It’s that magical time of year when the flowers start to bloom and the sun is showing its face more often. We aren’t quite there yet, it is only early March, but spring is most definitely in the air for many of us. It’s always a time of hope and joy, there is more daylight which means more time to learn and play outside. You’ve probably noticed more children playing at the park after school and the rush of people at the garden centre, it’s all happening! The excitement of the new season is upon us. Which means, it’s time to get your spring outdoor learning plans in motion!
Make your Spring Outdoor Learning to-do list
Get ready for the season and figure out what you want to accomplish. You probably already have a curriculum plan for the term complete with lesson plans and dates for the diary. Have you got outdoor learning plans too? How will you take your planned topics outside and give your pupils time to enjoy the fresh air and engage with hands-on learning? There’s always room to be spontaneous, and you should be. However, having some solid plans ready to go is a sure fire way to guarantee you take learning outside this March, April, May and June.
Make the most of the season’s events
There are all kinds of things to incorporate into your spring outdoor learning. Here’s a list of events and ideas with links to get you started. There’s plenty of inspiration here as well as some topics to use as a theme or starting point.
- World Wildlife Day: 3 March: https://www.wwf.org.uk/world-wildlife-day
- British Science Week: 8-17 March: https://www.britishscienceweek.org/
- St. Patrick’s Day: 17 March
- Holi Festival: 24-25 March
- Easter: 29 March – 1 April
- World Circus Day: 17 April
- Earth Day: 22 April : https://www.earthday.org/
- International Dance Day: 29 April: https://www.international-dance-day.org/
- May Day: 1 May
- Mental Health Awareness Week: 13-30 May: https://mentalhealth-uk.org/mental-health-awareness-week
- World Environment Day: 5 June: https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/
- World Ocean Day: 8 June: https://worldoceanday.org/
- National School Sports Week: 17-23 June: https://www.youthsporttrust.org/school-support/nssw
Get out in the garden
Children of all ages can get involved with gardening and see how food is grown, as well as the hard work that goes into the process. You can link garden work to science, maths, art and even english, and still keep things tied to the curriculum. Pupils can learn life skills and stay on track with required topics, all while dipping their hands into the soil! It’s a win all round.
Here are some great tips from the Royal Horticultural Society to help you get started. We can help with installing raised beds and storage sheds too, just click here to find out more. These portable beds below are perfect for ever changing spaces!
Carpe Diem
The main message is to seize the moment and step outside, no matter what, this spring term. It’s easy to get waylaid with the pressures and timelines that schools throw at you, but your pupils will thank you for the freedom to learn and grow outside, and in hands-on ways. You’ll benefit from it too – open the doors, take a breath of fresh air and out you all go!