You might also utilize nature-based learning materials, like leaves or rocks, for tactile learning; explore natural concepts with simulations in science; or draw upon literature and art to explore nature themes—all of which bring the essence of the outdoors into the learning space.

Students spend many hours staring at screens for academic and nonacademic purposes, but outdoor education presents an opportunity for teachers to widen students’ perspectives and hone their presence, inviting them to attune to the natural world in ways that can boost well-being, appreciation, and learning across subjects—fostering student engagement while connecting to curricular content.

Best Outdoor Learning Activities for Teachers: Taking the Classroom Outside

Teachers would likely agree that student engagement and wellbeing are critical for effective learning.

By taking education outside through outdoor activities, teachers can boost engagement, enrich critical thinking, and support student health in refreshing ways.

In this post, we'll explore the versatility of outdoor learning across ages, the importance of preparation and technology integration, and the lasting impacts it can have on student growth by enhancing real-world skills, environmental stewardship, and community building.

Embracing the Classroom Outside

Taking learning outside provides numerous benefits for students across areas like engagement, wellbeing, and critical thinking skills. Outdoor spaces motivate students to actively participate in lessons and retain information better through hands-on activities.

Elevating Student Engagement with Outdoor Learning Activities

Research shows that outdoor learning activities boost student engagement and participation. The stimulating outdoor environment piques students' natural curiosity, motivating them to ask questions and actively take part in lessons. Hands-on outdoor activities also aid retention as students make meaningful connections and gain first-hand experience applying concepts. Some ideas for engaging outdoor learning games and activities include nature scavenger hunts, plant/animal identification challenges, sensory awareness exercises, and science experiments like testing pH levels of soil samples.

Boosting Student Wellness with Nature-Based Education

Studies demonstrate that time spent outdoors has physical and mental health benefits for students. Outdoor recess, class walks, and nature-based lessons improve fitness while reducing stress and anxiety. Exposure to natural light, greenery, and fresh air also enhances immunity, energy levels, and overall wellbeing. Schools that incorporate daily outdoor time and environmental education see positive impacts on student health, behavior, and classroom climate.

Cultivating Critical Thinking through Environmental Education

Outdoor learning facilitates critical analysis skills as students make connections between classroom lessons and the outside world. For example, water quality testing teaches science methodology while reinforcing concepts about conservation. Gardening involves math, nutrition, and biology. These types of interactive, contextualized learning experiences promote higher-order thinking as students synthesize information and apply knowledge. Environmental education also boosts global awareness as students deepen their understanding of human impact on nature.

What activities can be done outside of the classroom?

Here are some great outdoor activities teachers can do with students of all ages:

Nature Journaling

Have students find a peaceful outdoor spot to sit quietly and observe their surroundings. Ask them to write descriptions or sketch what they see, hear, smell, and feel. This encourages mindfulness, creativity, and nature appreciation.

Use sidewalk chalk to draw graphs, number lines, or math problems on the blacktop or pavement. Have students solve problems by hopping or jumping along the chalk lines. This makes math active and engaging.

Object Scavenger Hunt

Give students a list of natural items to find, like pinecones, feathers, or smooth rocks. See who can find all the items first. This encourages teamwork, observation skills, and exploration.

Outdoor Theater

Have students choose a story or scene to act out. They can make simple costumes and props from natural materials. Performing outdoors builds confidence, public speaking skills, and creativity.

Students can practice measurement skills by using yarn, string or their strides to measure trees, sticks, or other objects outside. Compare measurements to see how accurate they were.

Outdoor learning provides many benefits over traditional indoor lessons. It boosts creativity, engagement, and knowledge retention while getting kids active and outdoors.

What can you do in an outdoor classroom?

Here are 4 activities that work well for taking the classroom outside:

Read-alouds

Reading aloud outside, especially books related to nature and science, can spark students' interest and imagination. The natural environment helps stories come alive. Some good outdoor read-aloud book ideas include:

• Picture books about plants, animals, seasons, weather, etc.
• Short stories or poems about nature
• Biographies of naturalists and conservationists

Observations

Having students observe and record notes on nature engages multiple senses and develops observation skills. This works for any subject - observe trees for science, clouds for weather, etc. Provide notebooks for recording descriptive observations.

Outdoor spaces inspire descriptive and creative writing. Let students choose a natural spot to write about - they can describe the setting, sights, sounds, smells, feelings evoked. It's a nice change of pace from the classroom.

Nature-themed games that involve movement and cooperation make learning fun. Some ideas:

• Scavenger hunts
• Tag games related to ecosystems/habitats
• Outdoor math games using natural materials

The outdoor classroom provides a vibrant, stimulating environment for hands-on learning across subjects. Taking activities outside once in a while adds variety and engages students.

What are some examples for learning centers outside?

Here are some ideas for outdoor learning centers that can enhance student engagement and hands-on learning:

Science & Nature Center

This center allows students to explore the natural environment through activities like:

• Observing insects and recording features
• Using magnifying glasses to look closely at plants and soil
• Classifying leaves, flowers, and rocks
• Experimenting by growing plants under different conditions

Sand & Water Center

Students can pour, dig, build, measure, and conduct science experiments with these materials. Consider adding:

• Buckets, shovels, funnels
• Measuring cups

Dramatic Play Center

Set up a space for roleplaying with:

• Child-sized play structures
• Story props

Offer a variety of materials for open-ended creativity:

• Collage materials
• Chalkboards

Block/Construction Center

Provide blocks, cardboard boxes, tubes, and more for building. Encourage collaboration, creativity, and problem-solving.

The key is crafting spaces that spark curiosity, investigation, and discovery. Take learning outside to boost engagement!

What are outdoor learning activities?

Outdoor learning activities provide students with hands-on experiences outside of the traditional classroom setting. Taking students outdoors allows teachers to facilitate engaging lessons that connect academic concepts to the real world.[^1]

Some examples of popular outdoor learning activities include:

• Nature scavenger hunts : Students search for specific plants, insects, animal tracks, etc and record their observations. This activity teaches observation skills and nature identification.
• Outdoor math games : Use sidewalk chalk to create life-size number lines, graphs, or shapes. Students can jump along the number line to reinforce number order or stand inside different shapes to learn geometry concepts.
• Science experiments : Grow plants from seeds while monitoring variables like sunlight and water exposure. Observe decomposition or water absorption out in nature.
• Reading & writing : Allow students quiet time outdoors to read independently or journal about nature observations. Discuss sensory language after descriptive outdoor writing attempts.
• Art projects : Use natural items like flowers, leaves, sticks to create ephemeral art. Sketch landscapes en plein air. Use nature as inspiration for painting or sculpture.

The benefits of outdoor learning extend beyond academics. Spending time outdoors also promotes physical activity, environmental awareness, sensory development, and social-emotional growth. With thoughtful planning and structure, the outdoors becomes an interactive extension of the classroom environment.[^2]

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Teacher essentials for outdoor education lesson plans, designing place-based learning experiences.

When designing outdoor lesson plans, it's important to ground activities in the geography, ecology, and culture of spaces accessible to students. Research parks, nature preserves, gardens, or school grounds in your area to identify engaging outdoor learning environments. Develop place-based lessons that connect to your curriculum through:

• Local history projects analyzing how the land has changed over time
• Science lessons on native plants and animals
• Art and writing activities inspired by the natural beauty and diversity of habitats

Tapping into place-based learning helps students feel more connected to outdoor spaces while reinforcing academic concepts through real-world connections.

Adapting to Weather Conditions in Lesson Plans

Teachers should develop backup indoor activities aligned with outdoor lesson plans in case of extreme weather. However, mild fluctuations in temperature, clouds, rain, or wind can provide authentic teaching moments. Equip students with weather-appropriate gear so they can safely embrace outdoor elements as part of the learning experience when reasonable.

• Use a rainy day to compare/contrast wetland and forest ecosystems
• Incorporate wind speed/direction into an earth science lesson
• Have students graph temperature changes during class

Emphasizing flexibility and critical thinking skills builds resilience. Model optimism and innovation when outdoor conditions change.

Effective Teaching Strategies for Outdoor Transitions

Smooth transitions maximize engaged learning time outdoors. Set expectations for safe, orderly procedures to move students between indoor and outdoor spaces. Useful strategies include:

• Color-coded lines or places students should stand to signal they are ready
• Assigning student line leaders for each transition
• Practicing proper transportation loading/unloading procedures
• Using rhythmic clapping or call-and-response chants to gain attention
• Having a designated quiet zone for the final few minutes before re-entering school

Consistently enforcing transition routines trains students' safety awareness, responsibility, and focus as part of outdoor education.

Outdoor Learning Games and Activities by Educational Level

Outdoor classroom activities for preschoolers.

Outdoor play and learning are vital for preschoolers' development. Taking preschool lessons outside provides opportunities for movement, sensory exploration, and connecting with nature. Some engaging outdoor classroom activities for preschoolers include:

• Creative movement: Have students dance to music and act out stories while outside. This builds gross motor skills.
• Nature sensory bins: Fill bins with natural items like pinecones, acorns, leaves, and dirt for students to touch, smell, and explore. This sparks curiosity.
• Gardening: Let students get their hands dirty by planting seeds in a garden bed. Watching the plants sprout teaches responsibility.
• Scavenger hunts: Create lists of natural objects for students to search for outside, like feathers, rocks, sticks, and flowers. This promotes observation skills.

Outdoor Education Activities for Elementary Students

Outdoor learning ties into elementary curriculum standards in unique ways. Some hand-on outdoor activities for elementary students include:

• Math games: Use sidewalk chalk to make giant number lines and shapes. Have students count steps, measure objects with sticks and string, or go on shape scavenger hunts.
• Nature hunts: Provide lists or bingo boards for students to search for birds, insects, tracks, nests, and more to inspire curiosity.
• Geology experiments: Have students collect rocks and conduct hardness, streak, or float tests to introduce earth science concepts.
• Reading corners: Bring books outdoors and let students read in cozy natural spots to connect reading with the environment.

Outdoor Education Activities for Middle School Students

The complex middle school curriculum lends itself well to outdoor learning themes. Some ideas include:

• Art projects: Have students sit outside and sketch landscapes, plants, or school architecture to integrate art skills.
• Environmental reading: Assign fiction or nonfiction books about ecosystems, conservation, or nature for reading comprehension.
• Field investigations: Develop hypotheses and head outside to study schoolyard ecology by surveying plants, animals, soil, or waterways.
• Historical poetry: Read works by naturalists like Henry David Thoreau then have students write their own nature or place-based poetry.

Adventure Activities for High School Students

Outdoor learning takes on an adventurous, hands-on aspect in high school. Some activities include:

• Community projects: Have students map local history or environmental spaces using GPS for geography and research skills.
• Physics labs: Conduct physics experiments like calculating projectile motion of balls, testing gravity with drop timers, or demonstrating principles of electricity.
• Environmental justice: Read works by environmental justice advocates, then have students write persuasive speeches or letters to address local sustainability issues.
• Wilderness skill-building: Practice orienteering with compasses and maps or test wilderness survival skills during longer excursions to put classroom knowledge into practice.

Interactive Learning with Technology in Outdoor Settings

Technology can be a great way to enhance interactivity, assessment, accessibility, and feedback when teaching outdoors. Here are some ideas for leveraging technology:

Leveraging Mobile Apps for Interactive Environmental Education

Mobile apps that identify plants, animals, stars, and more offer interactive ways to embed place-based learning into outdoor lessons. Consider using apps like:

• iNaturalist - Students can record observations of plants and animals. The app helps identify species and connects to a community of naturalists.
• SkyView Lite - This stargazing app labels constellations and planets students see overhead. They can learn about astronomy while observing the actual night sky.
• Google Expeditions - Download tours to provide an augmented reality layer about environmental features students encounter outdoors.

Incorporating Wearables for Real-Time Outdoor Data Analysis

Equip students with wearable technology connected to sensor equipment to pull real-time data for analyzing science labs performed outside. Some options include:

• Fitbits to collect heartbeat data after various outdoor activities. Compare averages to learn about exercise physiology.
• Pollution wearables measure air quality during nature walks. Examine how measurements change in different environments.
• Weather station watches record temperature, wind speed, humidity. Gather data to understand meteorology.

Augmenting Field Observations with AR Technology

Augmented reality mobile apps can layer contextual information onto natural spaces like historical sites or geological formations observed on site visits. For example:

• Overlay maps and photographs onto views of battlefield sites.
• Label diagrams of watersheds and fault lines onto views of actual land formations.
• Provide pop up info about indigenous flora and fauna as students walk through natural habitats.

Integrating technology like apps, wearables, and AR builds interactive and multi-sensory learning experiences outdoors. Consider opportunities to enhance place-based learning with real-time data collection, identification tools, and contextual overlays.

Free Outdoor Learning Resources and Community Engagement

Utilizing free outdoor learning resources for lesson enrichment.

There are many free resources available to help enrich outdoor learning lessons without incurring additional costs. Here are some ideas:

• Public libraries and parks often have materials available for outdoor education programs, including books, activity guides, tools for collecting specimens, and more. Building partnerships with local community organizations can provide access to resources at no cost.
• University extension programs focused on environment, nature, agriculture, etc. frequently offer free curriculum, lesson plans, activity ideas, and even workshops for educators looking to integrate more outdoor learning. These are great resources to tap into.
• State and national parks provide a wealth of free resources online to support outdoor learning, from interactive maps to specialized programs for school groups. Ranger-led talks and tours are often available as well.
• Grants and contests available from outdoor-focused companies and non-profits can help fund materials, transportation, and other needs for outdoor learning initiatives. Dedicated grant writing can unlock more resources.

Fostering Community Partnerships for Experiential Learning

Forming partnerships with local organizations and experts can greatly enrich outdoor learning by bringing in real-world perspectives. Consider connecting with:

• Environmental, agricultural, and nature conservation groups - they often have educational volunteers eager to share knowledge with students in outdoor settings. This brings curriculum to life.
• Outdoor recreation businesses - learning wilderness skills, environmental ethics, etc. first-hand from park rangers, fishing guides, climbing instructors, and more immerses students in experiential learning.
• Indigenous tribes/leaders and elders - they can share traditional ecological knowledge and cultural wisdom through outdoor programs, when relationships based on respect are forged.
• University researchers - getting involved with current environmental, conservation, or outdoor recreation studies happening locally undergrads and professors facilitates impactful hands-on science learning.

Back to School Outdoor Activities for Community Building

The beginning of the school year is the perfect time to prioritize outdoor community building activities, setting the stage for a vibrant collaborative learning culture. Consider:

• Outdoor potluck - Families bring dishes to share for a picnic that facilitates relationship building between parents, students, teachers in a relaxed atmosphere.
• Nature scavenger hunt - Friendly competition and teamwork is encouraged in this activity as groups explore the schoolyard or a park to find items on a common list.
• Outdoor classroom campfire - Let students share stories, ask questions, and express what they hope for in the upcoming year at an evening fire circle on school grounds. Roast marshmallows to bring everyone together!
• Community garden cleanup - Make preparing the school garden for the new year a team effort by hosting a work day for families to get involved by weeding, planting, building beds to foster investment in hands-on outdoor learning projects ahead.

Starting the school year with fun outdoor activities rooted in community lays a foundation for the culture of interactive learning and student engagement to thrive moving forward.

