Outdoor Learning
‘Children are born naturalists...
...They explore the world with all their senses, experiment in the environment, and communicate their discoveries to those around them’ Oscar Wilde
At Albion Primary, we believe that all children have the right to experience the unique and special nature of being outdoors. We further believe that it is important to enable children to use the outside environment as a context for learning.
What is Outdoor Learning?
Outdoor Learning is an umbrella term that stretches across a broad range of activities and learning opportunities outside.
The outdoor environment has massive potential for providing learning opportunities. In Early Years, a constant outdoor provision is expected and outdoor planning is an integral part of the learning every day. There is an expectation that children should have access to the outdoors every day in some form from Nursery to Year 6.
Outdoor learning may be included within other lessons, be part of an on-going project, include off site trips or be part of a physical education. There are endless possibilities for cross curricular links, especially with Science, Geography, Maths and English.
We are extremely fortunate to be set in large grounds with our own on site Forest School as well as being surrounded by an environment rich in opportunities of which we make full use of our local area, including the park, Russia Dock Woodlands and the River Thames to enhance our educational provision.
It is widely accepted that children need to be outside and that they benefit from the opportunity to learn outdoors.
The space that outdoors offers means that everything can be bigger! It can also be messier outside so art projects and science experiments can be enjoyed on a much larger scale.
Being outdoors allows children to be far more active. Learning is far more kinaesthetic with a multisensory approach that benefits all learners. Being outside increases the use of language as talk is encouraged and often essential. As formality relaxes, working alongside each other in the open, moving physically and mentally, relationships often flourish. Self-esteem and self -confidence, frequently with children who struggle within a classroom setting, soar and a language rich environment captures the minds of many.
Outdoor learning experiences are often remembered for a lifetime. Integrating learning and outdoor experiences, whether through play in the immediate grounds or adventures further afield, provides relevance and depth to the curriculum in ways that are difficult to achieve indoors. Learning outdoors can be enjoyable, creative, challenging and adventurous and helps children learn by experience and grow as confident and responsible citizens who value and appreciate the natural environment.
