Outdoor learning

Throw caution to the wind and take your early years, KS1, or KS2 class outside to learn!

Forest School expert, Annie Lynwood, offers guidance on how to set up a forest school and shares some of her approaches to outdoor learning. The pack includes activities for science and English and can be adapted to suit children across the primary age range.

What are you waiting for? Come outside!

What's included?

• 32 teaching ideas and accompanying resources
• links to the curriculum.

What's inside?

Forest School (pages 1-3)

• Establishing a forest school
• Planning through the seasons
• Breaking down the barriers between indoor and outdoor learning

Literacy (pages 4-30)

• Teaching ideas bank
• Resources
  • On the ground
  • Owl Babies
  • Frightened Floppy
  • Setting the scene
  • We’re going on a … hunt
  • The hungry wolf
  • Little Red Riding Hood – my version
  • Postcard from a character – Little Red Riding Hood
  • Activity pack – Trees by Harry Behn

Science (pages 31-100)

• Curriculum coverage
• Teaching ideas bank
• Resources
  • Ladybird facts
  • A robin’s egg – life cycle
  • Minibeast key
  • Differences in minibeasts
  • Design your own animal
  • Habitats and adaptation
  • Squirrel research pack
  • Fox research pack
  • Spidery persuasion
  • Woodland animals
  • Keeping a weather record
  • How would you dress for the weather?
  • Trees and leaves, spotter’s guide
  • What’s inside a fruit?
  • Practical plant growing – a salad in a jar
  • Helping plants grow well

Other areas (pages 101-121)

• Curriculum coverage
• Teaching ideas bank
• Resource
  • School improvements
  • Design sheets – local area
  • Consider this
  • Environment detective
  • Portraits and landscapes
  • Build the Three Little Pigs’ house
  • Tree-mendous tree houses