Conclusion: The Lasting Impact of Learning Outside the Classroom

Outdoor learning provides numerous benefits for students across developmental domains, while allowing teachers to cover required academics through creative, cross-disciplinary methods that utilize place-based resources.

Reflecting on the Versatility of Outdoor Learning Across Ages

Structured outdoor learning curricula can engage students of all ages. Specific activities can be tailored to elementary, middle, and high school students:

• Elementary school students tend to benefit from sensory exploration of natural spaces, movement-based games, and hands-on science activities.
• Middle school students enjoy more complex ecological investigations, orienteering challenges, and outdoor art projects.
• High school students are often inspired by community-focused sustainability initiatives, recreational sports, and volunteer opportunities.

With age-appropriate planning, outdoor learning transcends grade levels.

Summarizing the Importance of Preparation and Technological Integration

Thoughtful guidelines and selective technology use are key for maximizing the safety, efficiency and interactivity of outdoor lessons:

• Clear rules, routines and appropriate supervision create an orderly learning environment outside.
• Mobile devices allow on-site documentation, research and assessments.
• Portable Wi-Fi hotspots facilitate seamless digital integration.

With foresight, outdoor spaces can be leveraged as hi-tech yet natural classrooms.

Reaffirming the Role of Outdoor Activities in Enhancing Student Wellbeing

Outdoor learning reliably nurtures students' physical, emotional and social growth:

• Natural light, fresh air and green spaces boost health, engagement and mood.
• Collaborative challenges build trust, resolve conflicts and strengthen connections.
• Unstructured exploration encourages self-awareness, self-regulation and creativity.

Ultimately, the restorative effects of outdoor activities transcend academics.

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• Best Interactive Games for Teachers: Making Learning Fun and Engaging
• Beyond the Books: Experiential Learning Strategies That Engage and Inspire
• Outdoor Education: Taking the Classroom Outside for Hands-On Learning
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Outdoor Learning—Why It Should Be High up on the Agenda of Every Educator

Introduction

• Open Access
• First Online: 31 July 2022

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• Rolf Jucker 3 &
• Jakob von Au 4  

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In a world challenged by increasingly complex crises, a sound understanding of reality and high quality learning become crucial elements for strengthening children and making societies more resilient and fit for the future. This chapter argues that outdoor learning—even given the fact that quite a few aspects of it are under-researched—can play an important role in contributing to the kind of learning the twenty-first century needs. Outdoor learning enables cumulative, fundamental fostering of learning in multiple dimensions, such as academic learning, social interaction, personal development and well-being, mental, physical and social health, creativity, and much more. It is an add-in approach, easy to integrate into normal schooling, at very low cost. It therefore should be very high up on the agenda of any decision maker who is concerned with the future of our education systems. The chapter elaborates why the reminder of the book is a toolbox for just such decision makers in education authorities, teacher-training universities, schools and research institutions, to systemically embed outdoor learning in their respective practices.

A note on terminology: We are fully aware that there is a wide variety of terms used for what concerns us here: nature-based learning, school-based outdoor learning, real world learning, Eduacation Outside the Classroom, Draußenschule in German (based on uteskole (Norway) and udeskole (Denmark)), utomhuspedagogikk (Sweden) etc. Platonet is at present trying to find an internationally accepted term ( https://www.outdoorplaycanada.ca/plato-net/ ). We decided, for this volume, to use the broader term ‘outdoor learning’, since we believe that the value and benefits of this approach apply to learning out in the real world generally, not just for schools but also for other types of formal, non-formal and informal learning. However, we have deliberately not standardised the terminology because this can obscure the rich, diverse practices which feed what we showcase here. So it was the chapter author’s choice to use whatever terminology they preferred.

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Outdoor learning across the early years in Australia: Inconsistencies, challenges, and recommendations

Just what is Outdoor Education?

Outdoor Education and Pedagogical Content Knowledge: More Than Class Five Rapids

• Outdoor learning as high-quality learning
• Evidence-based outdoor learning
• Systemic social change
• Human cognition and perception
• Sustainable development goals

1 Why is High Quality Education so Crucial Today?

Whether you like Greta Thunberg or not, it is very difficult to argue with her analysis that we need immediate urgent action to stop, mitigate and adapt to climate change—that “empty words” are simply not enough (Thunberg, 2020 ).

Why are we starting a volume on outdoor learning with this provocative statement? Is this going to be some missionary, ideologically driven, radical environmentalist manifesto?

We would argue—on the contrary. There are several converging fundamental insights at play here which we need to focus on so that you, as a reader, can fully appreciate and critically evaluate what we are trying to do with this book .

1.1 Complex World with Many Mutually Reinforcing Challenges

Maybe climate science and the Covid-19 pandemic have managed to help us appreciate a fundamental fact about our world: it mostly consists of complex systems, which can be defined as follows:

A complex system is a system composed of many components which may interact with each other. Examples of complex systems are Earth’s global climate, organisms, the human brain, infrastructure such as power grid, transportation or communication systems, social and economic organizations (like cities), an ecosystem, a living cell, and ultimately the entire universe. Footnote 1 Complex systems are systems whose behaviour is intrinsically difficult to model due to the dependencies, competitions, relationships, or other types of interactions between their parts or between a given system and its environment. (Wikipedia—Complex system, 2021 )

Most serious challenges facing human society today are complex, systemic problems, often mutually reinforcing each other:

Crises in the natural world have reached a critical level. Inaction now threatens the very existence of human society: the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warns that averting the most serious consequences of climate change requires a radical overhaul of the global economy, while the OECD argues biodiversity loss is among the top global risks to society. Importantly, the intersection between these crises deepens their effects. For example, deforestation is a major cause of biodiversity loss while also being the second largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, growing inequality, the changing nature of work, and continued human rights violations are just some of the major risks facing global society and the financial sector that supports it. (ShareAction, 2020 , 4; see also UNESCO, 2020 , 6)

We don’t want to bore you with a litany of problems. However, the above discussion highlights two points which are important for us here:

1. There is no serious disagreement with the scientific consensus that almost anything of importance to human society is complex (including education and learning). 2. We can therefore not adequately approach such issues with simplistic, Twitter-sized soundbites, but only with appropriate systemic understanding.

1.2 Humans Are Stretched to Their Limits to Understand the World They Live in

The above sounds pretty straightforward. So let us just engage in such systemic learning and understanding, here with a focus on outdoor learning…

Or can we? As Jucker has shown in his book Can We Cope with the Complexity of Reality? ( 2020 ; see also Glasser, 2019 ), our human perception and cognition—as it evolved over time—is placing serious limitations on our individual capacity to understand the world around us. As Kahneman ( 2012 ) amongst others has shown, our normal, automated mode of interaction with the world—in Kahneman’s terminology “System 1”, others call it “old brain” (Hawkins, 2021 )—is efficient for everyday life, but highly flawed and hampered by a whole host of biases which interfere with objective, reflective, reasoned attempts to figure out what is going on (i.e. what Kahneman terms “System 2”).

Or to put it more bluntly: From psychology and brain research we know that our personal experience, our personal knowledge, our memory, and even what we call our autonomous, inner ‘I’ or self are highly unreliable, often illusionary constructions of our brain. All of this is subject to a variety of perceptual distortions, psychological biases, and unreflected cultural prejudices (Jucker, 2020 , 17–53). Only very rarely can we base reliable solutions on them:

Every-day thinking does not understand itself, is therefore uncritical and, if at all, only partially able to come to true statements. (…) Without a critical theory of itself and without a theory of the nervous system, everyday thinking (…) believes that it understands the material things in the world directly as they are (naïve realism). (…) Its implicit meta-theory is equal to the one in magical and religious world-views and is the source of resistance against the scientific world-view of adults. (Obrecht, 2009 , 56; translation by the authors)

This poses a fundamental philosophical problem: given both that our evolutionary machinery severely restricts our understanding of the world, Footnote 2 and that we are dependent on a sound understanding of reality, if we want to successfully interact with it, what do we do?

Recent experiences, such as Covid-19, and a historical reflection on how reliable knowledge is created show us that we can only generate a meaningful understanding of the world if we can reliably distinguish between fact and fake news. For this, we need verification processes that only science can offer: openness, a culture of error and reversibility in the case of new findings, verification of results by different methods, reproducibility, verification by others, and evidence.

Humanity’s knowledge about reality, collectively acquired over decades, is therefore always more important than our personal, inevitably distorted mental model of it, which our brain is constantly constructing (Hawkins, 2021 ). This is the reason why state-of-the-art solutions to complex problems can never be provided by individuals, but only collectively, by teams, based on the best available knowledge (see Frith, 2007 , 187). As a result, we must learn to take collectively verified knowledge (on climate change, for example) seriously and to mistrust our fallible pre-concepts, far too often guided by our personal interests, biases and prejudices. In other words, we need reasoned, evidence-based approaches:

The deliberate application of reason [is] necessary precisely because our common habits of thought are not particularly reasonable. (Pinker, 2018 , 9)

1.3 Learning and Education is the Basis for Understanding and Change

If we take the fallibility of human perception and cognition together with the complexity of our world, then it emerges that understanding this world hinges on learning. This is the case for two reasons:

First, despite the limitations of human cognition, we are in for a chance: the way our brain works allows for continuous learning and correction of mistakes. In constant interaction with the real world, with experiences and things we learn, our brains correct and adapt the models of the world we base our understanding on (Hawkins, 2021 ; Frith, 2007 ). In other words, our brain is constantly learning, and there is no upper limit to what and how much we can learn (Bjork et al., 2013 ; Brown et al., 2014 ).

Second, contrary to the widespread opinion that it is enough to just pick one (however absurd) opinion and assume it is equally valid as any other, humanity has developed reliable processes since the Enlightenment that allow us to distinguish opinion from knowledge. When we use reason or System 2-thinking (Kahneman, 2012 ), and link it to a scientific approach (see Jucker, 2020 , 37–43), “we can learn through criticism of our mistakes and errors, especially through criticism by others, and eventually also through self-criticism” (Popper, 1999 , 84, italics in the original; see also Hawkins, 2021 ; Frith, 2007 , 183; Rovelli, 2018 , 132).

Therefore, it seems clear that we all need the best available, life-long learning, if we want to be able to both understand the world we live in and to be in the position to interact with and change it in ways which are meaningful, just and sustainable. To link back to Greta Thunberg’s provocation at the beginning: we all need to be in a position to move from (often empty) words to action.

You might think you are in the middle of a highbrow discussion, which has not much applicability to normal people and particularly school kids. However, for good reason most foundational texts for education bills or national curricula in democratic countries state something like the following:

In compulsory education pupils develop fundamental knowledge and skills as well as a cultural identity which enables them (…) to find their place in society and the workplace . (Grundlagen für den Lehrplan 21, 2010 , 8; emphasis added) The inter-cantonal Commission of Education Ministers of the French- and Italian-speaking parts of Switzerland affirms that the transmission of fundamental values of communal life in a democratic society as well as the acquisition of a sound general education is the corner stone of compulsory education for all. (CIIP, 2003 , 1; emphasis added)

So it seems that the core of the enlightenment, as declared by Immanuel Kant, is still the basis for education:

Enlightenment is humanity’s emergence from her self-imposed immaturity. (Kant, 1784 )

A democracy (and the self-determination of the people in a community) can only function if the people involved in this process have the skills and competencies to act maturely in the spirit of Kant. Where people cling to the lips of authoritarian or religious leaders or (social) media to be told how to understand the world and what to do, this is certainly not the case. Therefore, the greatest challenge facing our education systems—it seems to us—is how to accompany children, young people, and adults into the self-determined maturity referred to by Kant more than 200 years ago.

2 What is the Importance of Outdoor Learning in This Context?

2.1 education systems are complex—a call for modesty.

Therefore the question arises: What does and does not work in education, if we look at it scientifically and not through the lenses of our goals, wishes and assumptions? It is clear that learning and teaching are multi-factorial processes, in other words highly complex systems. On the one hand, there are a host of underlying conditions and parameters from the macro to the micro level (see Fig.  1 ).

Factors influencing a person at different levels

In the classroom, this includes things such as cultural and regional context, type of school, composition of class, school and class climate. With regard to teachers, we are looking at professional knowledge, technical, diagnostic, didactic and leadership competencies, cross-curricular and subject specific quality of teaching and teaching materials. With regard to students, these conditions and parameters include perception and interpretation of the teaching, family context (social class, richness of language environment, culture, familiarity with education, parenting, socialisation), the individual learning potential (previous knowledge, languages spoken, intelligence, learning and memory strategies, motivation to learn, willingness to make an effort, perseverance, self-confidence), and the use of learning time in class and in extracurricular activities (Hasselhorn & Gold, 2017 , 237).

On the other hand, teaching and education are always only offers for learners: if and how this offer is taken up, is very much dependent on the learners and can therefore never be fully controlled by the educator:

In addition to the quantity and quality of the learning opportunities offered, the cognitive, motivational and emotional learning conditions of the pupils determine whether and how a learning opportunity is actually used. (Hasselhorn & Gold, 2017 , 236; translation by the authors)

We would argue that we have not yet quite managed the ‘evidence-based turn’ in education. Far too much of our educational practice is still based on tradition, reproduction of our own educational experiences, fashionable trends and pseudo-scientific approaches. However, at least since Hattie ( 2008 ) we have a growing base to rely on if we are looking for broadly evidence-based strategies to make educational interventions work. Remember: evidence-based very often means counter-intuitive, as demonstrated by almost all of the history of science. Therefore, you will find quite a few surprises in Hattie’s 252 influences related to student achievement (Waack, 2019 ), compared to your preconceived ideas about what might work. But it is certainly worth integrating these findings into what we do in any educational intervention.

For our purposes, we can focus on a few which stand out, also supported by other research. Firstly, the value of a good teacher cannot be overestimated. There has been a strong tendency, coupled with an oversimplified understanding of constructivism, that you do not really need teachers anymore, because learning happens in the learner. However, research clearly shows that this is not the case. Having a good teacher is undeniably central for student achievement, and it is far from trivial. Pedagogical and psychological research has highlighted the complex and demanding social, pedagogical and didactic-professional qualities, which characterise a good teacher (Weinert, 1996 ). Research into excellence has also reinforced this understanding and thoroughly debunked the myths around talent and genius. In order to learn and to succeed in any domain with a high level of competence requires a lot of dedication and years of practice (Brown et al., 2014 , 18; Ericsson & Pool, 2016 , 96, 207), in other words, “effortful learning”, akin to “System 2”-learning. It also requires a good dose of so-called non-cognitive skills (such as “self-discipline, grit, and persistence” [Brown et al., 2014 , 199]) as well as tutors who give feedback in order to push and stretch learners not too much, but also not too little outside their comfort zone (Ericsson & Pool, 2016 , 108).

In addition, it seems that collective learning is more effective—something everybody knows who floated his/her own ‘fantastic’ idea in a team, only to witness that afterwards this idea had matured into something clearly better, more complex and meaningful through the collaborative process (Rovelli, 2016 , 6; Frith, 2007 , 175; Rippon, 2019 , 114; Dennett, 2017 , 24, 378; Glasser, 2007 ).

