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Outdoor learning is so important for children of all ages. Freedom from the confines of the classroom and formal learning is a wonderful part of any childhood. The great thing about outdoor learning is that usually it doesn’t feel at all like learning – but more like fun.
This prep school in Surrey ensures all of its pupils have plenty of outdoor learning experiences. This adds enormous value to a child’s education. If you’re looking for some new ideas for outdoor learning with your child, why not try some of our top 5 outdoor learning activities to explore with your children? Here they are!
Nature Scavenger Hunt
Not the slowly ambling, rambling kind but an exciting, timed race to the finish line. The difference with this type of nature walk is that the aim of the game is to find as many things on a list as possible and within a certain time frame. The brilliance of this is that it can be done with one child or with many. If you have a group of children, split them into teams and have them compete. Here’s a list of suggestions for items to find:
- Acorns
- Pinecones
- A dead branch
- A living branch
- A pink flower
- A white flower
- A stone with a hole in it
- Berries
- A cast off shell or a broken bird’s egg
One point for each item found! Extra points for anything not on the list but of great interest.
Fossil Hunting
Where does one find fossils? Easy – look in the following locations/landscapes:
On the beach – fossils can be found among the shingle at the shoreline where they have been washed from cliff faces. They can also be found at the base of cliffs and under larger rocks. Be very careful when moving rocks though.
Quarries – it’s very important that you seek permission before exploring disused quarries. They can be extremely dangerous and please note that mobile signals don’t always work once you’re inside the quarry! Some quarries have very deep pools of water at the base of them – these are best avoided altogether.
Rivers and streams – these are great locations for hunting and children will enjoy the adventure of paddling and wading along during warmer months.
Geocaching
If you’re not familiar with this amazing, popular and free hobby, it’s the practice of hiding a ‘cache’ in a secret spot and then sharing the GPS coordinates on a special website or app so that others may hunt for it. The caches
are usually encased within a plastic container and hold fun, silly or interesting items. The idea is to leave the container behind – it’s usually fine to take the contents but you must leave something of similar value behind for the next person to find.
Bike Riding
It might sound obvious, but getting outside and learning to ride a bike gives you numerous learning opportunities. It’s all about perseverance, working hard towards a final goal. You can focus on how it works, the mechanics of a bicycle or what part momentum plays. Ultimately though, it is a great way to have fun and keep active outside. Whatever you do, make sure you have a bike light and horn at the ready so anyone else on the path can see you coming.
Rock/Pebble Painting
Collecting interesting stones and then taking them home to paint can be an addictive hobby. It’s also been made even more fun lately by the growing custom of leaving painted stones in various outdoor locations for others to find. Children love the idea of leaving a gift for a stranger and they may even be lucky enough to find a pebble themselves once they’ve trained their eyes.
Tree Planting
Most towns and villages have at least one charitable organisation dedicated to growing trees. The great thing about this is that anyone can usually join in and children will love the idea of contributing to an ecological cause. You can take this idea one step further with some ‘seed bombing’ around your local area. Wayside verges, lanes and derelict land are all good places to seed bomb. The idea is that you purchase some wildflower packs and throw the contents in a particular area and then watch out for the results. The local wildlife will benefit hugely from the increased, native plant life.
Outdoor play and activities are a wonderful way to make long lasting memories for and with your child. Whether you join in or not, your child may even find a hobby that lasts a lifetime.
Looking For More Activities For Kids?
- Educational Activities For Preschoolers
- The Benefits of Extra-Curricular Activities for Children
- Skyhigh Orbisphere Trampoline
Win A Mini Hornit Bike And Scooter Light And Horn
If you want to be in with a chance of winning a Mini Hornit bike and scooter horn to keep you safe outside then enter via rafflecopter below.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTerms And Conditions
The closing date is 11:59 pm on Thursday 2nd September
The prize is a Mini Hornit in Red and Blue, no cash alternative
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