Learning outdoors
“Teaching children about the natural world should be treated as one of the most important events in their lives.”
Thomas Berry
Why do we believe learning outdoors is so important at Penclawdd Primary?
The benefits of learning outside the classroom are endless. Being outside allows children to express themselves freely and unlike an indoor classroom, there aren’t any space constraints meaning children can jump, shout and explore to their hearts content. The sense of freedom playing and learning outdoors brings is fantastic for a child’s development, both physically and mentally.
The importance of outside play and learning can’t be underestimated and below are just some of the many benefits it offers to children:
Encourages an Active Lifestyle
Children who learn to play and learn outdoors are much more likely to continue to enjoy outdoor activities such as walking, running and cycling as they get older. Given the number of gadgets and new technology available to us all, outdoor play is an extremely important factor in combatting an increasingly sedentary lifestyle.
Appreciation of Nature and the Environment
Learning in an outdoor environment allows children to interact with the elements around us and helps them to gain an understanding of the world we live in. They can experience animals in their own surroundings and learn about their habitats and lifecycles.
Develops Social Skills
Indoor spaces can often feel overcrowded to children and naturally, they may feel intimated in this type of environment. More space outdoors can help children to join in and ‘come out of their shells’. Giving children outdoor learning experiences offers them a chance to talk about what they have done with their friends, teachers and parents.
Encourages Independence
The extra space offered by being outdoors will give children the sense of freedom to make discoveries by themselves. They can develop their own ideas or create games and activities to take part in with their friends without feeling like they’re being directly supervised. They’ll begin to understand what they can do by themselves and develop a ‘can do‘ attitude, which will act as a solid foundation for future learning.
Understanding Risk
Being outdoors provides children with more opportunities to experience risk-taking. They have the chance to take part in tasks on a much bigger scale and complete them in ways they might not when they’re indoors. They can learn to make calculated decisions such as ‘should I jump off this log?’ or ‘can I climb this tree?’
Penclawdd Primary Woodland area
We are so fortunate to have such wonderful, expansive grounds. At the rear of the school we also have a large woodland. Classes from Nursery-Year 6 visit the woodland at least weekly.
Outdoor Classroom Day 1 – `Love the Outdoors ` 5.11.20
Outdoor Classroom Day is a global movement to make time outdoors part of every child’s day. On two days of action each year, teachers take children outdoors to play and learn.