We are left with a clear obligation to modesty and even humility. The insight that education and learning are complex systems means that we will only master them reasonably well if we face up to this complexity. Simplifications simply won’t help and the ‘one-size-fits-all’ guru-solution for everything does not exists. We must develop reliable immune responses to simple answers or black-and-white solutions. Not just in politics, but also in education and learning, we still largely have to do our homework and start acting based on evidence, not ideology or mission. Which begs the question: Are we ready to look at our educational practice with more humility, openness, willingness to learn and culture of error?

Furthermore, any educational intervention is at the very best only a small puzzle piece that contributes to human development and learning. Learning offers are only necessary, never sufficient, elements for the transformation towards a dignified, liveable future. We need not only in education, but also on all other levels of the system (politics, cultural values, economic system, incentives and disincentives, media, families, identity construction, etc.), manifold, scientifically well supported interventions. But these interventions, in turn, will not be sustainable if they are not undertaken with an open, Popperean scientific mindset. They need to be based on a democratic foundation and oriented towards freedom and responsibility. They need to be informed by the precautionary principle. And finally, they need to be in touch with, as well as in acceptance of, complex, non-linear, systemic reality (Meadows, 2009 , 181).

This clearly also applies to outdoor learning. As with any other educational approach, we should therefore be very careful not to overestimate its potential impact and not to raise our expectations too highly. Footnote 3 It is certainly not the magic wand to solve all educational problems, let alone the rest of humanity’s predicatments.

2.2 Outdoor Learning—A Sober Assessment

Even though research into outdoor learning can be traced back to at least after World War II, its quality is still not anywhere near standards routinely used in other scientific fields (see chapter  How to Raise the Standards of Outdoor Learning and Its Research in this volume; Mygind et al., 2019 ), if we understand science as “a social process that rigorously vets claims” (Oreskes, 2019 , 141).

A recent, very thorough meta-study on the effectiveness of outdoor learning found only 13 studies—among a pool of 7830—that lived up to reasonable (not even high) methodological research standards (Becker et al., 2017 ). Studies in this area frequently suffer from poor study design and lack of methodological rigour in addition to representing very small numbers of participants. The duration of the intervention studied is often short; they tend to reflect special teaching situations rather than regular teaching; and they are generally neither randomized nor reproducible. Importantly, they mostly raise serious questions about the relationship, read influence, of researchers on the participants. Very often, they have a circular design—in other words, they tend to validate the initial hypothesis with notoriously unreliable, subjective self-reporting of the participants. Attempts to triangulate the collected data ( thick description ) or even to use objective measuring tools (such as measuring movement with an accelerometer rather than asking teachers if and how far pupils moved) are very rare indeed. Finally, the conclusions drawn are often not linked to the data (on the limited quality of research in the area, see also Mygind et al., 2019 , 2021 ). So far, so bad. We may be forgiven to continue to dream about double-blind studies in education for a viable, dignified future. Nevertheless, despite these many challenges, there are bright spots of progress, such as some excellent papers in the volume The Natural World as a Resource for Learning and Development (Kuo and Jordan (eds.), 2019 ; see chapter A Coordinated Research Agenda for Nature-Based Learning in this volume) and the methodologically sound and very carefully executed TEACHOUT study in Denmark (Nielsen et al., 2016 Footnote 4 ; see Udeskole —Pupils’ Physical Activity and Gender Perspectives and Pupils’ Well-Being, Mental and Social Health in this volume).

2.3 Outdoor Learning—Its Specific Contributions to Learning for a Viable Future

Despite these clear limitations in terms of the established scientific quality of outdoor learning research and practice, there are a number of factors—particularly in the light of the above discussion about complexity and how learning works in humans—which seem to indicate that outdoor learning is not just a very important contribution to the UN-proclaimed Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 (“Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”; United Nations, n.y .; see Jucker and von Au, 2019 ), but to high quality education in general.

If we take a systemic look at today’s society, we are, as we have seen, confronted with various challenges: Climate and biodiversity crisis, democracy in times of social media and an increasingly digital world, integration and diversity, social, physical and mental health of students as well as teachers. Footnote 5 In order to master these challenges, we need resilient, healthy, mature people who can deal appropriately with the increasing complexity of the world and who can master the corresponding learning processes in high quality. We need ‘deepened social maturity’, in accordance with Kant.

If we look at children in this framework and ask ourselves what they need and what is good for them, then the following becomes apparent: Children have a right to the best possible development and nourishment of their potential. They have, as Carl Sagan beautifully said, a right to “wonder and scepticism” Sagan ( 1995 ), to diverse possibilities of perceiving, experiencing and exploring the world, i.e. to a successful understanding of the world. They have a right to the best possible learning processes, to experience self-efficacy, and to become competent at social learning.

Taking this social and child-centred view together, what is needed?

Rich, diverse, dynamic and motivating learning spaces, learning opportunities and learning encounters,

Enabling contact with the world and nature, understanding of the world and nature, understanding of the relationship between humans and the world/nature,

Competence building for systemic thinking, understanding and acting,

Experience of self-efficacy and transformation,

Highest possible quality of teaching and learning experiences.

This is where learning in and with nature comes in. Outdoor learning supports successful learning on a very fundamental level.

First, some central aspects of learning appear in a new light, based on the progress made in brain and learning research in the last decades. As opposed to a computer hard drive whose storage capacity becomes exhausted, there seems to be no known limits to the human capacity for learning (Ericsson & Pool, 2016 , 9, 40–41). Rather, we know now that the more we learn, the more connections we establish among different learnings, and the more we increase our capacity to advance understanding and our ability to learn (Ericsson & Pool, 2016 , 43; Dirnagl & Müller, 2016 , 260–261). The more we learn, the better we get at integrating and understanding issues, complex experiences, and abstract concepts such as Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity—in other words central concepts about how the world works (Bjork et al., 2013 ; Brown et al., 2014 , 76, 199).

If we combine this insight with the finding that real, three-dimensional, multi-sensorial experiences activate a multitude of brain regions and faculties, leading to deepened connections among these regions and consequently to more resilience with regard to mental processes (Shaw, 2016 , 251–252; Frith, 2007 , 126–127; Dirnagl and Müller, 2016 , 260–285; Brown et al., 2014 , 167–168, 208–209), it seems inevitable to draw the following conclusion:

Learning that activates as many senses as possible (seeing, smelling, touching, Footnote 6 hearing, moving, …), which takes place in dynamic, real-world learning environments, and which demands social interaction and self-guided involvement of the learners (Shaw, 2016 , 139), is likely to be very effective. In addition, research shows that learning the same content while in motion, as opposed to being stationary, is more effective and evokes better long-term results (Dirnagl and Müller, 2016 , 260). Footnote 7 If learners—and this does not only apply to children—are moving about, can touch things, view them from different perspectives, can smell, taste, and hear them, learning is more profound, more resilient and yields better long-term recall.

Second, mounting evidence indicates that real-world learning outside the classroom contributes to unlocking the full potential of learners. Since learning in and with nature takes place outside, in real, often unpredictable situations, which require quick comprehension, reaction, dialogue among each other, reflection and solution orientation, learning with nature contributes specifically to the competencies that we humans increasingly need in order to deal with the challenges we face in the twenty-first century (see chapter Rediscovering the Potential of Outdoor Learning for Developing 21st Century Competencies and chapter Fostering 21st Century Skills Through Autonomy Supportive Science Education Outside the Classroom in this volume). In the context of education for a viable future, learning outside is therefore well placed to help children and adults connect to all life and nurture the self-confidence and sense of agency that are necessary to take on the formidable responsibility of shaping humanity’s common destiny. Learning in nature can also stimulate our innate desire to understand the world around us, thus increasing both motivation and our willingness to communicate and share with others.

Third, there is another reason why education—whether inside a classroom, in the community, at the workplace, in a research lab, or out in nature—is an indispensable tool for the change we need to an open, fair, just and sustainable future. Education can open up time and space to engage in “System 2” reasoning (Kahneman, 2012 ). It allows us to take the time needed to really understand an issue, with the help of outside experts, teachers and peers, texts, experiments, projects and much more. Education therefore allows us to run ‘living labs’ in order to try out and find solutions to the urgent questions mentioned above and to nurture a resilient immune response to ideological beliefs, religious dogmas, and fake news.

This much we can glean from the available, general research on learning, education and change. However, if we dig into the specific research on learning in nature—even when bearing in mind the limitations outlined in 2.2 above—we can summarise: learning in and with nature is overall effective learning, as it cumulatively promotes learning processes and health on different levels (see Mann et al., 2021 ):

Academic learning success : better recall of learning content, improved language competence (reading, writing, talking to adults, vocabulary), better solving of complex, interconnected tasks, better reasoning and analytical skills.

Social competencies : strengthened social interaction, cohesion and trust between teachers and students, positive socio-emotional development, bearing in mind that a functioning learning community between teachers and students is a central condition for successful learning.

Self-competencies : Increased intrinsic motivation and willingness to learn, Footnote 8 higher concentration, fewer disciplinary problems, high self-efficacy experience through discovery, experience-based and action-oriented learning, building a sense of identity, develop pro-social behaviour and personal executive functioning through risk-taking.

Physical and mental health : Teachers and learners are significantly more in motion, Footnote 9 which makes learning more successful and makes learning content available in the long term, training of gross and fine motor skills, easier access to daylight Footnote 10 and fresh air than in classrooms, emotional and behavioural problems as well as hyperactivity are significantly reduced, especially in boys.

Real-world learning : Rich and meaningful learning in real-world situations, different learning spaces serve the diverse learning needs of children in a variety of ways, which is more and more important in increasingly diverse classes.

twenty-first century skills : Communication, cooperation, conflict resolution, creativity, critical thinking, resilience, self-regulation, dealing with the unexpected and complexity thinking are fostered.

Familiarity with nature : Being close to nature and constructively dealing with the destruction of nature leads to increased environmental awareness and sustainable action (see chapter Childhood Nature Connection and Constructive Hope in this volume).

As a comparison with Hattie’s list of factors for successful learning shows (see above, Waack, 2019 ), learning in and with nature cumulatively promotes many important foundations that make successful learning possible in the first place. In this way, learning in nature also supports children whose integration in the classroom is often a challenge (Fig. 2 ).

We believe that it is this cumulative, fundamental fostering of learning in multiple dimensions which is the core contribution of outdoor learning to high quality learning. Kuo, Barnes and Jordan (see chapter Do Experiences with Nature Promote Learning? Converging Evidence of a Cause-And-Effect Relationship in this volume) have summarised this well in Fig. 2 :

Nature-based learning: exposures, probable mechanisms, and outcomes (from: Kuo, Barnes and Jordan,  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-04108-2_3 )

This cumulative fostering of high-quality learning also qualifies outdoor learning as an approach to support SDG 4 and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), irrespective of theme or topic. The Scottish Curriculum for Excellence through Outdoor Learning expresses this well:

Curriculum for Excellence offers opportunities for all children and young people to enjoy first-hand experience outdoors, whether within the school grounds, in urban green spaces, in Scotland’s countryside or in wilder environments. Such experiences motivate our children and young people to become successful learners and to develop as healthy, confident, enterprising and responsible citizens. Well-constructed and well-planned outdoor learning helps develop the skills of enquiry, critical thinking and reflection necessary for our children and young people to meet the social, economic and environmental challenges of life in the twenty-first century. Outdoor learning connects children and young people with the natural world, with our built heritage and our culture and society, (…). (Learning & Teaching Scotland, 2010 , 7)

In fact, since all change rests on learning and outdoor approaches boost learning, it can even support the implementation of all the other 16 SDGs. Contrary to the often very conceptual and abstract discussions and propositions in ESD, outdoor learning is a very practical, easily implementable tool to enhance high quality learning directly. Particularly in terms of transforming teaching practice for learners in the best possible way, we believe that outdoor learning has a lot more direct implications and also chances of success, particularly since outdoor learning is at best an add-in approach which requires very little extra resources—a fact which is very important with a view to teacher acceptance and equitable access to high-quality learning, particularly in poor communities (see Bentsen et al., 2021 ).

However, as mentioned above, learning in and with nature is not the panacea for solving all problems in school. It is one of many useful, evidence-based, effective ways to support teachers and school teams in their daily work. But since outdoor learning, as understood here, is an add-in (directly enhancing and supporting high-quality curriculum-based work) and not an add-on (requiring additional time and resources beyond curriculum-focused teaching) approach, Footnote 11 it is not a question of burdening the school with yet another task beyond the curriculum, but rather of supporting its core business, namely teaching and learning.

Our understanding of outdoor learning in this volume is the following:

curriculum-based teaching&learning activities outside the classroom but in school hours setting-sensitive, problem-based, experiential education pupil-led, teacher-facilitated learning inclusion of PA not as a goal but as a means to pedagogical and didactical ends regular activities on a weekly or biweekly basis. (Bentsen et al., 2021 , 3)

3 Why This Book and Its Very Specific Approach?

We have now provided you with some of the evidence and many substantiated claims regarding the value and the specific contributions outdoor learning can make in a time where high-quality learning might never have been more important.

However, you might be quite justified to ask: why yet another volume on this? We have had the wonderful Frontiers volume, edited by Ming Kuo and Cathy Jordan ( 2019 ), we have all the papers from the TEACHOUT project available (see Footnote 4 above), we have the excellent books, edited by Sue Waite ( 2017 and 2019), and then there is The SAGE Handbook of Outdoor Play and Learning (Waller et al.,  2017 )—amongst others.

There are several reasons why we are convinced that this book is unique and serves a very specific purpose quite unlike any of the others. It should help launch and sustain discussion, debate and finally implementation of outdoor learning on a broad scale, on different systemic levels.

Our aim is clearly not to produce a straightforward scientific volume with research papers never published before. The volume is not directed at specialist researchers—they know their field inside out, know where to go for new research and have access to all the papers they need through their institutional access systems. Producing such a book takes far too long to be of interest to cutting-edge researchers. The volume is also not aimed at the average teacher who is looking for practical guidance on how to implement outdoor learning. This market is quite saturated in different countries (see, as examples, Waite et al., 2020 ; SILVIVA, 2018 and 2019 ).

We aim for another audience in that we try to bridge the gap between these two worlds. We provide you with a reader or compendium, mixing the carefully selected, best internationally available, highest-quality evidence with new, original contributions:

In Part I (chapters A Coordinated Research Agenda for Nature-Based Learning , Do Experiences with Nature Promote Learning? Converging Evidence of a Cause-And-Effect Relationship , Refueling Students in Flight: Lessons in Nature May Boost Subsequent Classroom Engagement ,  Childhood Nature Connection and Constructive Hope , and  How to Raise the Standards of Outdoor Learning and Its Research ) you find the very best in terms of the scientific case for outdoor learning. This ranges from a holistic reflection on which research is needed, to the succinct provision of the evidence, in broad and narrow perspectives, to quality criteria for this research. It gives you a very good feel for how far the field has advanced in recent times, despite the limitations mentioned above.

Part II (chapters Udeskole —Pupils’ Physical Activity and Gender Perspectives and Pupils’ Well-Being, Mental and Social Health ) gives you a unique insight into a high-quality flagship research project: the TEACHOUT study from Denmark, from which we publish two summary papers.

Part III (chapters Some Impacts on Health and Wellbeing from School-Based Outdoor Learning , How Daylight Controls the Biological Clock, Organises Sleep, and Enhances Mood and Performance and  Outdoor Learning and Children’s Eyesight ) is specifically focussing on mental, physical and social health. Outdoor learning has unique contributions to make here (also touched upon already in Part II), both for pupils and teachers. We approach this both from an inside perspective from top-outdoor learning specialists in the UK, but also from the outside: we have asked two internationally recognised specialists who have no connection or vested interest in outdoor learning, to assess its health potential from their professional perspective: chronobiology and health in the built environment respectively.

Part IV (chapters Rediscovering the Potential of Outdoor Learning for Developing 21st Century Competencies and Fostering 21st Century Skills Through Autonomy Supportive Science Education Outside the Classroom ) is providing arguments and evidence for the claim put forward in this introduction that outdoor learning is important for fostering the competencies all of us need to come to terms with the challenges of the twenty-first century.

Part V (chapters Research and Documentation of Outdoor-Based Teaching in Teacher Education—The EOT Project , Bonding with the World: A Pedagogical Approach and  Udeskole —Regular Teaching Outside the Classroom ) homes in on one aspect which is almost religiously mentioned in every single recommendation on outdoor learning of the last decade: if we don’t nurture and develop the necessary competencies of teachers (and teacher trainers for that matter) to teach outdoor learning to a high standard, it will not be embedded across school systems anytime soon.

Part VI (chapters International Views on School-Based Outdoor Learning , Natural Connections: Learning About Outdoor-Based Learning , Outdoor School in Germany. Theoretical Considerations and Empirical Findings , Investigating Experiences of Nature: Challenges and Case-Analytical Approaches and  Creating a Forest for Learning ) finally both broadens and focusses our perspectives. From a fascinating international insight into outdoor learning we turn to nation-wide and individual case-studies, which provide the richness and depth of the territory which we have mapped out before.

By providing a veritable ‘best-of’ of recently published and new articles on the impact of outdoor learning, offering sound evidence, but also a rich tapestry of limitations and challenges, of exciting insights and success stories, we give you the learning tools to make outdoor learning ‘doable’ in your context.

We are not going to walk you through each individual chapter—we have provided abstracts for this reason. But just as a teaser, and really only pars pro toto , we give you a distinct flavour of our selection approach. Chapter Refueling Students in Flight: Lessons in Nature May Boost Subsequent Classroom Engagement , written by Ming Kuo, Matthew H.E.M. Browning and Milbert L. Penner, is really far too long and a reprint, you might say. Why do we still include it? In our view this paper is a perfect example of really carefully carried out, thoughtfully reflected research which can very well serve as a template for others to either do their own research or model their practice on it. Chapter How to Raise the Standards of Outdoor Learning and Its Research is a summary of a rather oldish paper. Again: why include it? Just the summary gives such a rich diet of why scientific rigour on the part of the researchers, and conceptual clarity on the part of education providers (i.e. the need for a Theory of Change) is so crucial, that it might well be declared compulsory reading for every researcher and every teacher and educator in the field.

Through this unique approach, we are able to present a rich, varied picture of reasons and insights into outdoor learning which is aimed at those interested readers, who want to go beyond the merely practical and are not specialists enough to dive on a daily basis into hard-core science papers. It is for those people who need a more than superficial understanding of the issues at stake, because they shape education, as policy makers, civil servants, directors of teacher training universities, teacher trainers, head teachers, and parents sitting on boards of educational authorities. It is furthermore aimed at teachers with an interest in developing their professional competencies and at professional educators, coaches and multipliers who train staff of educational NGOs.

In addition, the volume not only focusses on outdoor learning as an educational approach. It has itself an educational aim. We are very much aware of the fact that the intended audiences are broad and that this poses problems in terms of style. However, we were driven by a twofold educational intent. On the one hand, we have encouraged contributors to have readability in mind. We also aimed to enhance the ‘way into the texts’ with an abstract (unfortunately only in the online open access version), a bio statement about the authors, photos of the authors and a short recommended reading list of their preferred three titles in the field. On the other hand, given the need for an evidence-based approach, we aim to encourage and ‘push’ our audiences to really dare and plunge into ‘proper’ scientific texts: in Denmark, for example, continuous professional development training for outdoor teachers deliberately forces teachers to read scientific papers as is, with no ‘translation’. If we are serious about the above-mentioned insight that we cannot understand our world, and act meaningfully in it, without adequate scientific understanding, than all of us need to develop both the courage and the competencies to read and understand scientific writing.

This really is the background to our ‘idiosyncratic’ approach: since we want to enhance the understanding and acceptance of outdoor learning, we need to provide a variety of approaches. We do know that every single target audience we aim for is in itself very varied again, from those who really need a simple ‘translation’ to those who quite happily dig into ‘real science’. We are convinced that we offer a suitable variety of texts for this ‘natural’ spread of readers—from chapters where the authors support readers by explaining scientific terms in footnotes to chapters which read like essays rather than a paper in Science or nature .

If you walk away from reading parts or the whole of this book with a deepened and broadened understanding of outdoor learning—i.e. a “System 2” understanding— then we have achieved our aim.

4 Vision—What is Needed?

Given the systemic approach we pursued and our target audiences, all the recommendations we present here are intended for multiple stakeholders. For example, if we identify research which is dearly needed, then not just researchers should feel called upon, but also politicians who can allocate the money and teacher training institutions who might benefit from the results. In fact, if these groups of people were to cooperate right from the very start, this would in all likelihood not just improve the validity of the research, but also bridge the science-practice gap and make sure that up-to-date results and insights are actually taken up by the practitioners in the field—a notorious problem we are confronted with in all areas of education. We therefore encourage you to read the following in this spirit, and, if in doubt, feel responsible!

It is for good reason that we have included Cathy Jordan and Louise Chawla’s A Coordinated Research Agenda for Nature-Based Learning as the very first chapter after the introduction. This piece is valuable for a wider audience not just for the very thorough and systemic perspective it takes (looking at learning outcomes, differential effects, the mechanisms by which nature and learning are linked, and the implications for policy and practice, see chapter  A Coordinated Research Agenda for Nature-Based Learning , Table 1). It can also serve as a template for broad and inclusive processes, involving many different stakeholders, with the aim to arrive at the best possible result as well as launching a continual, focused process of future research. Jordan and Chawla have identified three domains for the latter:

learning outcomes, including understanding how learning in nature compares with learning in classrooms, preschools and child care centers, and how outcomes may vary by age, gender, socioeconomic background, ethnic background, individual differences, or special needs;

the mechanisms that explain relationships between nature and learning; and

how to most effectively apply research to policy and practice (chapter A Coordinated Research Agenda for Nature-Based Learning ).

We have also seen above that research in the area in general could benefit from a serious reflection on research quality, including learning from other fields of research where standards are much higher—as mentioned, TEACHOUT has here been a trailblazer (Nielsen et al., 2016 and chapter Udeskole —Pupils’ Physical Activity and Gender Perspectives and chapter Pupils’ Well-Being, Mental and Social Health but also see chapter  How to Raise the Standards of Outdoor Learning and Its Research ). In the meantime, a number of systematic reviews on the effects of outdoor learning have been published which have reconfirmed some serious limitations regarding the quality or diligence of some research in the area (see, for example, Becker et al., 2017 ; Mygind et al., 2019 , 2021 ; Dankiw et al., 2020 ). Be it sample size, mistaking correlation for causation, overestimating effect size, a narrow focus which excludes a systemic understanding of the hierarchy of factors influencing learning, understating the ambiguity of findings, insufficient quality of the models used, etc.—these aspects found in some research has lead one recent systematic review to conclude for the area they looked at: “The empirical evidence must currently be considered limited.” (Mygind et al., 2021 , 22) Another systematic review on the impacts of immersive nature-experiences on mental, physical and social health of children had to state repeatedly: “The quality of the evidence was considered low owing to risk of bias and imprecision due to small sample sizes.” (Mygind et al., 2019 ).

Therefore, there is clearly plenty of room for improvement in the quality and scope of outdoor learning research. A recently published research protocol, co-written, amongst others, by four authors represented in this volume (Jeff Mann, Tonia Gray, Son Truong and Rowena Passy), has pointed out one particular area of concern, despite the mounting evidence “for developmental and well-being benefits on children and adolescents” through outdoor learning:

The effect of Outdoor Learning on academic metrics remains under-researched. Indeed, many outdoor educators lament one of the key factors limiting Outdoor Learning from taking a greater role in mainstream education is the paucity of evidence demonstrating its impact on academic curriculum performance. (Mann et al., 2021 , 3)

But let’s not just look at research but a wider perspective. Even if we take all the limitations mentioned above into account, Footnote 12 the collected evidence and arguments in this volume (and much of the wider work it was nourished by) clearly points to the insight that outdoor learning has an important role to play in an education system, which wants to be ‘fit4future’. Because of its ‘add-in’ approach, i.e. “direct integration with curriculum time and aims”, but also due to “extensive teacher acceptability, the whole-population application (…) and low associated costs” (Bentsen, 2021 , 5), outdoor learning might indeed be one of the keys unlocking the potential that high-quality learning can offer to our kids. If we look to places where really game-changing, substantial learning takes place, which makes learners truly grow, it is almost always focussed, motivated, real-world learning for a purpose (see Ericsson & Pool, 2016 ). Outdoor learning can be a stepping stone for such learning journeys, because it nourishes important elements of successful learning: it keeps the motivation high, it nurtures the social bond between teachers and learners, it takes place in movement and interaction—you can complete your list of favourites while reading this book.

However, what is needed that this vision of an education which develops not just at best the potential of all kids, but also secures a viable future for humankind, moves from “empty words” into action?

One of the most impressive examples of an attempt to systemically integrate outdoor learning regularly into the compulsory school system has been Denmark. It is also a particularly interesting case, because the progress of this implementation has been regularly measured (Barfod et al., 2016 , 2021 ; Bentsen et al., 2010 ). The latest survey noted that “the curve is flattened”, i.e. that the percentage of schools practicing regular outdoor learning, is not increasing by much anymore (it lies at “approximately one-fifth of general schools in Denmark” in 2019). But two results are interesting: within these schools “the number of classes using regular EOtC (Education Outside the Classroom) increases significantly” and “one third of all special-needs schools work with regular EOtC” (Barfod et al., 2021 , 5). So maybe we should be looking at saturation and how to deal with it, and at circumstances, where outdoor learning can provide an even bigger benefit, such as in special-needs schools.

Apart from maybe Scotland it is very rare to find such a systemic, concerted effort as in Denmark to really transform schooling. The way our Danish colleagues have simultaneously used national networks, teacher training, peer-to-peer learning, research, influencing policy and much more, can certainly serve as a role-model for many other countries. At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which had “fostered the interests in using the outdoors during both school and leisure time” (Barfod et al., 2021 , 5), due to the ease for distancing and lower infection rates, the Danish Prime Minister, on primetime TV, urged all Danish School to teach outdoors whenever possible—something other countries can only dream of (except maybe Austria, where the Education Ministry issued a similar suggestion).

In Switzerland, we have certainly tried hard to emulate the lead of Denmark. SILVIVA, the Swiss Foundation for Nature-based Learning, has initiated an ambitious national, trilingual project with the aim that every pupil in Switzerland can profit from the multiple benefits of outdoor learning during their school career—and their teachers as well. Based on the insights presented in chapter How to Raise the Standards of Outdoor Learning and Its Research , SILVIVA has drawn up a Theory of Change to facilitate the transformation into an education system, where resilient, healthy children, youth and adults unlock their potential and learn to deal competently with a complex world—individually and collectively. Using an approach that is systemic, supportive, embedding, cooperative and participatory, using iteration, ideation, adaption and error tolerance, SILVIVA aims to use all the international and national knowhow as well as personnel and financial resources of its own and a broad range of partner organisations to sustainably anchor outdoor learning on all levels of the Swiss education system. Copying the Danish lead and inspired by the holistic approach presented in chapter International Views on School-Based Outdoor Learning (see Fig. 1), SILVIVA is focusing on building up local, regional and national networks; online platforms providing resources, exchange and support; encouraging necessary research; embedding outdoor learning in initial and continuous teacher training (a crucial, still very much under-researched and supported approach, see chapter Research and Documentation of Outdoor-Based Teaching in Teacher Education—The EOT Project ); making it part of head master professional qualifications and supporting its integration into school culture and school development plans. Embedding means a shift and project, to institutional anchoring in an organisation (be it a school, educational authority, teacher training institution or a research department). Encouraged by the National Curriculum Outdoors series (Waite et al., 2020 ) it has become clear that an important driver for embedding are teaching materials (which are influencing teaching practice more than curricula) and increasingly national tests, but also national and international surveys (such as PISA) and software assessing student achievement. Once again encouraged by best practice in other countries, SILVIVA is also focussing very much on raising the visibility, legitimacy and acceptance of outdoor learning on all systemic levels, from national to regional decision makers, to parents and the general public, using a broad range of communication, coaching and training tools.

We are not elaborating on this to showcase Switzerland—it is some way behind other countries in many respects. Nevertheless, we are mentioning it because we are convinced of the importance of integrated, systemic approaches to fostering outdoor learning—an activity manual and a few courses for teachers will not do the trick.

There is also another important dimension to consider here. Research on successful social change, such as peoples’ professional practice, clearly shows that this happens best in mutually reinforcing learning communities. When people know each other, can practice new behaviours together, can share and look over each other’s shoulders, then new things, such as outdoor teaching, are not only recognised as good, but are effectively integrated into one's own professional practice. For other schools and teachers, this practice is then evidence that this could be useful and an incentive to try it too. By building up such pockets of good, tried and tested practice new approaches such as outdoor learning can truly spread and get systemically embedded. Centola has carefully researched such change mechanisms: “Successful social change is not about information; it’s about norms.” (Centola, 2021 , 11) In Sociology, it is now accepted that “social networks are the crucial factor for social change.” (ibid., 30) Centola therefore speaks of the need for “strong ties”, “wide bridges” and “complex contagions” (i.e. multiple, reinforcing ‘infections’) to change social norms and established behaviour: you don’t change unless you see people you know and trust adopt the new practice, multiple times:

None of the major behavioral or social changes that have happened in the last half-century have spread the way viruses do. They have spread not through reach but through the phenomenon that, for years, network scientists believed to be the great enemy of effective contagion: redundancy . (…) Redundancy will not help to spread the measles. You can’t get infected twice—it takes only one contact to do it. But when it comes to a new idea, the experience of being exposed to it from two, three, or four people within your network of strong ties— that changes the idea into a norm. It changes how you think and feel about it. And that is the overlooked power of redundancy. (Centola, 2021 , 49)

You cannot force-feed people to change. You need a “System 2”-approach: slow, reflected, careful, testing, adapting, changing, improving—precisely the reason for the broad variety of arguments, approaches, styles and reflection we present in this volume, to help you adopt a “complex contagion” approach to embedded outdoor learning. This will help to make sure that words do turn into action.

So far, so good. We have role-models, tried and tested approaches, a growing body of sound evidence which testifies to the multiple reinforcing benefits of outdoor learning for academic learning, social interaction, personal development and well-being, mental, physical and social health, creativity, and much more. So we can get to work and we truly hope that this book will serve as a toolbox for you to do so.

However, if you think back to the beginning of this chapter there remains one hard nut to crack. Given what we know about our evolutionary machinery as well as the limits to our perception and cognition, systemic thinking, understanding, and action does not come to us easily—on the contrary, because “laziness is built deep into our nature” (Kahneman, 2012 , 35). Systemic understanding is an extreme version of a “System 2”-task: difficult, effortful, counterintuitive, and strenuous. Speaking to many experienced educators and experts, it seems to us that there are hardly any tried and tested, effective educational interventions which help children, youth and adults to train and competently learn systemic understanding, and then even make it their preferred path of reflection, whatever the issue at hand. If you know of such learning interventions, which ideally have been validated by research, by all means get in touch with us.

The trouble really is that systemic understanding is rich in prerequisites: you need to understand systems at a profound level, so that you are capable of grasping any other system that might be thrown your way in sufficient depth; you need to understand fundamental principles of life (i.e. evolution, physics, chemistry, biology, sociology, economics), so that the most flawed preconceptions about life are cleared up; you need to understand the evolutionary machinery of human perception and cognition (including the fundamental principles of how the brain and learning work), so that a realistic self-assessment is at least possible; you need to have at your disposal various tools and methods which help you to move from System 1 into System 2, so that a distanced, self-reflective, self-critical, careful, intersubjective understanding can be generated, based on the best available evidence; you need a willingness to learn and change and a fostered culture of error (Carl Sagan’s “wonder and skepticism”); and finally, you need to translate all of the above into concrete, real-life action. In other words, we all need to become change agents who accomplish the art of “skilful muddling”, as Harold Glasser aptly calls it ( 2019 , 64). In essence, what we are talking about is reapplying Kant’s quest for “humanity’s emergence from her self-imposed immaturity” (Kant, 1784 ) to today’s challenges.

Given the challenges we face as a species, establishing such systemic learning interventions should have a very high priority. We have started dreaming of concocting a cook-book (of whatever format) for complexity learning which fills this gap. The idea is to collect functioning examples on all levels, presented in such a way, that everybody can cook them, i.e. replicate them. Please do get in touch if you would like to be part of a team to find out.

Let us end on this reflective note:

The main message today has to be, with [Svenja] Flaßpöhler: differentiation . Unless we all become a lot more accurate, evidence-based, and work with up-to-date knowledge rather than System 1 easy answers, assumptions, old mental models, traditions or beliefs, we will hardly make headways towards the open, just, free and democratic vision I developed at the beginning [of the book]. (…) We need to encourage System 2 – slow, serious, careful and systemic analysis, thinking and action – any time over System 1. (…) Maybe this just means that we as educators have to truly embody, live with every cell in our body, the scientific approach: always be open to learn. History teaches us that traditional explanations mostly don’t work, and, in time, get replaced: So, we need to have an open mind and be prepared to throw them out if evidence comes to the fore to disprove them (even if they are dear to us or our System 1)! Ericsson and Pool, in their study on excellence ( 2016 ), have shown that we all can do this: there is no genetic predisposition which makes this only available to some; a democratic message I find heartening and liberating. (Jucker, 2020 , 103–106)

Recommended Further Readings

Capra, Fritjof, and Pier Luigi Luisi (2014). The Systems View of Life. A Unifying Vision . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Shaw, Julia (2016). The Memory Illusion. Remembering, Forgetting, and the Science of False Memory . London: Random House Books..

Jucker, Rolf (2020). Can We Cope with the Complexity of Reality? Why Craving Easy Answers Is at the Root of our Problems. Reflections on science, self-illusions, religion, democracy and education for a viable future . Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. https://www.cambridgescholars.com/product/978-1-5275-4851-0

Even teams in organisations are complex systems which necessitates a high understanding of systems in order to lead them successfully (Mautsch and Metzger, 2019 , 141–160).

This is the case even on very basic levels. The human ear can perceive a limited range of the entire sound spectrum (usually from 20–20′000 Hz, while some animals can hear from as low as 7 Hz to as high as 100′000 Hz (Wikipedia – Hearing range, 2021 ). Moreover, the human eye can only see what is called visible light, which represents a “very small portion of the electromagnetic spectrum”. Human vision ranges from 380 to 760 nm, whereas the entire spectrum ranges from Gamma rays at 1 pm (1 trillionth of a meter) to extremely low frequency radio waves at 100′000 km (Wikipedia—Electromagnetic spectrum, 2021 ).

Just two very different examples: a) There is a tendency in outdoor learning circles to overrate personal experience. However: “The world we perceive is a simulation [by our brain] of the real world.” (Hawkins, 2021 , 175) This has consequences: “If you rely only on your personal experiences, then it is possible to live a fairly normal life and believe that the Earth is flat, that the moon landings were faked, that human activity is not changing the global climate, that species don’t evolve, that vaccines cause diseases, and that mass shootings are faked.” (ibid., 180)

b) We need to keep effect sizes in view. Mygind et al. write: “(…), it remains that sociocultural factors, such as percentage English learners, socioeconomic disadvantage, or presence of credentialed teachers, have a stronger bearing on healthy child development. In other words, within the socioecological totality of a child’s world, green space may play a role, but sociocultural factors will be decidedly more important.” (2021, 23)

For a list of the publications of the project see: https://nexs.ku.dk/english/research/sport-individual-society/research-groups/physical-activities-during-school-and-leisure/gn-projects/gn-projects-completed/teachout-english/  Publications. Retrieved August 16, 2021.

Teachers in Switzerland, for example, have disproportionately high stress and burn-out levels (Sidler and Hunziker, 2016 ; Studer and Quarroz, 2017 ).

“Touch is not optional for human development. We have the longest childhoods of any animal – there is no other creature whose five-year-old offspring cannot live independently. If our long childhoods are not filled with touch, particularly loving, interpersonal touch, the consequences are dramatic.” (Linden, 2016 , 4).

Bearing in mind that human learning is fundamentally tied to movement (Hawkins, 2021 , 34–35).

A very interesting research result, not specifically linked to outdoor learning, is that teachers with a high motivation to continuously learn and improve their own professional competencies impact positively on the motivation of their students (Dresel et al., 2013 ).

The most recent figures: compared to in-door classes, outdoor learning means up to 41.8 min less sedentary time, up to 36.4 min more light and up to 11.48 min more moderate to vigorous physical activity per school day (Bølling et al., 2021 ).

As discussed in chapter How Daylight Controls the Biological Clock, Organises Sleep, and Enhances Mood and Performance and chapter Outdoor Learning and Children’s Eyesight , this has important implication for myopia prevention. A recent review from China stated: “To prevent myopia at younger ages, measures must be implemented, such as conducting school classes outdoors, incorporating more outdoor activities into the school curriculum, and providing additional outdoor programs for children on weekends.” (Zhang and Deng, 2020 )

Add-in is already good, but maybe we also have to think about subtractive solutions. There is interesting research which shows that the constant exposure to additive solutions makes them cognitively far more accessible: “It thus seems that people are prone to apply a ‘what can we add here?’ heuristic (a default strategy to simplify and speed up decision-making). This heuristic can be overcome by exerting extra cognitive effort to consider other, less-intuitive solutions.” (Meyvis and Yoon, 2021 , 189) The authors conclude that we need “to guard against the default tendency to add.” (ibid., 190)

Let’s be fair: many of the limitations have also to do with the fact that outdoor learning as broadly understood as it is here is a nascent field and similar limitations plague much more established educational interventions.

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Acknowledgements

RJ would like to thank SILVIVA Foundation, its team and board for the continued, unconditional support and for the innovative, co-constructive development of the national project to systemically integrate outdoor learning into Swiss compulsory schooling. SILVIVA also made this volume possible in the first place, by providing the financial support for editing and writing this book, as well as for the Open Access fee, translation and printing costs. Thank you so much! Another special ¡Muchas gracias! is due to Harold Glasser. Our multi-hour discussions and your incredibly gentle and sharp mind have pushed me beyond boundaries I even didn’t know were there. Lastly, I want to thank my co-editor Jakob von Au very much indeed—the collaboration on this and the parallel German volume (von Au & Jucker (2022). Draußenlernen Neue Forschungsergebnisse und Praxiseinblicke für eine Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung . Bern: hep. https://www.hep-verlag.ch/draussenlernen ) has been incredibly enriching. It has also regularly refuelled me when things were getting tough.

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Jucker, R., von Au, J. (2022). Outdoor Learning—Why It Should Be High up on the Agenda of Every Educator. In: Jucker, R., von Au, J. (eds) High-Quality Outdoor Learning. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-04108-2_1

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• CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE

Why teaching kids outside might help them thrive

Schools are turning to this method during the pandemic—and parents can, too.

On a recent sunny December morning, a group of kindergartners from Mangrove School of Sarasota gathered on log benches in a Florida forest to eat lunch. They sat under a wooden hut with a thatched roof, a replica of early-1800s Native American housing that’s part of a local museum exhibit built by Miccosukee tribe members. They’d spent their morning having imaginary snowball fights and pretending to trick-or-treat among the spooky leafless trees.

Their school, a private pre-K-8 school, normally held about 70 percent of instruction outside before the pandemic hit. But recently, the school shifted to being almost totally outdoors. “Parents say their kids come home happy and tired,” says Erin Melia, Mangrove’s director and 8 th - and 9 th - grade teacher.

Based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics to use outdoor space as much as possible to help curb the spread of COVID-19 , public and private schools across the United States are experimenting with outdoor education. Christy Merrick, director of the nonprofit Natural Start Alliance , which advocates for nature-based early childhood education, estimates that the number of outdoor school programs went from around 250 in 2017 to 600 in 2020.

“We’ve learned you can create any space outdoors and turn it into a ‘classroom,’” says Olivia Santos, principal of the Solar Preparatory School for Girls , a public school in Dallas that’s been holding more classes outdoors since COVID hit.

But it’s not just protection from COVID that kids are getting from outdoor school time. “For some reason, being outside increases their attention on the task they’re working on,” Santos says. “We notice that as they’re more interested, they’re better able to retain what they learn.” But even if kids don’t have access to schools doing outdoor education, parents can reap the benefits and foster extracurricular learning at home.

Academic benefits of outdoor learning

Outdoor learning isn’t new, of course. The first forest school—where students spend most of their time outdoors— is thought to have started in Denmark in the early 1950s; they’ve been popular in Germany since the ’60s and more recently in the United Kingdom. Private Montessori and Waldorf schools usually incorporate plenty of outdoor time into their curriculum, too.

Outdoor learning advocates says that learning in nature helps kids develop problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, resilience, an ability to work as a team, and an appreciation for nature. And a review of research from 2019 backs that up . Researchers in Denmark also concluded that learning in nature improves reading skills and increases motivation .

Proponents see outdoor learning as not simply moving traditional lessons outside but rather a more holistic approach to the way children are educated.

“We all learn by doing,” says Jeanne McCarty, CEO of Out Teach , a nonprofit that partners with schools to connect them with outdoor learning resources . “It’s not just teaching outdoors but using the outdoors to teach in real, hands-on ways. It makes education more relevant to students’ lives. When they experience something, it’s more meaningful to them.”

What schools have noticed

The pandemic was a “catalyst for innovation,” says Ann Byrne, deputy director of Crossway Montessori Forest School in Kensington, Maryland, which recently pivoted to outdoor learning. They’re already seeing benefits.

Because children have more elbow room, conflicts between them seemed to disappear, she says. Children labeled hyperactive are thriving outside, too. “All the physical activity requires large muscle work, which is calming to them,” Byrne says.

Emma Howell, a pre-K teacher at Guilford Central School, says one of her most behaviorally challenging students has become a respected leader since her school’s switch to outdoor learning. Since the fall, students at the small public school in southeastern Vermont are outside at least half the day.

“The outdoors is just a comfortable place for him. Outside, he comes up with all sorts of amazing ideas,” Howell says “The kids all follow his lead.”

Fears that kids won’t learn important fundamentals in outdoor programs appear unfounded, says Marie Robinson, superintendent and elementary principal of Katahdin Schools in Stacyville, Maine, which have increased the amount of time students spend outdoors since the pandemic began.

“Even with a shorter school day since the pandemic, we have seen academic gains that are not extremely different from any other school year,” she notes. “Immersing all of their senses is making a powerful difference in their learning.”

For example, when students discovered a beaver lodge near the school, they learned new vocabulary terms and about scientific observation in addition to wildlife biology and ecology studying the animals and their dams.

“The kids’ excitement and enthusiasm studying the beaver family propelled their learning,” she says.

Being outdoors has helped kids’ mental health, too. “The global pandemic has evoked so many different feelings many of us haven't experienced before,” Robinson says, “Some of the things we know about the outdoors is that it reduces stress and improves well-being . That alone is a good enough reason to do it.”

How parents can encourage outdoor learning at home

It definitely takes commitment to make outdoor learning work, especially in winter, Howell says.

“It can be uncomfortable if it’s 39 degrees and raining or windy,” she says. “So we’ve worked on strategies for keeping fingers warm. I put a half-gallon of boiling water in a cooler in the morning so kids can put their mittens in there while they eat.”

Another important step is to just get outside, Howell says. Don’t worry if kids aren't sure what to do with unstructured outdoor play at first, she advises. “It's not uncommon for kids to experience uncertainty and ‘boredom’ before they figure out how to engage.” Here are some ideas:

Build a nature toolkit.   Arming kids with old household items can help them dig into the natural world—literally. “Loose parts, such as old pots and pans, spoons, shovels, and rakes can help inspire creativity,” Howell says.

Hunt for slugs.   Holly   Roger, co-founder of Wild Whatcom , a nonprofit advocating for outdoor education in Whatcom County in Washington State, suggests getting kids to poke around in damp environments to look for slugs and snails. Talk about what slugs like to eat, where they like to hang out, and observe how they move, she says. While you’re mucking around in the leaves, collect a few and make leaf rubbings back inside.

Look for nests.   It’s winter   and all the leaves are off the deciduous trees, so it's a good time to play, ‘Count the Nests,’” Roger says. “To differentiate between squirrel dreys and bird nests, note that squirrels need protection to stay warm and dry, so look for ‘leaf blobs’ that are as tall as they are wide.”

Hike and learn. Play games while on hikes to make them more motivating, Howell says. Hide treats on the trail for kids to find, play hide-and-seek along the way, or try “I Spy” to help with color or letter identification.

Find “sit spots.”   Howell’s students have special spots—like a tree, rock, or stump—that they can visit for a couple of minutes each day or a couple of times a week. “It’s fun to notice change over time and really get to know one special spot,” she says.

Most important? Don’t give up.

“Don’t get discouraged if kids say, ‘But I don't want to go outside!’” Howell says. “Persist, even if it's only for a few minutes to start. They'll soon find all sorts of wonderful things to explore, as long as they have the time and space to do so.”

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A Natural Choice: Learning Outdoors

You are here

"Let’s go on a creature hunt!” exclaimed 3-year-old Dima.

I was taking a small group of 3- to 6-year-olds on a hike in the woods. I had imagined us winding through the trees, stopping to appreciate different animals’ homes and searching for wildflowers. But just a few hundred yards into our expedition, a five-inch-deep trickle of a stream inspired a new plan. Now, our hike became an investigation of critters in the mud. My little group was bursting with ideas about the types of things we would find in the stream: tadpoles, dinosaur eggs, crawfish, bugs with “80 million legs.”

This was an afternoon of summer fun, not part of a program or a planned activity. I was struck by the abundance of learning opportunities the moment presented—they seemed as endless as the creatures bubbling from the children’s imaginations. Following my little group’s lead, we created some “creature catchers” with sticks and leaves, then built an observation pool with mud walls in the stream (after a bit of negotiating, we had decided that we wanted to examine the creatures without harming them).

From identifying, reading about, and drawing the creatures to recreating their habitats, this one experience in nature could have filled weeks of learning in a classroom. Many of the instructional options I envisioned were based on this  Young Children  cluster about learning outdoors, which I had worked on in the months leading up to that afternoon hike. Whether you are in a large city or rural community, these articles are filled with ways to help children experience the wonders of nature.

The cluster begins with in-depth looks at two wonderful—and wonderfully different—nature-based explorations. The first is an emergent project with kindergartners on trees as animal habitats, and the second is a planned yet flexible project with second-graders that combines science, poetry, visual arts, and technology.

As Melissa Fine describes in “‘ There’s a Hole in the Tree!’ Kindergartners Learning in an Urban Park ,” frequent visits to a local park, and all the learning that ensued, turned the children into environmental stewards determined to save trees.

In “ Capturing Nature’s Beauty through Multiple Lenses ,” Karen Capraro shares how she resolved the tension she felt between meeting standards and ensuring the children have time to interact with nature. In collaboration with art teacher Lorraine Downes and technology teacher John Arango, Capraro created an outdoor classroom that combined studies of native plants, of photography as an art form and observation tool, and of the history of photographic technology.

The next two articles take a step back, analyzing the benefits of outdoor learning for child development.

Alicia W. Deaver and Lindsay E. Wright help us gain a broader perspective in “ A World of Learning .” By describing explorations of nature by teachers and children in several different early childhood settings, they show how playful learning in and about nature advances children’s physical, sensory, cognitive, social, and emotional development.

Taking a closer look at ways to advance children’s cognitive development, Sue Mankiw, Janis Strasser, and Lisa Mufson Bresson show the wealth of topics and inquiries outdoor spaces provide in “ Big Questions in the Great Outdoors .” Adapted from Mankiw’s contribution to the book  Big Questions for Young Minds: Extending Children’s Thinking , this article demonstrates how intentionally asking and helping children answer a variety of questions while they experience nature builds children’s knowledge and engages them in thinking critically and creatively.

The last two articles in this  Young Children  cluster describe ways to expand outdoor learning. One looks at becoming a nature-based program; the other offers afterschool extensions for educators and families.

“ Using Principles of Nature-Based Preschools to Transform Your Classroom ,” by Rachel A. Larimore, offers details of nature-based preschools and how they integrate learning opportunities indoors, outdoors, and in the beyond (i.e., more natural, wild spaces). For traditional preschools seeking to add outdoor experiences, Larimore describes small shifts that teachers can make to ensure meaningful learning in nature.

“ From Puddles to Pigeons: Learning about Nature in Cities ,” by Marion Goldstein, Lisa Famularo, and Jamie Kynn, rounds out the cluster with hands-on, nature-based science inquiries for families to engage their children in. In partnership with PBS Kids, the authors identified the barriers preventing families—especially those in cities—from engaging in playful outdoor science explorations. They developed an online toolkit that knocks down those barriers, using videos, activities, and tip sheets for educators and families.

If you have not yet experienced the joys of learning outdoors and you live in the northern half of the United States, you might be tempted to put this issue on the shelf and dust it off in the spring. On behalf of the authors in this cluster and the children in your care, I ask you to resist that temptation. Bundle up and head out—endless possibilities (and creatures) await.

—Lisa Hansel

We’d love to hear from you!

Send your thoughts on this issue, and on topics you’d like to read about in future issues of  Young Children , to  [email protected] .

Would you like to see your children’s artwork featured in these pages?

For guidance on submitting print-quality photos (as well as details on permissions and licensing), see  NAEYC.org/resources/pubs/authors-photographers/photos .

Lisa Hansel, EdD, is the editor in chief of NAEYC's peer-reviewed journal, Young Children .

Vol. 73, No. 5

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Curriculum connections

Outdoor learning, introduction.

The outdoor learning connection provides a framework for students to experience guided, integrated learning across the curriculum in natural environments. Students have the opportunity to gain unique and specific benefits from outdoor learning. They develop skills and understandings while valuing a positive relationship with natural environments and promoting the sustainable use of these environments.

This connection presents four dimensions, which have been developed in consultation with Outdoor Education Australia. Content related to outdoor learning in the Australian Curriculum can be delivered in a range of ways; some of these are outlined under models of delivery.

The following pages show how content from the Australian Curriculum: Health and Physical Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, Geography, Science, general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities can be organised and delivered through learning in the outdoors (F–6) and outdoor education (7–10).

Links are also provided to relevant student work samples which illustrate student learning in relation to achievement standards.

The development of positive relationships with others and with the environment through interaction with the natural world can be facilitated through outdoor learning. These relationships are essential for the wellbeing and sustainability of individuals, society and our environment. Outdoor learning engages students in practical and active learning experiences in natural environments and settings, and this typically takes place beyond the school classroom. In these environments, students develop the skills and understandings to move safely and competently while valuing a positive relationship with natural environments and promoting the sustainable use of these environments.

Outdoor learning not only addresses content across several learning areas, it is also uniquely placed to address general capabilities and cross-curriculum priorities of the Australian Curriculum. In particular, these are Personal and Social Capability, Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical Understanding, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures, and Sustainability.

Outdoor learning can be instrumental in:

• the teaching and learning of self-reliance, interdependence and leadership
• the development of an adventurous spirit
• managing personal risks
• experiencing safe journeys in nature
• learning the value of lifelong outdoor recreation for enjoyment, health and wellbeing
• understanding nature through direct experience; and the development of deeper human–nature relationships.

Any learning experience that can be undertaken in the outdoors or in a natural setting can contribute positively to a range of learning areas. The unique and specific benefits that outdoor learning can contribute to a student’s education include:

• providing direct personal contact with nature (the outdoors) in ways that promote enjoyment of outdoor activity and the natural world. Such enjoyment can be the basis for ongoing outdoor recreation and nature experiences, supporting personal health and wellbeing and providing the foundations for ecological literacy.
• enabling perspectives on contemporary living and human-to-nature relationships. Through the provision of outdoor experiences, students have opportunities to reflect on healthy alternatives for everyday living and lay vital foundations for sustainability and stewardship into the future.
• developing competence and safety management in the Australian outdoors. This includes how outdoor learning can teach students to assess risk and make judgements about their management of it.
• enhancing wellbeing through guided reflection on involvement in group and individual activities that are challenging and adventurous.
• developing essential personal and social capabilities such as communication, resilience, self-confidence, leadership, teamwork, goal setting, personal autonomy and initiative.

To maximise the effectiveness of any outdoor learning delivered in schools, learning should be sequential and have clearly aligned themes and specific links to curriculum. The four dimensions of this learning are:

• Skills and knowledge
• Human–nature relationships
• Conservation and sustainability
• Health and wellbeing

1.    Skills and knowledge

A range of skills and knowledge is needed to work together and be active and safe in the outdoors. As students spend time learning in nature about safe travel and experiences, they develop a broad range of skills that contribute to a deep understanding of the potential hazards inherent in a range of environments. They learn that investigating environments in a safe way, planning and preparing, being organised, working together, having a leadership structure and having an incident response plan are important skills and responsibilities for those who spend time in natural environments. In this way, students learn to foster their adventurous spirit while engaging in healthy, non-competitive, lifelong physical activities.

2.    Human–nature relationships

An individual’s experience in natural environments enhances human–nature relationships.

Educational time in nature allows students to develop multiple ways of knowing and creates strong connections to natural environments. With repeated visits and multiple ways of engaging with natural environments, students learn to appreciate nature as a health-giving resource rather than a danger.

3.    Conservation and sustainability

Ecological, cultural and personal knowledge of and experiences in nature enhance decision-making about conservation and sustainability.

Time invested in learning about scientific, western cultural, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural, economic, recreational and aesthetic knowledge provides a foundation for the critical analysis of human interaction with the natural world. Students investigate strategies to reduce the local and global impact of human activity on natural environments and engage in actions that positively contribute to conservation and sustainable living.

4.    Health and wellbeing

Experiences in natural environments promote personal growth and development, and health and wellbeing.

Students experience the deep personal impact of time in nature. This includes the role of natural environments in providing a balance to modern, technologically intense living and in supporting physical, social, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing. Students are given unique opportunities to reflect on their own and with others about themselves, their relationship with others and their place in the world.

These dimensions of learning have been developed in consultation with Outdoor Education Australia (OEA).

Identifying and managing risk in outdoor learning needs to take into account the minimum standards of planning, personal protective equipment and qualifications or experience of teachers and leaders. It covers all necessary aspects of health, safety and injury prevention and, in any outdoor learning context, the use of equipment.

Outdoor learning experiences may involve potentially hazardous activities. It is important to ensure that duty of care is exercised and that requirements of the   Work Health and Safety Act 2011   are met, in addition to relevant state or territory health and safety guidelines.

Consult with your state/territory education authority regarding local laws and policies about conducting learning experiences off-campus.

Acknowledgement of Country

ACARA respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land, their Elders past and present, for the important and enduring role that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples play in Australia. In particular, ACARA respectfully acknowledges the important and enduring role of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their cultures in regard to the land, water and sky used for learning in the outdoors.

Models of delivery

Content related to outdoor education in the Australian Curriculum can be delivered in a range of ways including the following:

As a sequential, standalone subject

Students in secondary schools may elect to undertake outdoor education as a standalone subject, taught by teachers from within the school. Students learn through direct teaching in the classroom enhanced by personal experiences outside the classroom in local environments as well as journeys to and through nearby natural environments.

As an annual, sequential field trip and camps program that may allow components of other learning areas to be taught

Students achieve deep learning through a planned sequence of year-level camps programmed each year. In the early primary years, students may take part in a sleepover with parents/caregivers on the school grounds, followed by residential and under-canvas camps, culminating in a more extensive journey to a nearby natural environment. The camps can include learning from a range of curriculum areas.

As a teaching methodology learning in, about and for the outdoors, drawing on content from a range of learning areas

Each learning area examines how they might use outdoor learning as part of the delivery of their curriculum. This may include using outdoor journeys as ways to engage in local environments to explore concepts that have been investigated in the classroom. This might involve one or more learning areas combining to achieve linked outcomes. Students plan and complete an outdoor journey as the culminating experience to demonstrate their learning in a range of learning areas.

Children & Nature Network 2016, Green Schoolyards for Healthy Communities: Building a national movement for green schoolyards in every community , USA. Available from: http://www.childrenandnature.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/CNN_GSY_Report2016_Final.pdf

Children & Nature Network 2017, Green Schoolyards: Partnerships and pilot programs. http://www.childrenandnature.org/initiatives/schoolyards/  

Children & Nature Network (various dates), Research and Studies, volumes i–vi.   Volume iii, September 2008. Available from: https://issuu.com/childrenandnature/docs/cnnrsrchvol_03 Volume iv, September 2009. Available from: https://issuu.com/childrenandnature/docs/cnnrsrchvol_04

Dickson, TJ, Gray, T & Mann, K for the Outdoor Council of Australia 2008, Australian Outdoor Adventure Activity Benefits Catalogue , University of Canberra. https://www.academia.edu/8370828/Dickson_T._Gray_T._and_Mann_K_2008_._Australian_Outdoor_Adventure_Activity_Benefits_Catalogue_http_outdoorcouncil.asn.au_doc_OutdoorActivityBenefitsCatalogueFinal270808.pdf  

Froude, C and Polley, S 2011, Outdoor Education: Foundations for tertiary and senior secondary education, 2nd edn, Impact Publishing, Cottesloe, WA.

Gray, T 2012, ‘Vitamin N: The missing ingredient in the 21st century curriculum’ in 21st Century Learning blog, 15 July 2012, Western Sydney University. http://learning21c.wordpress.com/2012/07/15/vitamin-n-the-missing-ingredient-in-the-21st-century-curriculum/  

Gray, T 2013, ‘Overcoming ecophobia’, Wildlife Australia, Summer 2013, pp. 42–44. https://www.academia.edu/5471946/Overcoming_Ecophobia_December_2013

Gray, T 2015, ‘Anaesthetized by screen or energized by green?’ in 21st Century Learning blog, 4 August 2015, Western Sydney University. https://learning21c.wordpress.com/2015/08/04/anaesthetized-by-screen-or-energized-by-green/ 

Gray, T & Martin, P 2012, ‘The role and place of outdoor education in the Australian National Curriculum’, Australian Journal of Outdoor Education, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 39–50. 

Kellert, S 2013, ‘Children, nature and the future of our species’, in 21st Century Learning blog, 8 April 2013, Western Sydney University. http://learning21c.wordpress.com/2013/04/08/children-nature-and-the-future-of-our-species/  

Malone, K & Waite, S 2016, Student Outcomes and Natural Schooling , Plymouth University, Plymouth, UK. Available online: http://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/oelres-net  

Planet Ark 2014, National Tree Day: Health benefits. http://treeday.planetark.org/about/health-benefits.cfm

 Townsend M & Weerasuriya R 2010, Beyond Blue to Green: The benefits of contact with nature for mental health and well-being, Beyond Blue Limited, Melbourne. Available from: https://www.deakin.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/310747/Beyond-Blue-To-Green-Literature-Review.pdf

Teacher resources and support materials

MacGibbon, A 2010, ‘Children respond to call of the wild’, May 10 2010, Sydney Morning Herald. Available at:

http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/children-respond-to-call-of-the-wild-20100509-ulqv.html

NSW Department of Education – Learning Systems, Engaging children in nature: interviews with Richard Louv (5-part series) 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJRQRDNliNE&list=PL4OaBCdO34bCqGmYtAskZqtvi0uMuYnef

The Wild Network, Project Wild Thing 

http://filmplatform.net/?product=project-wild-thing

Explore content

Work samples.

Interconnections: Magnetic Island

Written reflection: Team challenges

Written response: Bushwalking

Demonstration and written reflection: indoor climbing, investigation report: comparing local habitats.

Investigation: Local birds

Worksheet: Ecosystems

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30 Fun Outdoor Educational Activities: Nature Outdoor Learning Activities for Kids

There are various Outdoor Educational Activities that can be done outdoors, catering to different interests and age groups.

Engaging kids in outdoor learning activities is a wonderful way to promote their overall development.

It allows them to explore the wonders of nature while having fun and expanding their knowledge.

Let us delve into some exciting outdoor learning ideas, keep reading to find out 30 Fun Outdoor Educational Activities!

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What are Outdoor Educational Activities?

Outdoor educational activities are hands-on learning experiences that take place in an outdoor setting, allowing students to interact with and learn from the natural environment.

30 Best Outdoor Educational Activities

Step outside the traditional classroom and breathe in the fresh air!

Dive into our curated list of the 30 Best Outdoor Educational Activities, where nature becomes the ultimate teacher and the world around us, the perfect classroom.

Ready to turn every leaf and stone into a learning opportunity?

1. Nature Scavenger Hunt

A nature scavenger hunt is a fantastic way for kids to engage with the environment around them.

Provide them with a list of items to find, such as a pinecone, a feather, or a specific flower.

As they search, they’ll become more observant and learn to identify various natural elements.

• Enhances observational skills.
• Encourages physical activity.
• Introduces kids to different elements of nature.

2. Leaf Rubbing Art

Collecting different leaves and using them to create art is both fun and educational.

Place a leaf under a piece of paper and use crayons or colored pencils to rub over the top.

The intricate designs and patterns of the leaves will be revealed.

• Teaches kids about the variety of leaf patterns and types.
• Encourages creativity.
• Provides a hands-on tactile experience.

3. DIY Weather Station

Setting up a DIY weather station can be a great way to teach kids about meteorology.

Using simple tools like a rain gauge, anemometer, and thermometer, kids can record daily weather conditions and learn about climate patterns.

• Introduces kids to basic meteorological concepts.
• Encourages data collection and analysis.
• Provides a hands-on approach to learning about the environment.

4. Bird Watching

Equip kids with binoculars and a bird guidebook and set them on a mission to spot and identify as many birds as they can.

This activity not only teaches them about different bird species but also instills patience and attentiveness.

• Introduces kids to various bird species.
• Encourages patience and focus.

5. Planting a Garden

Whether it’s a flower garden or a vegetable patch, gardening is a wonderful way for kids to connect with nature.

They can learn about different plant species, understand the growth process, and even enjoy the fruits (or vegetables) of their labor.

• Teaches responsibility and patience.
• Introduces kids to botany and the growth cycle.
• Encourages healthy eating habits if growing vegetables.

6. Nature Journaling

Provide kids with a notebook where they can jot down their observations, draw what they see, and even press flowers or leaves.

Over time, this journal becomes a beautiful record of their outdoor adventures and learnings.

• Enhances observational and reflection skills.
• Encourages creativity through drawing and writing.
• Provides a keepsake of their outdoor experiences.

7. Rock Painting

Collecting smooth stones and painting them can be both therapeutic and educational.

Kids can be encouraged to paint what they see around them or use their imagination to create vibrant designs.

• Encourages creativity and artistic expression.
• Teaches kids about different rock types and textures.

8. Star Gazing

On a clear night, lay out a blanket and gaze up at the stars.

Using a telescope or even a simple star chart, kids can learn to identify different constellations and planets.

• Introduces kids to astronomy.
• Provides a sense of wonder and curiosity about the universe.

9. Nature Photography

Equip kids with a camera and let them capture the beauty of nature.

This activity not only hones their photography skills but also teaches them to see the world from different perspectives.

• Enhances observational and focus skills.
• Introduces kids to the art of photography.
• Encourages appreciation for nature’s beauty.

10. Building a Bug Hotel

Using twigs, leaves, and other natural materials, kids can build a bug hotel to observe and learn about various insects.

This provides them with a close-up view of the insect world and its intricacies.

• Teaches kids about different insect species.
• Encourages creativity and problem-solving.

11. Nature Shadow Art

Using the sun’s rays, kids can create beautiful art pieces by placing objects like leaves, flowers, or even toys on a sun-sensitive paper.

After a few hours, the areas covered by the objects remain white while the exposed parts turn blue, creating a stunning silhouette effect.

• Introduces kids to the concept of light and shadow.
• Encourages creativity and experimentation.
• Provides a unique way to interact with natural elements.

12. Tree Bark Rubbings

Much like leaf rubbings, tree bark rubbings allow kids to explore the different textures and patterns of various trees.

By placing a paper over the bark and rubbing with crayons, they can capture the unique imprints of each tree.

• Enhances tactile and observational skills.
• Introduces kids to different tree species.
• Encourages appreciation for nature’s diversity.

13. DIY Sundial

Teach kids about time and the movement of the sun with a DIY sundial.

Using a stick and some stones, they can observe the shadow’s movement and learn how the sun’s position in the sky indicates different times of the day.

• Introduces kids to basic astronomy and time-telling.
• Encourages observational skills.
• Provides a hands-on approach to understanding the sun’s movement.

14. Nature Potions

Let kids collect natural materials like flowers, leaves, and mud to create their “potions.”

This imaginative play activity not only allows them to explore different natural elements but also encourages them to use their senses to observe textures, colors, and scents.

• Enhances sensory and observational skills.
• Encourages imaginative play.
• Provides a hands-on experience with various natural elements.

15. DIY Nature Wind Chimes

Using items like sticks, leaves, and pinecones, kids can create their wind chimes.

This activity not only teaches them about sound and music but also allows them to appreciate the beauty of natural materials.

• Introduces kids to the concept of sound and music.
• Encourages creativity and craftsmanship.
• Provides a unique way to interact with nature.

16. Nature Weaving

Set up a simple loom using sticks and let kids weave in natural materials like grass, flowers, and leaves.

This activity not only enhances their fine motor skills but also introduces them to the art of weaving.

• Enhances fine motor skills.
• Introduces kids to the traditional art of weaving.
• Encourages creativity and pattern recognition.

17. Rock Balancing

Teach kids the art of patience and balance by letting them stack and balance rocks of different shapes and sizes.

This meditative activity not only calms the mind but also enhances focus and concentration.

• Enhances focus and concentration.
• Teaches patience and perseverance.
• Provides a hands-on approach to understanding balance.

18. DIY Nature Kaleidoscope

Using a cardboard tube, mirrors, and natural materials, kids can create their kaleidoscope.

This activity introduces them to the concept of reflection and symmetry in a fun and interactive way.

• Introduces kids to the concepts of reflection and symmetry.
• Provides a unique visual experience.

19. Nature-inspired Storytelling

Let kids collect different natural elements and use them as props for storytelling.

This activity not only enhances their language and narrative skills but also encourages them to see stories in everything around them.

• Enhances language and narrative skills.
• Encourages imaginative play and creativity.

20. DIY Nature Bracelets

Using tape or string, kids can create bracelets and adorn them with natural materials they find, like flowers, leaves, or small stones.

This activity not only allows them to wear their art but also introduces them to basic jewelry-making.

• Introduces kids to basic jewelry-making.

21. Bird Watching and Journaling

Equip kids with binoculars and a journal to observe and document the various bird species they encounter.

They can sketch the birds, note their colors, sounds, and behaviors, providing a comprehensive bird-watching experience.

• Enhances observational and documentation skills.

22. Nature Scavenger Hunt

Create a list of natural items for kids to find, such as a pinecone, a feather, or a specific flower.

As they search and collect these items, they’ll become more attuned to their surroundings and the diversity of nature.

• Encourages exploration and discovery.
• Provides a fun and interactive way to learn about nature.

23. DIY Leaf Pressing

Collecting and pressing leaves allows kids to preserve the beauty of nature.

They can later use these pressed leaves for art projects or simply to create a nature journal.

• Introduces kids to the preservation of natural elements.
• Enhances patience and attention to detail.

24. Nature-inspired Tie-Dye

Using natural dyes from berries, turmeric, or beetroot, kids can create their tie-dye fabrics.

This activity not only introduces them to the art of dyeing but also to the colors present in nature.

• Introduces kids to natural dye sources.
• Enhances creativity and pattern recognition.
• Provides a hands-on experience with color.

25. DIY Nature Mosaics

Using small pebbles, leaves, twigs, and other natural materials, kids can create beautiful mosaics on the ground or on a piece of cardboard.

This activity allows them to play with shapes, colors, and textures in a unique way.

• Enhances spatial awareness and pattern recognition.
• Encourages creativity and design thinking.
• Provides a unique tactile experience.

26. Nature Sound Map

Equip kids with a piece of paper and crayons or markers.

Have them sit quietly in a natural setting and draw a map of where they hear various sounds, such as bird songs, rustling leaves, or distant water.

• Enhances listening skills and auditory awareness.
• Encourages mindfulness and presence.
• Introduces kids to the sounds of nature.

27. DIY Natural Paintbrushes

Using twigs as handles and attaching leaves, pine needles, or grass, kids can create their paintbrushes.

They can then experiment with these brushes, observing the different strokes and patterns they produce.

• Provides a unique painting experience.

28. Nature’s Perfume Lab

Let kids collect flowers, leaves, and herbs to create their natural perfumes.

Using water and these natural elements, they can concoct fragrant potions, learning about the scents of various plants.

• Enhances sensory skills, especially the sense of smell.
• Introduces kids to the fragrances of different plants.
• Encourages experimentation and discovery.

29. DIY Nature Suncatchers

Using two pieces of contact paper, kids can sandwich collected leaves, flowers, and other translucent natural materials to create beautiful suncatchers to hang in windows.

• Provides a unique way to interact with light.

30. Nature-inspired Poetry

Inspire kids to sit in nature and pen down their feelings, observations, and thoughts in the form of poetry.

Outdoor Educational Activities not only enhances their language skills but also their emotional connection to the environment.

• Enhances language and expressive skills.
• Encourages emotional expression and connection.

These activities are designed to immerse kids in nature, helping them appreciate its beauty, learn from it, and foster a deeper connection with the environment. 

Kids Outdoor Educational Activities

Step aside, indoor monotony! The great outdoors is calling, and it’s not just for playtime.

Dive into the world of Kids Outdoor Educational Activities, where learning meets sunlight, and every pebble and leaf has a lesson to teach.

Ready to turn nature into the coolest classroom ever?

• Interactive Exploration: Encourages kids to observe their surroundings keenly, drawing parallels between the…
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• Kids, Surviving The (Author)
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• Our Find and Seek Scavenger Hunt is a fun activity game for the whole family to play both indoor and outdoor.
• This set includes 35 Find and Seek cards, 2 instruction cards, and 1 drawstring bag making this game perfect for…
• Find and Seek Scavenger Hunt is for ages 3 years and up. Even non readers can play by picture recognition.
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• EDUCATIONAL FUN – With 39 card designs, kids will discover new objects, colors, textures, shapes, words, and more…
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• Andrews, Kim (Author)
• 134 Pages – 05/28/2019 (Publication Date) – Callisto Kids (Publisher)

• Complete Outdoor Adventure Toys Kit – This exciting kids exploration kit for girls and boys is suitable as…
• Interactive and Educational Early Learning – Teach kids to read maps and explore the world with nature toys that…
• Explore, Watch Birds, and Have Fun – Along with bugs catcher this is a great bird watching kit for kids because…
• Observe and Study Insects Safely – Our outdoor explorer kit comes with kid camping accessories that help them…

• PLAY 5 SUPER FUN SEEK & MATCH GAMES – Kids seek and match objects in the world to the words on the 40 jumbo cards!…
• LEARN & PLAY WITH FRIENDS – This scavenger hunt game is a great way for toddlers and young children to learn…
• 40 JUMBO CARDS & 5 GAME MODES – Kids can play 5 different game modes with the 40 jumbo cards! From a standard…
• GREAT FOR INDOOR & OUTDOOR PLAY – The words on each card apply to objects kids can find indoors or outside, so it’s…

• Soft Bowling – This bowling set was made by high grade foam material. Please play under adult supervision.
• Toy Deals – Lightweight bowling ball toys, comes with 10 foam pins and 2 foam bowling balls. It is easy for little…
• Safe to Play – Specific foam design is safe for children to play with. Great for toddlers and preschoolers, can be…
• Indoor Play – It is suitable to play indoor or room. Promotes gross motor skills, balance, and hand-eye…

• Superior Plastic: Liberry kids bowling ball set is made of high-quality plastic materials. Our plastic bowling…
• Educational Toys: Toy bowling sets for kids help in developing gross motor skills, spatial awareness, hand-eye…
• Better Size: Most kids bowling sets sold on market offer 7-inch bowling pins. Our kid bowling set (0.11 lb) has…
• Activity Equipment: Kids’ bowling sets offer comprehensive interactive play between children and are excellent for…

How to Make a DIY Sundial

The DIY Sundial is a hands-on project that teaches kids about the concept of time using the sun's position. By planting a stick in a sunny spot and marking the end of its shadow hourly with stones, a circle of time markers is created. This not only educates children about the movement of the sun but also provides a practical tool to tell time the next day.

A flat, horizontal surface that gets plenty of sunlight.

A straight stick about 12 inches long.

A watch or clock to calibrate your sundial.

Small stones or markers.

Instructions

Step 1: gather materials.

You'll need:

Step 2: Find the Perfect Spot

Choose a sunny spot in your yard or park. The area should receive sunlight for a good portion of the day.

Step 3: Plant the Stick

Push the stick into the ground or playdough (if using a hard surface) so it stands upright.

Step 4: Calibrate Your Sundial

Using your watch or clock, place a stone or marker at the end of the stick's shadow to represent the current hour.

Step 5: Track Time

As the day progresses, the shadow will move. Every hour, place another stone or marker at the end of the shadow. By the end of the day, you'll have a circle of markers showing the hours.

Step 6: Interpret Your Sundial

The next day, you can use your sundial to tell the time by seeing which marker the shadow is closest to.

Did you create this craft? If so, we would love to hear from you! Please feel free to leave a comment on the blog or share a photo of your creation on Pinterest.

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What are outdoor learning activities?

Outdoor learning activities are educational tasks or exercises that are conducted outside, often in nature, to enhance learning experiences and connect learners with the environment.

Exploring Nature through Outdoor Classroom Ideas

• Outdoor classrooms provide a unique learning environment where kids can connect with nature while engaging in educational activities.
• These spaces can be set up in school gardens, parks, or any open area.
• In an outdoor classroom, children can learn about various subjects such as science, math, and literature through hands-on experiences.

Engaging Kids in Nature Scavenger Hunt

• A nature scavenger hunt is a fantastic way to encourage children to explore the natural world around them.
• By providing them with a list of items to find, they can learn about different plants, animals, and natural materials.
• This activity promotes observation skills, problem-solving, and teamwork among participants.

Creating Nature Art with Natural Materials

• Nature art allows children to unleash their creativity while using natural materials found in their surroundings.
• TOutdoor Educational Activities can involve making leaf rubbings, creating sculptures with sticks and rocks, or making nature-inspired collages.
• It encourages children to appreciate the beauty of nature and develop their artistic skills.

How to Make a Nature Scavenger Hunt

The Nature Scavenger Hunt is an engaging outdoor activity where kids are given a list of natural items to find. Tailored to the local environment, participants explore their surroundings, collecting items like pinecones, feathers, and stones. This activity promotes respect for nature, sharpens observational skills, and offers a platform for kids to learn about various natural elements.

A printed or handwritten list of items to find.

A small bag or container for each participant.

A pencil or pen to check off items as they're found.

Step 1: Preparation

Before you head out, create a list of items commonly found in nature. This could include things like a pinecone, a feather, a smooth stone, etc. Depending on where you live, tailor the list to your environment.

Step 2: Gather Materials

Step 3: set the rules.

Explain to the kids that they need to find as many items on the list as they can. Remind them to be respectful of nature and not to pick plants or disturb animals.

Step 4: Start the Hunt

Head outside and let the kids start exploring. This activity not only allows kids to connect with nature but also sharpens their observation skills.

Step 5: Review and Share

Once everyone is back, gather around and share what you've found. This is a great opportunity for kids to learn about different natural items and their significance.

What are the 3 categories of outdoor activity?

The three primary categories of outdoor activities are recreational activities, adventure activities, and conservation activities.

Three Primary Categories of Outdoor Activities

The three primary categories of outdoor activities are:

• Recreational Activities: These are activities that people engage in for relaxation, enjoyment, and leisure. Examples include hiking, picnicking, bird-watching, and camping.
• Adventure Activities: These are more challenging and often involve an element of risk. They require specific skills, equipment, and often training. Examples include rock climbing, white-water rafting, paragliding, and mountain biking.
• Conservation Activities: These Outdoor Educational Activities focus on preserving and understanding the natural environment. They include tree planting, wildlife observation, trail maintenance, and participating in conservation projects.

How can outdoor activities help kids learn?

Outdoor activities provide kids with a multisensory learning experience, fostering curiosity, enhancing physical well-being, and promoting critical thinking and problem-solving skills through real-world interactions.

Enhancing Education with Outdoor Science Experiments

• Outdoor science experiments provide a hands-on approach to learning scientific concepts.
• Children can explore concepts such as plant growth, weather patterns, and animal habitats through experiments conducted outside.
• This helps them understand and connect theories with real-world experiences.

Encouraging Nature Study through Journaling

• Nature journaling allows children to observe and document their experiences in nature.
• They can sketch the flora and fauna they come across, write about their observations, and reflect on their outdoor adventures.
• Nature journaling promotes literacy skills, scientific inquiry, and a deeper understanding of the natural world.

Boosting Creativity with Sidewalk Chalk Activities

• Using sidewalk chalk, children can create colorful outdoor artwork on pavements or sidewalks.
• Outdoor Educational Activities encourages self-expression, imagination, and fine motor skills.
• Kids can draw pictures, hopscotch games, or write messages, adding a touch of creativity to their outdoor playtime.

Why are outdoor learning activities important?

Outdoor learning activities are important because they offer a holistic approach to education, promoting physical, emotional, and cognitive development while fostering a deeper connection and appreciation for the environment.

Developing a Love for the Great Outdoors

• Engaging children in outdoor learning activities helps them develop a love and appreciation for the great outdoors.
• It allows them to form a deeper connection with nature and understand its importance in their lives.
• By spending time outside, children are more likely to develop a sense of environmental responsibility.

Fostering Environmental Awareness and Appreciation

• Outdoor learning activities expose children to the wonders of the natural world and the importance of conservation.
• By participating in activities such as nature scavenger hunts and outdoor science experiments, kids learn about the need to protect and preserve the environment.
• This fosters a sense of environmental awareness and appreciation.

Connecting with Nature for Mental and Physical Well-being

• Spending time outdoors has numerous mental and physical health benefits for children.
• It allows them to engage in physical activity, breathe fresh air, and soak up Vitamin D from the sun.
• Outdoor playtime also promotes social interaction, reduces stress, and enhances overall well-being.

What are some fun outdoor learning activities for kids of all ages?

Some fun outdoor learning activities include nature scavenger hunts, gardening projects, star gazing, bird watching, and nature journaling.

Organizing a Scavenger Hunt with an Educational Twist

• Put a educational twist on traditional scavenger hunts by incorporating learning objectives.
• For example, instead of simply searching for items, kids can be asked to find specific plants or insects, and then learn about them afterwards.
• This adds an extra layer of educational value to this Outdoor Educational Activities.

Exploring STEAM Activities in Nature

• STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) activities can be taken outdoors to create a hands-on learning experience.
• Children can build structures with sticks and rocks, observe the behavior of animals, or investigate the effects of natural forces.
• These activities promote critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity.

Creating Art Projects Inspired by the Outdoors

• Encourage children to express themselves through art by creating outdoor-themed projects.
• They can create nature-inspired paintings, make collages using leaves and flowers, or design natural material sculptures.
• These artistic activities allow kids to connect with nature while developing their fine motor skills and creativity.

Where can you find more ideas for outdoor education?

More ideas for outdoor education can be found in educational books, nature centers, environmental education programs, and online resources dedicated to outdoor learning.

How to Discover Teaching Ideas from Education World?

Education World is a valuable resource for teachers and parents seeking ideas for outdoor education activities.

It offers a wide range of articles and lesson plans that can be adapted for different age groups and educational goals.

How can you Explore Related Content for Outdoor Learning?

There are numerous websites and blogs dedicated to outdoor learning and nature-based education.

Exploring these sources can provide inspiration and ideas for a variety of outdoor educational activities.

How to Engage with Nature through Fun Learning Resources?

There are many books, activity guides, and online resources available that provide ideas for fun outdoor learning activities.

These Outdoor Educational Activities resources often include step-by-step instructions, suggested materials, and learning objectives, making it easy to implement engaging outdoor educational experiences for children.

How can you incorporate a scavenger hunt into an outdoor classroom?

Incorporating a scavenger hunt into an outdoor classroom is a fantastic way to get kids excited about learning outside.

By creating a list of outdoor items or clues, kids will love the challenge of finding each item, turning the experience into a fun game they won’t even realize is educational.

What are some nature activity ideas for kids?

Nature activity ideas for kids range from simple outdoor explorations like observing changing seasons, collecting natural items, to more structured activities like keeping a nature journal.

These Outdoor Educational Activities help kids practice observation skills and appreciate the beauty of the world around them.

How can you combine art with a nature scavenger hunt?

Combining art with a nature scavenger hunt involves asking students to find natural objects and then use them in art projects.

For instance, kids can make nature imprints with clay or create beautiful nature collages, turning their finds into a sensory activity.

What related content can enhance outdoor activities for kids?

Printable outdoor worksheets, seasonal changes observations, and nature journals can enhance outdoor activities for kids. These tools give your students structured ways to document their discoveries and reflect on their experiences.

How can sidewalk chalk be used for learning ideas?

Sidewalk chalk can be used for a range of learning activities, from drawing the lifecycle of a butterfly to practicing sight words.

It’s a classic outdoor tool that provides hours of fun and is always a favorite with kids.

How does the education world utilize nature journals?

In the education world, nature journals are used to get students to observe, document, and reflect on the natural world.

They can sketch plants, animals, or write about their outdoor experiences, enhancing their connection to nature.

How can you integrate outdoor science with nature study?

Outdoor science activities, like observing the life in a bucket of water or setting up a simple weather station, can be integrated with nature study.

This combination allows kids to practice scientific observation while also appreciating the beauty of nature.

What are some teaching ideas that incorporate steam activities?

Outdoor STEAM activities can include building an obstacle course to understand physics, gardening to learn about biology, or creating nature art to explore the intersection of science and creativity.

These activities help in developing kids’ problem-solving abilities.

What are some popular outdoor art projects?

Popular outdoor art projects include making sun prints, creating art with natural objects, or even drawing with sticks in the mud.

These activities not only get kids outside but also let their creativity flow in a natural setting.

How can you combine outdoor science activities with memory games?

You can create memory games where students have to match pairs of leaves, rocks, or other natural items.

This not only tests their memory but also their observational skills, making it a fun and educational outdoor activity.

How can kids learn about nature through outdoor art?

Kids can learn about nature through outdoor art by using natural items as art materials, observing and drawing the environment around them, or even creating sculptures from found objects.

This hands-on approach is a beautiful way to connect art and nature.

How can natural objects be used in nature studies?

Natural objects can be used in nature studies by having students observe them, draw them, or even use them in experiments.

For instance, studying the properties of different rocks or observing the patterns on leaves can provide valuable learning experiences.

How can you make a nature-inspired leaf rubbing?

To make a nature-inspired leaf rubbing, place a leaf under a piece of paper and gently rub a crayon or pencil over the top.

This simple Outdoor Educational Activities is a favorite with kids as they can capture the intricate details of leaves and appreciate their beauty.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about Fun Outdoor Educational Activities. Get some quick answers to everything you need to know.

What is an example of outdoor learning?

An example of outdoor learning is a class trip to a botanical garden where students study plant life, ecosystems, and biodiversity firsthand.

What activities do students do outside of school?

Outside of school, students engage in various activities such as playing sports, hiking, attending clubs or workshops, visiting museums, and participating in community service projects.

What are outdoor activities or activity?

Outdoor activities refer to any recreational, educational, or physical activities that take place outside, such as hiking, camping, fishing, or bird-watching.

What are some fun outdoor activities for youth?

Some fun outdoor activities for youth include rock climbing, kayaking, geocaching, zip-lining, and participating in team-building exercises at adventure camps.

What are examples of outdoor activities?

Examples of outdoor activities include trekking, swimming, cycling, picnicking, and wildlife photography.

What are the five outdoor activities?

Five popular outdoor activities are hiking, camping, fishing, biking, and kayaking.

What are examples of outdoor and adventurous activities?

Examples of outdoor and adventurous activities include mountain climbing, white-water rafting, paragliding, scuba diving, and spelunking (cave exploration).

Wrapping Up Outdoor Educational Activities

From the rustling leaves to the vibrant flowers, every nature activity for kids we’ve explored offers a unique learning experience.

• Whether it’s the joy of watching kids create art from natural materials,
• The thrill of outdoor play, or the myriad of activities to help them connect with the outdoor nature around them,
• There’s no shortage of easy outdoor adventures to embark upon.
• If you’re looking for Outdoor Educational Activities that prompt kids to jump with excitement,
• Our collection of outdoor learning activities is a treasure trove.
• From the vast landscapes of the U.S. to your backyard.
• These are some of the best outdoor activities that encourage students to keep their five senses alert.
• They’ll find fun in nature, dive into STEM activities, and even bring their learnings home or school.
• So, the next time they make a nature craft or use the nature around them for a project, watch their eyes light up.

They’ll love playing, working, and even gardening as they learn. And as they close their eyes and listen to the sounds of nature, you’ll know you’re not just getting them outside but opening their minds to a world of discovery.

If you enjoyed this article about Outdoor Educational Activities and would like to learn more, please leave a comment below.

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The Influence of outdoor learning models on critical thinking ability

• Rohman, A. A. N.
• Wilujeng, I.
• Kuswanto, H.

This study aims to: (1) Knowing model of outdoor learning subject specific pedagogy that is feasible to use (2) Knowing the effect of outdoor learning model on critical thinking ability of Students. This study used quasi-experimental. Subjects in this study were X MIA 4 and X MIA 5 Sleman 1 State Senior High School registered as students in the 2017/2018 school year. Sampling in this study used purposive sampling technique based on certain criteria. Class X MIA 5 was an experimental class using experiment-based outdoor learning models while class X MIA 4 was a control class taught using conventional models. Data collection techniques used questions related to critical thinking skills. The instrument used was test of critical thinking skill which 5 indicators and 8 sub indicator. Learning tools developed were lesson plans, student worksheet, and critical thinking assessment instruments. Before being applied, learning tools were validated by experts to measure their feasibility. Measurement of whether or not there is influence of the model application on critical thinking skills is used t-test. The results of this study (1) the quality of learning devices of outdoor learning model according to expert material assessment were very good categories, (2) outdoor learning models effectively applied to upgrade critical thinking ability.

• DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/1567/3/032093
• Corpus ID: 225858995

The Influence of outdoor learning models on critical thinking ability

• A. Rohman , Jumadi , +1 author H. Kuswanto
• Published in Journal of Physics… 1 June 2020
• Journal of Physics: Conference Series

2 Citations

Outdoor science approach with peer tutoring at university level as an example of implementing sustainable development strategies, analysis of physics concepts in playgrounds at gofun bojonegoro as learning materials for students, 14 references, the effect of integrated learning model and critical thinking skill of science learning outcomes, the role of outdoor adventure education in facilitating groupwork in higher education, developing students’ critical thinking, problem solving, and analysis skills in an inquiry-based synthetic organic laboratory course, empathy and critical thinking: primary students solving local environmental problems through outdoor learning, the nature of udeskole: outdoor learning theory and practice in danish schools, guidelines for a scientific approach to critical thinking assessment, outdoor adventure education (oae) in higher education: characteristics of successful university degree programmes, is outdoor education a discipline provocations and possibilities, an exploration of pre-service teachers' experiences in outdoor ‘places’ and intentions for teaching in the outdoors, contributions of teachers' thinking styles to critical thinking dispositions (istanbul-fatih sample)., related papers.

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Stepping Into the Wild: Creative Outdoor Learning

Creating an Outdoor Classroom

Scout out some flexible space and get started with these simple and easy tips. Remember – safety and organization is key to allow for planned activities as well as free time for exploration.

Step 1: Determine a teaching or meeting location for your class to regularly connect.

Assess the chosen location to determine if any clean up is necessary for students to learn and move around safely. Check for debris and potential hazards, and consider other potential necessities such as shade, access to drinkable water, and emergency first aid materials.

Looking for some affordable seating solutions? Logs, boulders and wooden benches can provide simple, flexible and reusable seating options for students of all ages. Want to get even more creative? Dig out your paint set and brushes and allow students to create colorful designs on each seat.

Consider creating and hanging some student-led signage to let visitors know about the outdoor classroom and to identify the core values of the space. Grab some reclaimed wood and get to painting!

Step 2: Choose the focus of your outdoor classroom.

Dramatic play? Games? Math? Creative writing? Mindfulness? Science? These are just a few of the themes and units that teachers can focus on in an outdoor learning space. Be flexible enough to meet the needs of teachers and students, and connect it to the culture and values of the school community. Start with a few simple themes and build from there.

Step 3: Choose your learning materials, and secure a storage location.

Get innovative with fun manipulatives and equipment to provide a well-rounded experience. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

• Dramatic Play – Grab some recycled boxes, markers, paint and fabric scraps to create a stage and scenic materials.
• Games – Look around for nature-inspired materials such as logs, stones and open spaces to incorporate movement to improve gross motor skills such as jumping, hoping, skipping and leaping.
• Math – Invite students to collect nature items and use math to indicate their size, quantity or length. Determine the shapes of the collected objects and identify the shapes most commonly found in nature.
• Creative Writing – Ask students to sketch a scene, outline a poem, or create a story based on the nature images found or observed around them.
• Mindfulness – Join students in a walking or seated mediation activity around the outdoor classroom. Ask students to walk or sit quietly and notice the sensations in their body as well as the sights and sounds around them. Encourage nice deep belly breaths! Invite students to journal or share about their experience after the activity.
• Science – Invite students to observe, investigate, compare and contrast, classify, and analyze elements and items found in the outdoor classroom. Search for bug habitats or plan a garden that incorporates plants native to your school’s climate and habitat.

The first step is to brainstorm what you need and come up with a clear and compelling list of what you’re asking parents and family members to help with.

Reach out to potential volunteers through your newsletter, website and social media, or email and call parents and families who you know might be interested. The wider your reach, the greater chance you have to meet all your needs.

Just ask! Often times, people are more than willing to volunteer but have never been asked.

Keep asking! Our world is saturated with competing priorities. There’s a chance your original message got lost in the mix.

Related Activities

Active learning opportunities.

Incorporate physical activity before, during, and after the school day, as well as into daily lesson plans.

Private: April Showers Bring May Veggies

School gardens are a fantastic way to transition a more traditional classroom to an outdoor, experiential learning opportunity centered on student engagement and critical thinking.

School Garden

A school garden is a wonderful way for students to physically connect with nutrition education, understand the process of growing healthy foods, and recognize environmental stewardship.

Scavenger Hunt

Scavenger hunts are a great way to get the whole family and community physically active. Provide healthy snacks, and create a friendly competition by handing out prizes for the person or group that completes the hunt first.

Categories: Social-Emotional Health , At Home , At School , Digital Resource